Overcoming the odds: constricted ethnicity in middle-class Romà

Abstract

How are different ethnic groups dealing with upward social mobility and assimilation? This is a large question that social research has tried to address in recent decades. In the United States, this issue has been framed by the theory of segmented assimilation. In Europe, regarding the Romà, the assumption still exists that upward mobility paths are intrinsically associated with a loss of ethnic identity, due to a process of full acculturation to the mainstream. In this article, through an analysis of 48 in-depth interviews with middle-class Romà in Spain, we identify other mobility paths, such as selective acculturation, that exist in addition to full acculturation. In this sense, we observe how symbolic differences exist between those middle-class Romà who live in an ethnic enclave and have a strong network of support and those who do not. In most cases, middle-class Romà tend to live outside the enclave and experience what we have called constricted ethnicity. IntroductionResearch on middle-class Romà is scarce and most of the existing inquiries have been influenced by the canonical view of assimilation. It is assumed that if a Romani person earns a college degree and then enters into a liberal profession they will tend to abandon their community of origin and identity, embracing a process of full acculturation to the mainstream. The research carried out aimed to observe whether this situation was the reality among middle-class Romà in Spain. In order to adequately frame these processes it is necessary, first, to carry out an analysis of previous literature on the upward social mobility and assimilation of different ethnic groups in America and on the case of the Romà in Europe. Despite the differences between national contexts, there are common aspects in the social mobility processes of several ethnic minorities that should be pointed out and that can contribute to the current theoretical framework. Later, we will present our methodology and an analysis of the fieldwork where evidence was gathered on how stereotypes can influence assimilation processes and the social mobility of individuals. We will then discuss, at greater length, the main part of this study which focuses on the selective acculturation path and constricted ethnicity. The objective

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