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FormatJournal Article
Author, AnalyticHeisler, Barbara Schmitter
Title, AnalyticMiddle-Class German Migrants in the United States: Migrants, Immigrants, Expatriates, Transmigrants, Mobile Citizens, or German Americans?
Journal TitleGerman Studies Review
Date of PublicationOctober 2020
Volume ID43
Issue ID3
Location in Work537-551
URLPDF
AbstractDrawing on data from interviews with twenty-five German citizens in Portland, Oregon, this paper aims to shed some light on the migration experience of contemporary middle-class Germans who migrated to the United States. The interview data suggest that while these individuals have achieved successful socioeconomic integration and do not encounter discrimination or negative prejudices, they exhibit a strong sense of their German identity, rejecting such common labels such as "immigrant," "expatriate," or "German American." Instead, they continue to negotiate their identity as "Germans living in America." Like most immigrants, they engage in "transnational activities"; however, in contrast to the transnational activities sought out by unskilled migrants and global elites, these migrants tend to favor personal, social, or cultural activities over economic or political activities.
Call NumberDigital file (PDF)
MKI TermsEthnic identity/ 21st century/ Emigration and immigration (Germany-US)/ German language/ Sociology