The Economic Basis of Ethnic Solidarity

The Economic Basis of Ethnic Solidarity: Small Business in the Japanese American Community explores the intersection of ethnicity and class within the context of Japanese Americans, particularly focusing on the role of economic factors in fostering ethnic solidarity. The book challenges traditional views of ethnicity as a primordial bond rooted in common ancestry, emphasizing that ethnic affiliation is not a natural phenomenon, but a social construct that can be influenced by economic interests. It argues that ethnic groups, particularly middleman minorities like Japanese Americans, often mobilize around shared economic activities, such as small business ownership, to create solidarity. When ethnic groups fail to maintain a strong economic base, their ethnic ties tend to weaken.

The book presents a theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between ethnicity and class, using Japanese Americans as a case study. It explores how, historically, the Japanese American community engaged in small businesses as a means of economic adaptation, which in turn helped to preserve a strong ethnic identity. The study shows that this economic model enabled Japanese Americans to develop a sense of community, despite facing racial discrimination and economic challenges. Additionally, the book highlights the differences between the experiences of Japanese Americans and other racial minorities, such as African Americans, emphasizing that the unique economic role of Japanese Americans led to different conflicts and outcomes. The work provides an important analysis of middleman minorities and contributes to broader discussions on ethnic and economic identity.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1980.