A Theory of Middleman Minorities

Abstract

Investigates the minorities, a term coined by Blalock. Included in this classification are Jews in Europe, the Chinese in Southeast Asia, and Greeks in the United States. Previous works on this topic have explored the hostile reaction of communities to these ethnic groups, which leads these middlemen to strengthen group solidarity. These works have also considered the nature of societies in which middleman groups can be found. The theory presented in this analysis classifies so-called middleman minorities as sojourners – those who do not plan to settle permanently in the new location. A relational representation of the development and perpetuation of the middleman minority position is presented. The impact of sojourning is that there is a tendency toward thrift and a concentration in certain occupations. A further result of sojourning is high levels of internal solidarity. Middleman groups also utilize their strong family and ethnic ties for preferential economic treatment. As might be expected, there are often conflicts for middleman groups in their host countries. Some of the conflicts identified in this analysis are those with clients, competing businesses, and labor. Many middlemen do not return to their homeland despite their initial intention to make such a return. Political conditions in their homelands are one reason. Another reason for remaining is that they are able to achieve business success in the host country. (SRD)