In Search of the Self: Reconciling the Past and the Present in Immigrants’ Experience by Larisa Fialkova and Maria Yelenevskaya (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: In Search of the Self: Reconciling the Past and the Present in Immigrants’ Experience by Larisa Fialkova and Maria Yelenevskaya Irena Vladimirsky (bio) Larisa Fialkova and Maria Yelenevskaya, In Search of the Self: Reconciling the Past and the Present in Immigrants’ Experience (Tartu: ELM Scholarly Press, 2013). 282 pp. Bibliography. ISBN: 978-9949-490-80-6. The book of Larisa Fialkova and Maria Yelenevskaya is based on personal narratives of ex-Soviet immigrants to Israel and Germany and their experiences. More specifically, it relies on a series of interviews and untraditional sources such as Internet forum discussions and artifacts of Russian-speaking media and consumer culture (such as store signs or advertisements) (P. 16). The authors pursue a broad multidisciplinary approach that includes folklore theory, legal anthropology, linguistics, social psychology, and sociology. It is suggested that the experience of ex-Soviet immigrants is formed by an overlapping of three spheres: traditional Soviet culture, traditional Jewish culture, and the dominant culture of the host society (secular Jewish or protestant German). The Introduction provides the reader with a general idea of the field of folklore studies and outlines the scope of the problem of post-Soviet immigration in Germany and Israel. The two societies cannot be regarded as melting pots, but rather [End Page 427] as “salad bowls” where each group of immigrants preserves its own ethnic customs and practices. In Israel, Russian-speaking immigrants composed nearly 21 percent (about 1,300,000 out of 6,200,000) of the country’s population. Unlike the previous wave of immigrants from the region, recent repatriates did not fully integrate into the host society (Pp. 15–17). It is somewhat different in Germany: German culture is perceived by Jewish immigrants from post-Soviet countries as more prestigious than the Soviet and Jewish cultures, and so they are trying harder to join it. Chapter 1 of the first part of the book (dedicated to the case of Israel) examines immigrant narratives regarding two main topics: the concept of space and the feeling of being a stranger within Israeli society. The authors analyzed interviews with 143 respondents who repatriated to Israel in 1989−1999 as adults, and 10 interviews with respondents who were brought to the country as small children (P. 25). Before coming to Israel, most respondents strongly identified themselves as city dwellers. On the basis of their past experience, they perceive the modern city as a place that provides the best opportunities for work and study, the site characterized by well-planned and attractive city landscapes, developed public transportation, entertainment venues, and high security. Israel is one of the most urbanized countries in the world, but the difference between the cities in the center of Israel and those located on the periphery is enormous. Whereas peripheral towns in the eyes of many symbolize stagnation, cities in the center are perceived as symbols of multiple opportunities (P. 45). Ex-Soviet immigrants brought with them traditional Soviet stereotypes about the center and periphery, and the cultural hierarchies of prestige associated with them. Thus, Jews from the Caucasus or Central Asia are perceived as inferior to their “European” counterparts (Pp. 38–40), but within the general Israeli population they are still viewed as superior to the Jews from Ethiopia or ethnic groups such as Arabs and Bedouins. Mobility is another factor of classification along the center–periphery gradient. The best sites of culture and entertainment are located in the central cities and opened in the evenings or on Shabbat (Saturday). Poor public transportation and lack of economic resources (owning a car) complicate the chances for young immigrants to enjoy the attractions of a big city (P. 64). Although over the past years central cities in Israel have lost their former reputation as strongholds of higher security (becoming a frequent target of missile and terrorist attacks), they are still perceived by post-Soviet immigrants as more desirable places to [End Page 428] live. Composing a substantial part of students and junior academic staff in Israeli colleges and universities, they strongly believe that the presence of a college or a university in the city considerably elevates its status (P. 51). True to their self-perception as representatives...