Ethnic Identity Formation Research Articles

‘In Russia We are Muslims, In Turkey We are Gyavurs’: Fluid Identities of the Armenian-Speaking Muslim Hemshils

The study examines the process of re/formation of social, ethnic, and religious identities in the Caucasian Black Sea frontier. It resulted in empirical validation of constructivist paradigm. The author tries to elucidate the creative process of ethnic identity formation, which is, according to the presented empirical data, directly linked to socio-economic surrounding of the group. Admittedly, the Hemshils serve as a vivid example of fluidity and flexibility of social identity. The study tries to show how Hemshils’ ethnicity has been shaped by their historical destinies and how they represent it in their everyday life. Living in the borderlands, subsequent bitter experience of deportation, legal disabilities and social deprivation in the receiving societies have predetermined unstable and situational quality of Hemshils’ ethnic identity. The last few decades have been crucial for survival of Hemshils’ communities. New social conditions set the stage for the re-articulation of their ethnic self-identification. Actually, each member of the group may virtually choose between the habitual Turkish option, ‘domestic’ Hemshil or ‘lost’ one, as they have suddenly realized, and some of them regained their Christian-Armenian identity. The versatile dramatic experience tends to foster fluid type of identities redefining and reiterating them repetitively. The aim of the research is the ethnographic description of the discoursive contexts of those unstable changes. The research addresses social scientists and students as well as anybody who cares of how social identity is molded.

Этнические традиции в социокультурном пространстве Северного Кавказа

Theoretical understanding of the role of ethnic traditions in the ethnic identity formation, the organization of cultural space, the development of a methodology for their study in various socio-cultural conditions are of particular relevance in modern society. The processes of glocalization, regionalization of cultural space are aimed at preserving the uniqueness of ethnic cultures through the study and promotion of the best national traditions in material and spiritual culture. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of ethnic traditions in the cultural genesis of the peoples of the North Caucasus. The following tasks are being solved: the study of ethnic traditions as a mechanism for transferring socio-cultural experience in various historical and cultural conditions, as well as the study of the regional cultural space in the context of the communicative functions of ethnic culture. The scientific novelty of the study is provided due to the methodology of historical cultural studies, which explores both macrodynamic historical and cultural processes and core microdynamic stages of cultural formation.

Development of Ethnic Identity among American College Students of Asian Indian Descent

Objectives: Ethnic identity is a cultural self-concept associated with formation of social identity and psychological well-being as well as academic performance of diverse population of college- age students. This study was designed to identify factors associated with ethnic identify formation among American college students of the Asian Indian descent. Methods: College students who participated in the Association of Indians and South Asian social networks were surveyed. In addition to demographic, family and culture-related behavior questions, Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) instrument was used to identify parameters that characterized the development of ethnic identity: total score, search, and affirmation, belonging, and commitment (ABC). Regression model was used to identify factors associated with formation of ethnic identity of the studied youth. Result: Almost all respondents were born in the U.S. from the monoethnical Asian Indian families. The total ethnic identify scores were higher if the participants reported using native language at home, attendance at a religious/cultural Sunday school and dance and/or ethnic music classes, visitation of the parent’s country of origin in addition to the father’s religious and parental membership/leadership in the ethnic/ religious organizations. Participation in dance and or/ethnic music classes and use of native language at home was strongly associated with formation of ethnic identity. Conclusion: Participation in cultural and ethnic events as well as paternal religion and use of native language are major factors that impact exploration and commitment stages of ethnic identity formation that should be addressed in professional psychological counseling of American youth of Asian Indian descent. How to cite this article: Mehrotra N, Mehrotra N, Petrova A. Development of Ethnic Identity among American College Students of Asian Indian Descent. Ind J Youth Adol Health 2020; 7(1): 7-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2349.2880.202002

“Why Don’t You Go to the Mosque?” Epistemic Deference and Everyday Religious Practices in Hui Muslim Communities

AbstractThe study of everyday ethnicity emphasizes the importance of seeking the perspectives of the masses regarding processes of ethnic identity formation and ethnic boundary maintenance. In contrast to elite-centered approaches, everyday ethnicity attempts to understand how ethnicity is constructed from the bottom-up. However, seeking the everyday presents researchers with a number of distinct challenges. Prevalent among these obstacles is a tendency of non-elite respondents to direct scholars to elite authorities when responding to questions about ethnic identity, claiming they lack expertise or qualifications to speak on the subject. This epistemic deference toward elite sources may be particularly acute in ethno-religious communities, where the hierarchies of religious orders may reinforce the gulf of “knowledge” between clergy and lay believers. This article examines the problem of epistemic deference through a case study of everyday ethnicity in urban Hui Muslim communities in China. Drawing on data collected over the course of 152 interviews and numerous ethnographic observations conducted in four cities in China (Beijing, Jinan, Yinchuan, and Xining) between July 2015 and July 2016, the article illustrates the challenges posed by epistemic deference to field researchers in religious communities.

Asian American cultural socialization and ethnic identity: interdependent self-construal as a mediator

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study advances the understanding of cultural socialization processes for Asian American emerging adults. We examined whether interdependent self-construal mediated the relation between cultural socialization and ethnic identity exploration and commitment. Method: The current study utilized mediation analyses to explore the associations between cultural socialization (i.e., the process in which individuals learn messages regarding the traditions and values of their culture) via different agents (i.e., parents, teachers, romantic partners, peers); interdependent self-construal (i.e., viewing oneself as connected to others); and ethnic identity exploration and commitment for Asian American college-attending emerging adults (N = 281, 66.5% female, M age = 20.34). Results: Results revealed that interdependent self-construal mediated the association between cultural socialization and ethnic identity exploration and commitment in regards to romantic partners and peers, but not parents and teachers. Conclusions: Results highlight that diverse cultural socialization agents may play a role in ethnic identity formation and suggest that the endorsement of cultural values can be a mechanism through which ethnic identity is strengthened for Asian Americans.

Ashkenazi jews in Azerbaijan: on some problems of ethnic identity in a foreign ethnic environment

The article established that the formation and becoming of the ethnic identity of the ashkenazi jews of Azerbaijan is influenced by a number of traditional factors, in particular, family, upbringing and cultural traditions. In particular, the special role of traditions in the formation of ethnic identity among jews is associated with the essential role of judaism in this process. The article also notes that one of the most important elements of ethnic culture and the sustainability of ethnic identity is the mother tongue. The mother tongue of ashkenazi jews is yiddish. It is established that at present the functional significance of yiddish has significantly decreased. The almost complete oblivion of yiddish and the transition of the vast majority of ashkenazi jews of Azerbaijan to the russian language created favorable conditions for the transition of this community to hebrew. In addition to the desire to revive historical memory, the revival of traditional culture and religion, the strengthening of the dominant position of hebrew among ashkenazi jews was also associated with an increase in migration sentiments, the desire of many of them to leave for their historical homeland in Israel. The desire to study hebrew, characteristic of many ashkenazi in Azerbaijan, especially middle and young age, does not mean that this language has become functionally significant for intra-community and everyday communication. For these purposes, the russian language continues to be widely used. For example, while an older generation of ashkenazi jews owned yiddish, the middle generation speaks mainly russian, and the relatively young generation already speaks three languages – azerbaijani, russian and hebrew. In the article, summing up some results of the study of ethnic identity among ashkenazi jews of Azerbaijan, it is stated that, despite the unspoken, and sometimes vowed anti-semitism of the rulers of tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union, ashkenazi jews of Azerbaijan have largely preserved their ethnic identity, traditional holidays and rituals. Moreover, the activity of various jewish schools in Azerbaijan, the education of jewish children in hebrew determines the stability of ethnic identity among various age groups of the jewish population. The stability of the ethnic identity of ashkenazi jews in Azerbaijan is also influenced by such traditional factors as family, upbringing and cultural traditions. It is likely that this is due to the fact that for most jews, following the customs and traditions in everyday life is an important element of the national mentality. Moreover, judaism plays a major role in maintaining ethnic identity among ashkenazi jews.

The role of language within the identity structure of Molokans of Azerbaijan (on the example of rural localities Ivanovka and Novosaratovka)

The goal of this research is the comparison of identity factors that contribute to strengthening and determination of affiliation of an ethnocultural group in a foreign language environment. The subject of this research is the examination of peculiarities of language factors as an element of preservation of identity and identification of a minority ethnocultural group of Molokans residing in the territory of Azerbaijan since the early XIX century. The author reviews certain identity structures of the Molokans that assist preservation and unification of the group. Research methodology is based on the sociolinguistic practice, surveys and interviews carried out in the rural localities Ivanovka and Novosaratovka, as well as places of residence of the Molokans in Azerbaijan. The scientific novelty consist in comparative study of Molokans in the two regions of Azerbaijan, their views upon identity, lifestyle and living conditions, and linguistic peculiarities. A conclusion is drawn that Molokans consider themselves Russians; the role of language within the identity structure of Molokans plays a crucial role; language factor dominates in formation of ethnic identity and ethnic mentality, which develops in the early childhood. The results of this work can be valuable in studying the language factor as the basis in preservation of identity of small-numbered peoples after migration.

국내 거주 고려인의 민족 정체성과 국가 정체성 형성과 변화 연구

이 연구는 국내 거주 고려인의 민족 정체성과 국가 정체성 형성과 변화에 대한 것으로 정체성을 정치적, 문화적, 이데올로기적 체제의 맥락과 역사적 관계에 접근해서 고찰하였다. 이를 위해 경기도 안산시, 광주광역시 광산구를 중심으로 노동자, 자영업자 등 총 15명을 대상으로 2019년 6월 2~23일과 2020년 1월 24~26일 동안 심층 인터뷰를 하였다. 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 국내 거주 고려인이 보인 정체성은 정치적 맥락에서는 혈통이가장 큰 역할을 하였다. 고려인은 거주국 국가에 대한 소속감은 있지만, 국민으로 큰 소속감은 없었다. 또한 중앙아시아 고려인과 러시아 고려인 간에는 지역 차이뿐만 아니라 마을과도시, 환경, 문화 차이, 세대 차이, 각자의 태도와 성격에서 작은 차이가 있었다. 문화적 맥락에서는 고려인의 민족 정체성은 민족 혼종성과 언어보다는 민족 애착 등이 큰 역할을 하고있다. 이데올로기 체제 맥락에서는 고려인은 냉전 시기에는 남북체제 요인으로 인해 영향을받았지만, 현재 고려인의 북한에 대한 인식은 매우 부정적이었다. 관계에 따른 고려인의 정체성은 역사적인 시기에 따라 다르게 나타나고 있다. 특히 소련의 한인 민족정책이 고려인정체성에 영향을 주었다. 고려인의 민족 정체성과 거주국의 국가 정체성은 복잡한 역사적 성격을 지니며 형성되고변화해 왔다. 따라서 고려인에 대한 새로운 관계와 이해의 인식 틀을 만들어가는 작업이 필요해 보인다. 또한 고려인이 한국 사회에 정착을 원하면 경제적이고 문화적인 토대를 우리모국이 제공해 주었으면 한다.

Formation of ethnic and diasporic identity among Koreansin the USA

The issue of the formation of ethnic and diasporic identities was considered by both domestic and Western scholars. In particular, the issue of the formation of diasporas has always been considered through the prism of the notion of classical diasporas, however, modern globalization processes force the emergence of “new” diasporas, the qualities of which the predominant part of Korean Americans possess present day. Contrary to popular belief, the community of Korean Americans is not homogeneous, but bimodal - in terms of language, kinship, generation, identity and class, time of immigration.

Chuvash ‘Paganism’ at the Turn of the 21st Century: Traditional Rituals in the Religious Practice of Volga–Urals Chuvash Groups

Abstract Traditional rituals formed the basis of ethnic Chuvash culture, and are still relevant in today’s festive and ritual culture, primarily among Chuvash ‘pagan’ ethno-religious groups. Today among the unbaptised Chuvash there is, with varying degrees of preservation, a set of ideas about the spirits of nature and the patron deity of different fields of life, practice of ritual prayer and sacrifice, and festive culture. The focus of ritual practice is the cult of the Supreme God Tura (Tură) and the ancestors, who during the calendar year appear in a single complex and in strict sequence. Traditional rituals play an essential role in the funeral and memorial rites and customs of the Chuvash. Thus, ‘pagan’ elements are characteristic not only of the unbaptised Chuvash, but also of some local groups of Christians and Muslims, for example ritual mourning of the dead, weekly commemoration on Thursday evenings until the ritual of ‘seeing off the soul’, ritual singing, sacrificing and ‘feeding’ souls of the dead on remembrance days, and other rituals and their elements. These ‘pagan’ elements in the culture of the Orthodox Chuvash and Chuvash Muslims living in ethnically mixed villages with Russians, Mordovians and Tatars both constitute the basis of their ethnic and cultural identity as Chuvash and contribute to the preservation of their ethnicity. Chuvash ‘paganism’, despite centuries of influence from Russian Orthodox and Muslim Tatar traditions, has a moderating influence over contemporary modernisation and is an element in religious practices of Chuvash confessional communities that is an important resource for the formation and development of ethnic and cultural identity.

Who Am I: Identity Construction in Pede Hollist’s So The Path Does Not Die

Though ‘identity’ has been extensively discussed in many circles of scholarship, the current winds of migration and association by identity makes a further inroad into the need for more research into identity construction even more imperative. Anti-Semitism, racism, ethnic segregation, religious fanatism and gender discrimination are all tenets of the quest for and the guarding of identity. African literary texts, as fictional replication of life, therefore become ideal avenues for the examination of identity formation processes and characteristics amongst Africans. The array of factors that militate against the being a woman in terms of gender and sexuality and how women navigate the roadblocks are amply depicted in African literary works. This paper, therefore, seeks to bring issues of identity construction into a sharper focus in relation to African women in Pede Hollist’s fictional societies. It also adds to the concretization and clarification of issues relating to subjective, ethnic identity formation and symbolic identity construction as part of the identity negotiation and renegotiation narrative. It purposes to do this by examining Pede Hollist’s So The Path Does Not Die through the lens of Ting-Toomey’s identity negotiation theory, and the subjective, ethnic and symbolic identity construction frameworks as articulated by Helena Grice (1998). It concludes that the principal African women in the novel assert their symbolic ethnic identities by negotiating and re-negotiating various other identities. Eventually, as part of the process of gaining a composite subjective identity, they re-negotiate away from the NEW WAYS identity back to the OLD WAYS identity where they experience harmony and happiness as the outcome. Keywords: Identity Negotiation, African Literature, Feminism, Gender, Migration DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/68-05 Publication date: May 31 st 2020

Балканский полуостров: национальная идентичность как доминантный фактор сепаратизма

Balkan separatism has deep historical roots, and its modern size and forms are the product of numerous local, regional and global events. Today, the Balkan Peninsula has become synonymous with extreme fragmentation. It is the countries located in this terri-tory that are characterized by a contradictory com-bination of modernity with the past, which leads to the emergence of socio-economic and political mul-tiplicity, exacerbation and overlapping of heteroge-neous conflicts. As a result, in the end there are pro-cesses of redistribution of borders and the for-mation of new independent states. In particular, this concerns the problem of determining the status of Kosovo and the settlement of interethnic and re-gional confrontations. In view of these circumstanc-es, the paper discusses the features of the people’s ethnic identity formation on the Balkan Peninsula and its influence in shaping the destructive pro-cesses. The main factors of national identity that contribute to the development of separatist tenden-cies are also identified. Special attention is paid to the content of the Westphalia system, which today is no longer an effective tool for ensuring the sover-eignty of states. The contradiction of Westphalia principles, which formed the basis of wars in the former Yugoslav republics, is also indicated. It was found that, in fact, the separatist movements and the breakup of Yugoslavia were due to objective problems in the development of common statehood, which consisted in the fact that the idea of the Yu-goslav national state did not take place in the coun-try, because the political and cultural identity of the country's population was not ensured. Particular emphasis is placed on economic factors that stimu-late the emergence of conflicts between ethnic groups and provoked separatist movements.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ROLE OF ETHNIC IDENTITY IN GLOBALIZATION CONDITIONS


 
 
 The article is devoted to a theoretical analysis of the problem of ethnic identity and its main mechanisms. The driving factor in the life of the ethnic group is its ethnic identity, which is an important component of socialization and a leading factor in the further development of the individual, its productive functioning in society. The article analyzes the main provisions on the definition of ethnic identity. The basic functions and structure of ethnic identity are considered, its psychological role is determined. The process of ethnic identity formation in the times of globalization changes is characterized. Its leading role in socio- psychological adaptation, maintaining the mental health of the individual and maintaining state integrity are determined. The important role of ethnic identity in the formation of ethno-national values that regulate the living space of society is emphasized. The article presents the relationship of ethnic identity with the ethnic mentality of the population.
 
 

Гетероэтническая среда как фактор этнической идентичности личности

The paper presents the analysis of the heteroethnic family as a factor in the formation of ethnic identity, as well as the mechanisms of this process, carried out in a multi-ethnic environment. The external factors that increase the importance of ethnicity in society and the factors determining peculiarities of ethnic identity in the process of socialization of personality are given: the homogeneity of ethnic environment, belonging to the majority or minority group, features of socialization, hetero - or homogeneity of the family, the implemented model of parenthood, etc. Special attention is paid to the concept and classification of inter-ethnic marriages and their influence on the process of ethnic identity of a child brought up in the conditions of interaction of the two cultures. The paper describes the features and types of ethnic identity that is formed in a multi-ethnic environment, as well as the possible results and consequences of the process of ethnic identification of people from inter-ethnic marriages.

Media Culture As a Factor in the Representation of Ethnic Traditions

The article considers the role played by media representation of ethnic cultures in the formation of ethnic identity. The author seeks to trace the process of ethnic culture representation in ethnic television programs.
 Keywords: ethnic culture, media communications, media culture, ethnic identity, ethnic images.

Samara Tatars: features of ethnic identification and interethnic interaction practices in a multinational metropolis

The article considers the current features of ethnocultural identification and interethnic relations of Samara Tatars by examining their urban community, which formed in the 18th–20th centuries. The study is aimed at de-termining the features associated with the formation and preservation of the ethnocultural identity of Samara Tatars, as well as the practice of their interethnic interaction in a metropolis. The research is based on the materi-als of a field survey of Samara Tatars conducted by the authors in 2017–2019, as well as on the analysis of statis-tical and published data on the history and current situation in the Tatar community of Samara. The research methodology is based on the concept of ‘ethnic boundaries’ formed in the course of intra-ethnic and interethnic interaction, within which individual and group forms of ethnic identity are manifested. The study focuses on the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the community under study (language, material culture, religious and ritual traditions, etc.), which determine the nature of interethnic contacts and the features of ethnocultural identification in the group. The study revealed that the origin, nationality of parents and ancestors constitute the basis of ethnic identity of Samara Tatars, which, despite the loss of the language, ensures ethnic reproduction of the group. The Tatar language plays a significant role in the formation of ethnic identity and intra-ethnic communication for a sig-nificant part of Samara Tatars; however, it is functionally inferior to the Russian language in the private and public spheres. The role of the kinship group is significant; thanks to it, ethnic traditions in diet, as well as in the spheres of religion and festivities are mastered and observed. Despite the fact that a number of elements have lost their original, utilitarian significance in culture, they continue to influence the process of ethnic identification of commu-nity members as symbolic markers of ethnicity. Folk heritage, as well as professional culture, make a certain con-tribution to the foundation for the ethnicity of Samara Tatar. The activities of Tatar public organisations also con-tribute to transmitting ethnocultural experience to the younger generation. The long history of the urban Tatar community in Samara constitutes a powerful resource for the local ethnocultural identification of its members as ‘Samara Tatars’, as well as an incentive for integration into the modern multicultural space of the region.

The role of the Bagratuni royal dynasty in preservation of ethnic identity of Armenians in the late IV – VI centuries

This article explores the establishment and retention of the ethnic consciousness of Armenians in the conditions of Persian and Byzantine dominion based on the example of the activity of Bagratuni royal dynasty. The subject of this article is the activity of the Bagratuni princely family that alongside other Armenian dynasties (Mamikonyan, Siunia, Artsruni, Amatuni) was an important actor of the political process in the region in the conditions of Byzantine-Sasanian rule. The object of this research is the naharars (elite household guards) of Bagratuni, who played a significant role in the question of restoration of the Armenian Kingdom in the late IV – VI centuries. Special attention is given to the problem of ethnic consciousness of the Armenian people at the time of the loss of statehood, and commitment of Armenian princes to restore the national state and recover from the dominance of neighboring powers. Methodological framework is comprised of the methods that help to determine certain traits in formation of ethnic identity. Spatial analysis is used in studying the geographical conditions affecting people’s worldview and self-identification. Comparative analysis reveals the peculiarities of ethnic groups. For detailed explanation of specificities of the evolution of identity, the author employs comparative-historical method. Historical-typological comparison contributes to revelation of common features of heterogeneous ethnic elements. The novelty consists in comprehensive analysis of the activity of naharars of Bagratuni dynasty from the perspective of ethnic consciousness n the conditions of Byzantine-Sasanian rule. The attracted materials allowed assessing the nature of activity of the Bagratuni princes on the Byzantine Emperor’s service, as well as at the Persian court. This conducted analysis indicates the degree of engagement of Armenians in the social structure of Byzantium and Sasanian Iran. The conclusion is made that the Armenian political elite was committed to preserve ethnic identity by restoration of sovereignty of the Armenian Kingdom in the conditions of –Byzantine-Sasanian dominion. Bagratuni princes were the most appropriate candidates for the Armenian throne. By the end of the IX century, namely due to the efforts of Bagratuni princes the Armenian Kingdom was restored.

Role of culture in preservation of ethnic identity of Armenians in the V century

The subject of this article is the cultural activity of Armenians in the V century aimed at preservation of national unity in the conditions of loss of statehood and exacerbated situation of population of the Eastern and Western Armenia. The object of this article is the Armenian leaders of the V century who impacted cultural development of the region of that time. Detailed analysis is conducted on such aspects of topic, as creation of national witting system, proliferation of education and emergence of national literature, development of architectural thought. Special attention is paid to the role of the Church in cultural development, as well as the appeared momocanons, which became the legal framework for the secular and ecclesiastical life. The scientific novelty of this research is defined by a new trend in historical science related to the study of ethnic identity. In medieval studies, this topic is of special importance, since peoples and states of that time often experienced the loss of sovereignty and statehood, which complicates the processes of ethnic self-identification of population. The work analyses the sources that describe cultural development of Eastern and Western Armenia, which allows speaking of the degree of preservation of national identity of the people, their unity against the threat of assimilation and loss of uniqueness. The made conclusions underline the significance of cultural development for the formation, preservation and development of ethnic identity of the people under a threat of assimilation or mandatory integration.

ДВА ПОЛЮСА ЭТНИЧЕСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ СТУДЕНТОВ ВУЗОВ ЯРОСЛАВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

This article examines the features of the types of ethnic identity of university students in the Yaroslavl region. The author points out the insufficient effectiveness of the current policy of fostering tolerance and interethnic friendship. The processes of globalization and leveling of the national self-awareness of ethnic groups taking place in the modern world, on the one hand, and the growing need to preserve ethnic culture, on the other hand, are to a certain extent manifested in the example of university youth in one of the regions of Central Russia. The study of the features of this problem was carried out by the author on the basis of a questionnaire survey of about 900 students using domestic methods. The research results are grouped into six types: ethnonihilism, ethnic indifference, positive ethnic identity, ethno-egoism, ethno-isolationism, ethnophanaticism. The geographical approach allows us to see some qualitative differences in relation to a number of the questions raised among students representing more than 40 peoples of Russia, the republics of the former USSR, foreign Asia, Africa, and foreign Europe. A certain emphasis is placed on identifying one of the negative manifestations in the youth environment - ethnofanaticism among Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kazakh, Russian, Tajik, and Turkmen students. The polarity of the studied phenomena of ethnonihilism and ethnophanaticism is compared, first of all, using the example of russian and tajik youth. Attention is drawn to the desire to preserve the foundations of life in an unchanged form with a noticeable role of Islam among tajik students. On the other hand, among the russian respondents, ethnicity is not so actualized, it is close to western cultural norms. In the context of the mosaic nature of the information space, contacts with multilingual peers receiving education at the universities of the Yaroslavl Upper Volga region, interethnic attitudes and stereotypes are consolidated for subsequent adulthood. The formation of a positive ethnic identity in the host of migrants with educational, labor goals of the local population is an urgent need.

Preserving German Texan Identity: Reminiscences of William A. Trenckmann, 1859–1935 ed. by Walter L. Buenger and Walter D. Kamphoefner

Reviewed by: Preserving German Texan Identity: Reminiscences of William A. Trenckmann, 1859–1935 ed. by Walter L. Buenger and Walter D. Kamphoefner Robert Briwa Preserving German Texan Identity: Reminiscences of William A. Trenckmann, 1859–1935. Edited by Walter L. Buenger and Walter D. Kamphoefner. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2018. vii + 248 pp. Illustrations, tables, appendixes, bibliography, index. $42.00, cloth. Memoirs are often terrific sources for scholars examining historical events and patterns, especially when presented by skilled editors. In Preserving German Texan Identity: Reminiscences of William A. Trenckmann, 1859–1935 (hereafter Preserving German Texan Identity), historians Walter Buenger and Walter Kamphoefner display how editors can make memoirs more accessible. Focused on the Gulf Coastal Plains of southeastern Texas, Trenckmann's memoir documents German Texan experiences of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Preserving German Texan Identity opens with a preface and introduction that explains the process of editing the memoir and offers an overview of Trenckmann's life. The editors draw on their previous scholarship to set Trenckmann into the contexts of Texas politics and economic histories, patterns of German immigration and ethnic identity in Texas, and twentieth-century race relations between African Americans and German Texans. Similarly, the editors' annotations of the published memoir connect Trenckmann to wider historical contexts while also offering necessary background about individual people and events mentioned in the work. Overall, the text's editorial work is superb. Subsequent sections present Trenckmann's own writings. "Erlebtes und Beobachtetes (Experiences and Observations)," appeared intermittently in Trenckmann's German language newspaper, Das Wochenblatt. Published between 1931 and 1933, the memoir proceeds chronologically, beginning with Trenckmann's childhood during the Civil War and concluding with his views of the United States' perspectives on Germany following World War I. Two nostalgic episodes—an 1863 Christmas celebration and Trenckmann's time at Texas A&M—round out the text, followed by a brief selection of primary and secondary sources for further reading. Trenckmann is less concerned with the minutiae of daily life and instead focuses on selected experiences and topics. These include Trenckmann's experiences in Texas's early public education system, the role of Germanlanguage newspapers in consolidating and maintaining German ethnic identity, and German Texan political interests. Permeating the work is a tension at the heart of twentieth-century German Texan life. On one hand, Trenckmann shows how German Texans sought to maintain a distinct ethnic identity by establishing and participating in German festivals, social clubs, and newspapers. On the other, he felt it necessary for German Texans to assimilate into wider American society, particularly through education and by participating in local and state politics. Trenckmann's explicit focus on these themes throughout Preserving German Texan Identity make it a treasure trove for historical and cultural geographers exploring topics of ethnic boosterism and identity formation in the twentieth- century Plains. [End Page 328] Robert Briwa Department of History Angelo State University Copyright © 2021 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln