Khoresmians on the Move

Abstract

The author examines migrations from Central Asia to Russia by taking the example of a Khoresm family for a case study. She connects the particulars of the considered case to general patterns of migration processes. Attention is paid to the multilevel structure of identities and the range of categories such as “Russian-speaking, educated, Soviet person”, “Khoresmian”, “Muslim”, “Uzbek”, “Turkmen by origin”, or “Bukharian by birth”. The author illustrates the process by which the set of identities is actualized through migration and allows migrants to react flexibly to changing circumstances as well as to use the symbolic capital of belonging to this or that group.