The Vietnamese Market in a Post-Soviet City: History, Social Boundaries, and Infrastructure (A Case Study of Magnitogorsk)

Abstract

The phenomenon of ethnic markets, most often Chinese, in Russian cities has been long studied, but the mechanisms behind the formation of similar markets characterized by the ethnicity of other migrant groups such as the Vietnamese, remain unclear. Taking Magnitogorsk as an example, this article seeks to answer the following questions: how does a “Vietnamese” market emerge, what meanings do city residents attribute to this construct, and what role does it play in the everyday life of various migrant groups. The source base includes results from fieldwork in Magnitogorsk, archival documents, and both electronic and print media. The methodological framework of the manuscript encompasses analytical sociology, mobility theory, and the concept of the right to the city. It was established that the Vietnamese market does indeed exist in the minds of Magnitogorsk residents; however, it quickly evolved as the focus of the host community shifted to migrants from Tajikistan. The presence of the latter served as a basis for redefining the boundaries of “our” and “foreign” locations, with visitors from Vietnam becoming merely an addition to the general structure of interactions between “locals” and “migrants”. The infrastructure of Vietnamese “guests” is as concealed as possible, which is caused by their role as a minority subjected to various discriminatory practices. The hypothesis is that the market, labeled by the townspeople as Vietnamese, and its location, became the organizational foundation for the development of the social infrastructure of other migrant groups, primarily the immigrants from Tajikistan.