A Tale of Four Cities: Mobility and Place-Making Among Ethiopian Migrants

This paper draws from race formation theory to analyze how Ethiopians experience the process of incorporation in four very different cities: Melbourne, Australia; Frankfurt, Germany; Moscow, Russia; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Race formation theory holds that race is constructed through social structure, including laws and collective action. This paper looks at how immigration policies, labor markets and community infrastructure (including collective action) shapes the meanings of race and space in these very dissimilar urban environments. It explores the ways immigrants groups create “place” in often unfamiliar and unwelcoming urban environments.