Stratification of Ethnic Enclaves and Participation of Trade Union

Existing scholarship on social movements highlights that ethnic enclaves to which migrant workers belong can foster union participation and solidarity among undocumented migrant workers by leveraging their social ties. Similarly, immigration studies emphasize the role of ethnic enclaves in providing opportunities for adaptation, acting as a buffer against hostile attitudes from the host country. However, these studies have a limitation: they often assume that ethnic enclaves are homogeneous. This assumption overlooks the differences in legal status between documented and undocumented migrant workers, treating them as if they face the same conditions within the ethnic enclave. Such an assumption has led to a generalization that ethnic communities uniformly foster labor-related solidarity among all migrant workers. This research examines the internal dynamics of ethnic enclaves, particularly focusing on how the deportable condition of undocumented migrant workers operates within ethnic networks and influences their participation in labor unions. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with both documented and undocumented migrant workers in South Korea who are involved in union activities. The study investigates how ethnic communities generate hierarchies based on workers' legal status and how these hierarchies impact their motivations for union participation. In South Korea, migrant workers could become undocumented in order to avoid strict state-led labor control policies. This study highlights that the deportable status of undocumented migrant workers is hierarchically embedded within ethnic networks, influencing their decisions to participate in labor unions. For undocumented workers, unions not only serve as a means to improve their working conditions and legal standing but also function as an alternative network, providing support outside of the ethnic enclave. This case study aims to contribute to a theoretical re-evaluation of ethnic communities, particularly focusing on how legal stratification within migrant communities shapes solidarity and collective action.