Migrant economies: opportunity structures and potential in different city types

Abstract

In this paper we wish to appraise how opportunities for migrant economies and their role in urban development may differ among various city types. The article contributes to the debate about the relationship of migrant economies and urban development and takes up two perspectives: it examines local opportunity structures for migrant entrepreneurs and sheds light on migrant economies' potential for urban development. To address the many interrelated historical and contemporary processes in cities that influence migrant economies, we adopt the rescaling and the mixed embeddedness approaches. Studies on the role of migrant economies in urban development have predominantly focused on metropolises. Based on mixed-methods case studies in two medium-sized German cities, we ask how different city types influence the opportunities and potential of migrant economies for urban development.

Urban Politics On Ethnic Entrepreneurship

“…This argument highlights the need for a spatially sensitive approach in different urban settings. As research has shown, a relational perspective to space (Massey ) as applied by Glick Schiller and Çağlar () may help to conceptualise the scalar positioning of a city, its specific migration history and its embeddedness into broader financial and economic power structures as well as migrant transnational networks (Schmiz ; Räeuchle & Schmiz ). In drawing on this argument, Räuchle & Nuissl and Schmiz (this issue) show that the symbolic value of ethnic economies has led to this new field of political engagement in branding.…”

“…Urban politics on ethnic entrepreneurship in cities of different size and different scalar positionings are still under‐researched (Räuchle & Schmiz ). As our special issue demonstrates, the urban scale is often the level at which negotiations take place about the support for and/or restriction of ethnic businesses.…”

Migrant Economies Beyond Metropolitan Cities: A Context‐Sensitive Case Study

“…Brenner 2004), Glick Çağlar (2009, 2013) propose 'the rescaling approach'. This approach defines five key criteria, which are also relevant to migrant entrepreneurs' local opportunity structures: local migrant history; economy; a city's positioning in regional, national and global networks; migrants' infrastructure/political framework; and local-political perceptions of migration/ political climate (Räuchle & Schmiz 2018). On this basis the approach describes four types of cities: top and up-scale as well as low and down-scale cities (Glick Schiller & Çağlar 2009).…”

“…For this study, we define 'migrant economies' as all businesses run by 'entrepreneurs from the tiers of foreign-born and native-born immigrants (first and second-generation immigrants), irrespective of their nationality and irrespective of whether or not they are officially labelled "ethnic minorities" in the countries involved' (Rath & Swagerman 2016, p. 153). Accordingly, we understand migrant economies as synonymous with migrant entrepreneurship and conceptually distinct from the wider business environment; and we focus solely on profit-driven entrepreneurship (Räuchle & Schmiz 2018). Hence, this approach excludes more socially innovative and solidarity-oriented entrepreneurial practices.…”

“…We begin with this broad definition of migrant economies for three reasons (Räuchle & Schmiz 2018). First, in German political discourses and policy measures, migrant economies are commonly understood as all businesses run by people with a migrant background.…”