Generational Remigration of the Latvian Diaspora: Tracing the Confluence of Cultural Identity and Economic Opportunity

Abstract

At just 1.85 million, Latvia’s current population is declining at one of the fastest rates in Europe. This situation is prompting the Latvian government to introduce policies seeking economic, political, educational, and cultural engagement with the country’s diaspora with the hope that some of the approximately 390,000 emigrants and their descendants living abroad will return to live in Latvia. This paper asks whether these government initiatives are successful in their goal of influencing Latvian diaspora members to remigrate, and if the policies acknowledge and reconcile generational differences in the diaspora’s attitudes towards cultural involvement and eventual remigration. Through surveys and one-on-one interviews, it is evident that diaspora members who have returned to live in Latvia display strong links to their heritage and have a desire to strengthen these connections into the future, and that Latvian government-supported programs and initiatives abroad have been instrumental in maintaining the diaspora’s ties to their heritage. However, financial status, educational status, and employment opportunities in Latvia are found to be major factors in remigration since the country’s independence from the Soviet Union. A better understanding of the effectiveness of Latvian diaspora policies in light of generational differences in the diaspora, and clarification of what motivates Latvians abroad to return to their native country despite the challenges of doing so, is crucial to curb the sharp decline in Latvia’s population