Abstract
This article traces the development of ethnic theories which differently explain the significant interplay between ethnicity and social stratification. The classical ethnic theories, such as the ones related to the assimilation perspective, are reviewed, while taking their historical situation into consideration. Unlike classical theories, the internal-colonial theory and the split labor-market theory imply a vertical ethnic stratification. Middleman-minority theory finds several ethnic groups which occupy certain niches between social majorities and minorities. Furthermome, ethnic-enclave theory analyses the so called “enclave economy” which provides immigrant groups economic opportunities. In enclave economy immigrants have the chance of accomplishing upward mobility to a greater extent than immigrants situated in the secondary labor-market in larger society. A schematic survey of the similarities and differences among these theories is contained in figure 1.
While ethnic studies in Japan are at the starting point, such studies in the United States have during a long period been accumulating findings on race and ethnic relations. Although some of these theories as introduced here, deal with conceptual and theoretical problems, I find, nevertheless, that Japanese ethnic scholars can learn a great deal from these theories especially in regards to the relationship between ethnicity and social stratification.
