The most extensive research yet on Latvian emigrants to be presented

The book consists of 14 analytical articles about Latvian citizens living abroad, their employment, education, identity, political attitudes and diaspora politics. The articles are authored by well-known Latvian sociologists, economists and communication researchers. The scientific editor of the monograph, Inta Mieriņa, says that the main motif of the book is the concept “diaspora of hopes”, which covers not only emigrants arriving in new home countries, but also their families and friends who stay in Latvia– the country that also nurtures dreams and expectations for the emigrants. The book is published by the UL Institute of Philosophy and Sociology (LU FSI). It was created within the scientific project “The emigrant communities of Latvia: National Identity, Transnational Relations, and Diaspora Politics”, which lasted from January 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015. In the project, the largest ever survey of Latvian emigrants (14068 respondents) was carried out, providing unique socio-economic data ontheir everyday life in the main destination countries. Along with the survey, 200 in-depth interviews with new emigrants and experts in diaspora politics took place Observations, focus group discussions and other data-obtaining methods were used in addition. The project was co-funded by the European Social Fund. To accentuate the historical context of emigration from Latvia, the recently issued photoalbum “Baltic Refugees in Gotland in Photographs by David Holmert: 1944–1945” will also be introduced during the presentation. D. Holmert’s photographs constitute a unique testament to the arrival, reception, housing, care and everyday life of Baltic refugees in Gotland during the Second World War. The photographs are complemented with refugees’ memories and diary excerpts. The album was compiled in cooperation with the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, and the Association of Oral History researchers of Latvia “Dzīvesstāsts”(Lifestory). The album was compiled by Māra Zirnīte and Aigars Lielbārdis. “Latvian Emigrant Communities: Diaspora of Hopes” will be presented on December 9, 2015 at 16:00, at the Research Centre for Humanities and Social Science,  4 Kalpaka Boulevard, 2^nd floor.