From Uzbek Qishlok to Tajik Samarkand: Rural Depopulation as a Migration of Identity

Rural Uzbek migrants to Samarkand undergo significant identity transformations, adopting both their 'Uzbekness' and urban lifestyles upon encountering diverse national groups and symbols of urbanity. This process involves distancing from village customs while embracing new social markers such as clothing, mobile phones, cars, and Russian-style apartments. The study highlights how migrants construct identities through references to their origins and newly acquired urban traits, emphasizing the role of rural depopulation in shaping cultural dynamics within Tajik-dominated Samarkand.

Massot, S. (2013). From Uzbek Qishlok to Tajik Samarkand: Rural Depopulation as a Migration of Identity. Migration and Social Upheaval as the Face of Globalization in Central Asia, 263–282. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004249509_017