Others among Others: Latvians’ View of Members of Ethnographic Shows

Abstract

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Latvians, like several other non-dominant nations that were part of large European empires, actively argued for their status as a nation and fought for the right to be equal partners in economy and politics and for the recognition of their culture. The process of constructing an ethnic identity involves not only inclusion, but also the formation of boundaries and exclusion, defining characteristics in the public space that separate the group Us from Others, that is, other members of society as well as complete strangers. Groups offering ethnographic and freak shows stopped by the Russian imperial city of Riga with guest performances, arousing interest in the local public. The performers exhibited at ethnographic shows were the different others against the background of local others, and Latvians viewed them with more compassion than sense of superiority.