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Paper short abstract:

This paper will focus on the adaptive responses of Roma and non-Roma migrants from Baia Mare to deindustrialization, attempting to compare their strategies and work histories to see to what extent class and race differences play a role in debt dependency and specific migration patterns.

Paper long abstract:

Baia Mare region was once one of Romania's main mining centers, with a significant proportion of the local population engaged in industry jobs. However, the extensive economic restructuring that followed the collapse of the old communist regime and the emergence of capitalist development was characterized by brutal privatization measures and great economic instability. While the transition years brought new opportunities for some, for most they meant unstable housing and employment, debt, and declining social status. Thus, many workers quickly became 'surplus populations' (Tania Li), and were forced into patterns of circular migration abroad.

Employing a qualitative research methodology, analyzing both interviews and secondary data, this paper will focus on the adaptive responses of Baia Mare workers to the changes in the socio-economic landscape after the collapse of the communist regime and the advance of neoliberal policies in Romania. In particular, we will look at Roma and non-Roma migrants from Baia Mare, attempting to compare their strategies and work histories in the context of migration to see to what extent class and race differences play a role in creating specific migration patterns in the post-socialist context. The comparison between racialized people living in improvised shelters on the periphery of Baia Mare and those who are working class but not living in a situation of destitution will show us the role that dispossession plays in creating certain conditions that lead to debt dependency and specific migration patterns.