Most research on migration and ethnic boundaries is concerned with boundaries between a specific migrant minority and the ‘majority society’ in the destination country. However, migrant groups are not homogenous; within-group boundaries that are relevant in their context of origin may also play a role in the host context. Focusing on migrants from former Yugoslavia, we analyse the relevance of ethnic boundaries between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats in Germany. We do so by interpreting migrant parents’ practices of first-name giving as instances of ethnic boundary work. In the case of migrants from former Yugoslavia, first names are a salient marker of ethnic affiliation. Based on 22 semi-structured interviews, we distinguish between three types of ethnic boundary work based on first-name giving. ‘Particularists’ wish to express their ethnic affiliation via first names, and they maintain ethnic boundaries both towards the German majority society as well as other ethnic groups from former Yugoslavia. In contrast, ‘cosmopolitans’ reject names with specific ethnic references and base their choice on personal taste, often opting for international names, thereby rejecting ethnic boundaries towards other former Yugoslav groups. Finally, ‘negotiators’ stand in between. They blur boundaries towards the German majority society, but maintain boundaries towards other ex-Yugoslav ethnic groups. Overall, we find that ex-Yugoslav migrants’ strategies of ethnic boundary work are shaped by a multiplicity of reference groups, not just the relationship with the German majority society.

关于移民和种族边界的大多数研究都与特定移民少数群体与目的地国家的“多数社会”之间的边界有关。但是，移民群体不是同质的。在其来源上下文中相关的组内边界也可能在宿主上下文中起作用。我们以前南斯拉夫的移民为重点，分析了德国波斯尼亚人，塞族人和克罗地亚人之间种族界限的相关性。我们通过将移民父母的名字给予方式解释为种族边界工作的实例来做到这一点。对于来自前南斯拉夫的移民，名字是种族归属的一个显着标志。基于22个半结构化访谈，我们基于名字给予来区分三种类型的族裔边界工作。'专家'希望通过名字表达他们的种族归属，他们保持着对德国多数社会以及前南斯拉夫其他种族的种族界限。相反，“世界主义者”拒绝带有特定种族参照的名字，并根据个人喜好选择他们的名字，经常选择国际名字，从而拒绝了与其他前南斯拉夫群体的种族界限。最后，“谈判者”介于两者之间。它们模糊了对德国多数人社会的界限，但对其他前南斯拉夫族群保持了界限。总体而言，我们发现前南斯拉夫移民的族裔边界工作策略是由众多参考群体所塑造的，而不仅仅是与德国多数社会的关系。