Publication

This paper discusses the interplay of cultural integration and remittances with the monetization of the economy in Northern Kyrgyzstan. Remittances create opportunities to weaken subordinating social practices for some social groups while strengthening traditional norms in others. As such, the "toi economy" has already been refashioned in the face of domestic and transnational labor realities. The author argues that the onus is on developers and, more importantly, Kyrgyz communities to create avenues for remittance investment that offer cultural and symbolic capital to donors while also paying back financial capital to the community. Migration is not a panacea for economic depression, but the willingness of Kyrgyz migrants to continue investing in their homeland provides encouragement for Kyrgyz communities to improve their own wellbeing in spite of political turmoil and macro-economic uncertainty.