Perspectives on panethnogenesis: The case of the Montagnards

A study of Montagnard ethnogenesis in the highlands of Vietnam suggests that panethnicity emerges under certain historic conditions in which separate ethnies, in opposition to a common enemy which is usually another dominant ethnic group, must create a higher level of political organization to preserve both their separate as well as collective identities. Under these conditions panethnic affiliations come to have increasing emotional significance. But in spite of common panethnic sentiments, collective panethnic agencies often develop conflicting internal interests. Moreover, a common panethnic ideology can persist even in the absence of supportive political structures.