Russian immigrants in US - classification possible?

[Elena Gapova]

The idea that one should have an "ethnic" identity as one's primary or
"indispensable" identity is debatable. This may sometimes be the case with
ethnic groups in the US, where such group belonging can be an important
resource. But in general, there are many other identities (religious,
regional, gender, "historical" - I've seen immigrants in the US who proudly
declare: I am Soviet, first and foremost) which can resurface and dominate,
depending on the situation. Identities are fluid and changeable, as everyone
knows, of course.
To classify Russian-speaking immigrants from the FSU by ethnicity (which can
be absolutely anything) would be a rather odd idea. People do not see
themselves this way.
e.g.

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