Migration and distinction: why migrants cannot decode class cues

The literature on class has established that individuals can decode other people’s class backgrounds based on a variety of cues, such as verbal and nonverbal behavior. However, this scholarship has largely overlooked how first-generation migrants, who are socialized in a different cultural context, perceive class in their destination countries. Based on interviews and group discussions with 47 participants, this article investigates how first-generation migrants perceive class in Germany. Findings reveal that migrants struggle to decode class. The analysis identifies three key processes contributing to this illegibility of class: the cultural specificity of class cues, Germany’s comparatively low inequality and high affluence, and the prevalence of inconspicuous consumption. This inability to decode class can have significant behavioral consequences for migrants, potentially impacting their opportunities in the labor market and education. This study contributes to expanding research on class perceptions to a more diverse population and calls for a more thorough engagement with class perceptions in migration societies.