For almost half a century after the end of World War II, ethnicity and ethnic group relations in Latvia were discussed only within the narrow confines of accepted ideology. This usually meant that only positive aspects of ethnic groups were ever mentioned while in practice the dominance of Russian-speaking groups was encouraged. Only with the advent of glasnost and a relatively open press and media did the existing tensions among the ethnic groups come to the fore. Indeed, since the beginning of the period of awakening and especially since the advent of independence, demographic patterns and ethnic group relations have been among the most important factors affecting policy-making and political behavior in Latvia; and, no doubt, these same factors will play a large role on the Latvian political stage for the foreseeable future.

A paradoxical and inherently unstable situation has developed in Latvia wherein allethnic groups can be considered a minority in one situation or another and all feel insecure and threatened. The insecurity of the Russian-speaking group began only after the declaration of sovereignty in May 1990 and reached its apogee in September 1991 when the USSR recognized Latvian independence. Previously this group had considered itself to be an integral part of the Russian majority of the USSR. All of a sudden it found itself in the unfamiliar role of being a minority in a foreign land whose citizenship rights were left at the discretion of another ethnic group.