Inmigración reciente de colombianos y colombianas en Chile: Sociedades plurales, imaginarios sociales y estereotipos

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore how Colombian migrants live their first years in Santiago de Chile and contribute to the process of building plural societies. The research shows how the concepts of social imaginary and otherness are useful to study recent migratory processes. Colombian immigration - in the context of South-South migration - is particularly complex given its association with phenomena such as drug trafficking and violence, as well as due to the "racial" and socioeconomic heterogeneity of its participants. On the basis of semi-structured interviews, this work shows that Colombians tend to incorporate themselves quickly and satisfactorily into work and social spaces in Santiago, but their experiences and expectations about "living as a Chilean" differ according to the socioeconomic level, the relationships they establish with others and their experiences of stereotypes, discrimination and racism in Chile.