Home Institution
Macalester College
Publication Date
Spring 2023
Abstract
This investigation looks at determining the institutional prejudice that Venezuelan immigrants face while being in Chile, specifically in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Immigration is not a new concept in Chile but in recent years the great influx of Latin American immigrants, including Venezuelan immigrants, has seen a great backlash from the Chilean government and society. This is largely due to the white and European values that have been integrated into Chilean society. Therefore, driven by colonialist and nationalist views, Venezuelan immigrants are deemed as the “other” and have become criminalized and stigmatized by Chilean society. Ultimately leading the Venezuelan community to confront various forms of violence including racism, discrimination, the sexualization of their bodies and institutional prejudice. But how do we determine what these experiences are like?
This investigation was framed by three main concepts: colonialism, nationalism, and racism in order to understand and explain the institutional prejudice found in the Venezuelan immigrant experience. In order to develop this investigation I interviewed two Venezuelan immigrant professionals to understand the institutional prejudice they have had to face since their arrival to Chile. In my interviews, I found institutional prejudice present in the regulation process for Venezuelan immigrants as well as in immigration laws that have played a big role in problematizing migration instead of centering it as a social problem.
Today the Venezuelan community is struggling to be and exist in Chilean society due to the institutional prejudice present. In order for there to be change and to help in the migratory experience of this group, there must be a shift to a more humanitarian focus. Only this way can the Venezuelan community be seen as more than the “other”, as more than a threat to national security. Venezuelan immigrants, as well as other immigrants, deserve to fulfill their human rights wherever they decide to migrate.
Disciplines
Immigration Law | Latin American Studies | Migration Studies | Race and Ethnicity | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies | Social Justice
Recommended Citation
Alcantar, Daisy, "Existir y Sobrevivir: El prejuicio que enfrentan los inmigrantes venezolanos en la quinta región de Chile." (2023). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3609.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3609
Included in
Immigration Law Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Migration Studies Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Social Justice Commons
Program Name
Chile: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development