Between discrimination and solidarity: the strategic construction of identity among Venezuelan migrants in Quito, Ecuador

Abstract

The Venezuelan diaspora has become a very influential phenomenon in Latin America. In the social sciences, an important corpus of literature has portrayed these migrant groups as a homogeneous collective, labeled based on their nationality.  Similar approaches are present in political and mediatic narratives. This paper questions said point of view, presenting a qualitative analysis of the process by which a group of Venezuelan migrants in Quito, Ecuador, build their identities. The results show that migrant identities are dynamic, open, and strategic. In spaces characterized by discrimination and xenophobia, identity narratives are mostly associated with ethical and class parameters. Meanwhile, national identity is emphasized in situations in which it can be used to mobilize different forms of capital. This way of understanding identity emphasizes migrants’ agency and proposes an alternative to rethink the viewpoint from which social sciences have addressed international migration.