International Migration, Transnational Politics and Conflict: The Gendered Experiences of Colombian Migrants in Europe

274 Pages·2016·4.34 MB·English

by  Anastasia Bermudez (auth.)

Migration,
Diasporas and
Citizenship
INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION,
TRANSNATIONAL POLITICS AND CONFLICT
The Gendered Experiences of
Colombian Migrants in Europe
Anastasia Bermudez
Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship
Series Editors
Robin Cohen
Department of International Development
University of Oxford
Oxford, United Kingdom
Zig Layton-Henry
Department of Politics and International Studies
University of Warwick
Coventry, United Kingdom
Editorial Board: Rainer Baubőck, European University Institute, Italy;
James F. Hollifield, Southern Methodist University, USA; Daniele Joly,
University of Warwick, UK; Jan Rath, University of Amsterdam, The
Netherlands.
The Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship series covers three impor-
tant aspects of the migration process: firstly, the determinants, dynamics
and characteristics of international migration. Secondly, the continuing
attachment of many contemporary migrants to their places of origin,
signified by the word ‘diaspora’, and thirdly the attempt, by contrast,
to belong and gain acceptance in places of settlement, signified by the
word ‘citizenship’. The series publishes work that shows engagement with
and a lively appreciation of the wider social and political issues that are
influenced by international migration and encourages a comparative
perspective.
More information about this series at
http://www.springer.com/series/14044
Anastasia Bermudez
International
Migration,
Transnational Politics
and Conflict
The Gendered Experiences of Colombian
Migrants in Europe
Anastasia Bermudez
CEDEM
Université de Liège
Liège, Belgium
Department of Social Anthropology
Universidad de Sevilla
Sevilla, Spain
Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship
ISBN 978-1-137-53196-4 ISBN 978-1-137-53197-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-53197-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016962190
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
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The registered company address is: The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW, United Kingdom
This book is dedicated to my parents, Carmen and Alfredo.
Todo lo que soy y he hecho se lo debo a ellos.
In other ages, exiles had similar cross-cultural and transnational visions,
suffered the same frustrations and miseries, performed the same elucidating,
and critical tasks… But the difference between earlier exiles and those of
our time is, it bears stressing, scale: our age – with its modern warfare,
imperialism, and the quasi-theological ambitions of totalitarian rules –
is indeed the age of the refugee, the displaced person, mass immigration.
(Said, 2012, p.174)
This single vision began to break down with new forms of global economic
unequal interdependency beginning in the 1970s but with increasing intensity
by the 1990s. As part and parcel of the expansions of neo-liberal capitalism
and its new interweaving of people, places, economic processes and discourses
about human rights and freedom, a new wave of transnational/diasporic
theorizing emerged. However, today, nation-state building projects are
resurgent and are constraining transborder imaginaries. The contemporary
world context is one in which the political leaderships of neoliberalizing states
search for new legitimacy as they dramatically slash their state’s commitments
to social welfare. In place of social services they offer nationalism.
(Glick Schiller and Meinhof, 2011, p.27)
La misma Oculta, aunque parezca eternal, ha estado asediada siempre por
mil peligros; cuando no son las guerras civiles o las crisis, entonces son la
delincuencia o la guerrilla; después son los mineros, los narcos de la amapola
o los urbanizadores que ofrecen millonadas para hacer fincas de recreo.
(Faciolince, 2015, p.141)
Faciolince, H.A. (2015). La Oculta (Barcelona: Alfaguara).
Glick Schiller, N. & Meinhof, U.H. (2011). Singing a new song? Transnational migration,
methodological nationalism and cosmopolitan perspectives. Music and Arts in Action, 3(3),
21–39.
Said, E.W. (2012). Reflections on Exile: And Other Literary and Cultural Essays (London: Granta
Books).
vii
Acknowledgements
This book is the result of my research on different aspects of Colombian
migration to Europe carried out over the last 20 years. My interest
on this subject grew out of informal encounters with Colombian and
other Latin American migrants in London in the 1990s, and it is to
them and many others I met later in Spain and Belgium that I owe
my initial gratitude. My research and this book would not have been
possible without the generosity and the desire to tell their stories of the
Colombian migrants I have interviewed, as well as their trust in me. I
hope, if they ever get to read the results that they will be satisfied about
them reflecting at least a tiny bit of their lives, difficulties and hopes.
The opinions and expertise of key experts contacted throughout the
years have also proved very valuable, so my thanks go to them as well.
In particular, as part of my research I have had ready access to many
groups and organisations that allowed me to investigate their actions,
interview their members and participate in their events. Some I revis-
ited throughout the years and were extremely generous and I would
like to mention specifically (AESCO, Aculco, Maloka, PDA, Carila,
LAWRS, Coras, FVI).
Equally, the research on which this book is based has benefited from the
institutional and financial support of various research centres and fund-
ing bodies. I would like to formally acknowledge Queen Mary, University
of London (especially the School of Geography), and the Economic and
ix
x Acknowledgements
Social Research Council (ESRC) for funding my initial research. Most
especially, Prof. Cathy McIlwaine has been a constant source of support,
inspiration and friendship throughout most of my work. My research
has also developed as part of my stays and work in other research centres,
including the University of Huelva (Department of Sociology and Social
Work), the Instituto de Estudios Sociales Avanzados (IESA-CSIC), the
Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies (CEDEM) at the University
of Liege, and presently the University of Seville (Department of Social
Anthropology). And it has been funded by other bodies, including the
Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian regional government), the Joint Initiative
for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean (JISLAC), the
University of Liege’s Marie Curie-COFUND fellowship and currently
Spain’s programme Ramón y Cajal.
As well as these institutions and finance bodies, during my studies I
have had the privilege of working with and benefiting from other col-
leagues, from different institutions, countries and disciplines. Although I
will not be able to name all, there are some who deserve special gratitude:
Angeles Escriva, Natalia Moraes and the team at OPAM (Observatorio
Permanente Andaluz de las Migraciones) in Spain; Cathy, Caroline Moser
and many others in the UK; and in Belgium my colleagues at CEDEM,
including its director and co-director, Marco Martiniello and Jean-Michel
Lafleur. I would also like to thank other colleagues and friends who have
helped in many ways throughout my research and with the writing of this
book: James Dunkerley, Sean Loughna, Claudia Parachivescu, Elizabeth
David-Barrett, Jennifer Alford, Marisol Escobar, Elisa Muñoz, María
Vivas, Paula Salazar and Jimmy López.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Palgrave
Macmillan for having agreed to publish this book and to all the mem-
bers of staff who have gently guided me during this process, especially to
Judith Allan, for her constant support and patience.
Finally, my work would have been much more difficult without the
practical and emotional support of my family, nuclear and extended,
and friends throughout the years. As well as my parents, I want to offer
my most sincere appreciation and recognition to Ken Alford and our
children, Amaya and Tommy; my sisters, Mª Cruz and Rocío, and my
brother, Victor; the rest of my family in Seville, London, Brussels and in
Acknowledgements xi
Australia; and some very special friends whom I have not mentioned yet:
Bettina Quellhorst and family, Esther and Maca, Nubia and family, and
Mercedes. I hope I have not forgotten any of the most important friends,
colleagues and other people who have helped.
Anastasia Bermudez