living uncertain citizenship: everyday practices of bolivian migrants in chile.

322 Pages·2017·5.13 MB·English

LIVING UNCERTAIN CITIZENSHIP: EVERYDAY
PRACTICES OF BOLIVIAN MIGRANTS IN CHILE
Megan Jessica Ryburn
Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
School of Geography and School of Politics and International Relations
Queen Mary, University of London
November 2015
To Liz Ryburn, and in memory of Murray Ryburn
DECLARATION
I,M egan Jes csoicnaf iRrmyb tuhrant, the research included within this thesis is
my own work or that where it has bede n carried out in collaboration with, or supporte
by others, that this is duly acknowledged below and my contribution indicated.
Previously published mat erial is also acknowledged below.
I attest that I have exercised reasonable care to ensure that the work is original,
and does not towl etdghe bere akb aney sUKt l awo, ifn frmingey an yk thinrd party’s
copyright or other Intellectual Property Right, or contain any confidential material.
I accept that the College has the right to use plagiarism detection software to
check the electronic version of the thesis.
I confirm that this thesis has not been previously submitted for the award of a
degree by this or any other university.
The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or
information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the
author.

Signature:

Date: 23 November 2015
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ABSTRACT
This thesis examines the everyday citizenship practices of Bolivian migrants in
Chile, and the ways in which mi gItr ant organisations influence these practices.
contributes to a growing body of literature that comprehends citizenship as both formal
and substantive and is interested in migrants’ incorporation within these different
spheres. It is also situated within the incipient scholarship on South-South migration,
and is among the first qualitative studies to address Bolivian migration to Chile. Bolivians
conform one of the larger groups in an increasing migration flow to Chile, and are
thought to be one of the most vulnerable. To date, however, there has been little that
analyses their experiences in depth.
Working across space and scale, nine months of multi-sited ethnographic
research aimed to begin to fill this knowledge gap. Throughout five sites in Chile and
Bolivia, participant observation was undertaken with migrant organisations, at
community events, and in migrants’ homes. Additionally, semi-structured interviews
were conducted with 60 migrant participants, and sixteen representatives of migrant
organisations and the state. Empirically, the project indicates that many Bolivians in
Chile endure multiple exclusions from citizenship. These occur transnationally and are
caused by varied structural, but also agentic, factors. The intersectional approach taken
underscores the social identities that make exclusions more likely. Nevertheless, through
engaging in varied citizenship practices, often with support from organisations, migrants
are able to achieve greater inclusion.
Conceptually, the thesis develops the idea of overlapping, fluid transnational
spaces of citizenship, which represent its legal, economic, social, and political
dimensions. They are produced through interrelations between processes from above,
individual practices from below, and actions of migrant organisations. Migrants may be
inside and outside different spaces of citizenship simultaneously. Those who live a
complex array of inclusions and exclusions experience uncertain citizenship, the other
core concept advanced in this work.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There hsaov em baeneyn p eoppolret hwahso bse esnu pfundamental during
the past three and a bitF yiresatr, sm oyf rmeosesta rscinhc aenred twhraintiknsg t. o
Professor Cathy McIlwaineer.i eHnec rbe e –hex anapd vw eilelr tise and research exp
continue to be – a source of great inspiration. I am also extremely grateful for her
invariably insightful comments on my work, kindness, and generosity. Very many thanks
too to Professor James Dunkerley, who has given such valuable feedback throughout the
process, and whose breadth of knowledge, passion for his work, and encouragement has
likewise been truly inspiring.
I am deeply indebted to all who participated in this project and to those who were
colleagues, and became friends, at the migrant organisations with which I worked in
Chile and Bolivia. I cannot name you here, but please know that the stories and
knowledge that you shared with me have been my motivation on a daily basis. Thanks
are also due to Dr Menara Lube-Guizardi and others at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado
who generously invited me into their networks. This research would not have been
possible without a Queen Mary Principal’s Studentship, and additional funding for
fieldwork from the Queen Mary Postgraduate Research Fund and the Society of Latin
American Studies. I am very grateful for their support. Thank you also to Ed Oliver at
Queen Mary and to Alice Volpi, graphic designer and good friend in Chile, for assisting
with the production of maps and images.
My heartfelt gratitude to those who shared their homes with me in Chile and
Bolivia; in particular Carolina, Daniela, Juan, Paty and Kati, María Rosa and Álvaro. Thank
you so much for your warmth and openness, as well as humour and compassion in the
face of earthquakes and food poisoning. And of course thank you to my Chilean family,
who have always welcomed me with such open arms, and delicious vegetarian asados:
Tía Nora, Tío Basilio, Rodrigo, Ale, Adelmo, Rocío, Camilo, and Joaquín. On the other side
of the world, I am very grateful to Helen, Ruth, Paul, Jess and Maya, Lizzie and Philip who
put me up and put up with me in London over the course of my studies. To Gran, Sue,
Robin and Ben, thank you for your encouragement. To Finlay and Caitlin, thank you so
much for your enthusiasm over the years, and for ensuring I never become too serious.
Special thanks to my dear friend Helen for all of her support, particularly in the last few
months, and even when we’re on different continents. And to my other wonderful friends
in the UK and scattered across the globe – Annabelle, Hayley, Julia, Kirsten, Lauren,
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Rachel, Sarah, Suzy, Vicky, and all the members of Los Compadres and their families –
thank you for providing light relief in the form of curries, Skype sessions, marathons,
wine tastings, and so much fantastic music.
Finally, my deepest thanks to my fantastic husband Pablo for always being there
in so many ways throughout all that this has entailed – it would take many more pages
to fully acknowledge the magnitude of your contribution, from debates on epistemology
to ensuring that I eat things other than chocolate. And to my mum, Liz, and in memory of
my dad, Murray, for instilling in me through actions and conversations a concern with
social justice, and for your constant support and inspiration over the years. This is
dedicated to you both.

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CONTENTS
Declaration ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Table of Figures ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Glossary and acronyms ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Rethinking migration and citizenship ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Structure of the thesis ........................................................................................................................................................................ 16

2. Transnational social spaces of citizenship: A framework for analysing migrants’ in/exclusions
from citizenship .................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Perspectives on migration: Transnationalism, intersectionality, and the view from the global South ..... 21
Perspectives on citizenship: From liberal traditions to Latin American approaches ......................................... 29
Citizenship and migration: A productive dialogue ............................................................................................................... 35
Uncertain citizenship: In/exclusions from transnational social spaces of citizenship ....................................... 40
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 42

3. Constructing a multi-sited ethnography for researching migrants’ citizenship practices ............... 44
The development of multi-sited ethnography ........................................................................................................................ 45
Constructing a multi-sited/multi-sighted ethnography .................................................................................................... 55
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 79

4. Contextualising the research: Places of uncertain citizenship .................................................................... 80
The big picture: Migration flows from and within Bolivia and Chile ........................................................................... 81
Setting the scene: Six places of uncertain citizenship ......................................................................................................... 87
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 105

5. The boundaries of legal citizenship: Negotiating (ir)regular migratory status ..................................107
Towards a spatially aware, dynamic conceptualisation of legal citizenship ........................................................ 109
Processes from above: Legislation and its application.................................................................................................... 112
Practices from below: Migrant agency and migrant organisations ........................................................................... 121
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 134

6. Living the Chilean dream? Experiences of economic citizenship .............................................................136
Defining spaces of economic citizenship: Accessing decent work and beyond ................................................... 137
Pre-migration: Rural and urban economic marginalisation in Bolivia .................................................................... 143
The act of migration as a ‘practice of citizenship’ .............................................................................................................. 146
Living the Chilean Dream? Remittances, savings, and qualitatively better employment ............................... 148
Living the Chilean Dream? Precarious employment and labour exploitation ..................................................... 151
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Improving economic circumstances in Chile: Individual and collective practices ............................................ 162
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 171

7. ‘I wish they’d show us more solidarity’: Barriers to social citizenship ..................................................172
Conceptualising social citizenship: Shelter, healthcare, education, and social support.................................. 173
Shelter: Accessing protective housing ..................................................................................................................................... 176
Healthcare: Overcoming obstacles at system, provider, and patient levels .......................................................... 184
Education: Inequalities of access, discrimination, and bullying ................................................................................. 192
Social support: Significant primary relationships and wider networks ................................................................. 199
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 206

8. Voting, organising, and dancing: Formal and informal practices of political citizenship ...............207
Understanding political citizenship: Broadening the definition ................................................................................. 208
Formal political practices: Voting and party politics ....................................................................................................... 211
Informal political practices: Mobilisations and community organisations ........................................................... 218
Informal political practices: Claiming citizenship through dance ............................................................................. 225
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 240

9. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................242
Living uncertainty across transnational social spaces of citizenship....................................................................... 242
Recommendations for policy-makers and migrant organisations ............................................................................ 247
Directions for future research ..................................................................................................................................................... 249

Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................................252

Appendix 1: List of interviewees and key informants........................................................................................288
Appendix 2: Information sheet and consent forms in English and Spanish ..............................................298
Appendix 3: Interview schedule in English and Spanish ..................................................................................306
Appendix 4: Confirmation of ethical approval by Queen Mary Research Ethics Committee ..............318
Appendix 5: New law governing domestic workers in Chile ...........................................................................319

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TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 3.1 Map showing fieldwork locations in Chile and Bolivia .............................................................. 56
Figure 3.2 Santiago migrant participants' regions of origin in Bolivia ..................................................... 67
Figure 3.3 Arica migrant participants' region of origin in Bolivia .............................................................. 67
Figure 4.1 Migrant cité from outside, Recoleta, Santiago ................................................................................ 90
Figure 4.2. Bathroom, migrant cité, Recoleta, Santiago ................................................................................... 92
Figure 4.3. Cooking facilities, migrant cité, Recoleta, Santiago ..................................................................... 92
Figure 4.4. Flower stall, El Agro, Arica ..................................................................................................................... 97
Figure 4.5. Parcelas in the Valle de Azapa .............................................................................................................. 99
Figure 4.6 Peppers for harvest, parcela, Valle de Azapa .................................................................................. 99
Figure 4.7. Campamento Coraceros, Arica .......................................................................................................... 102
Figure 4.8. Lake Chungará .......................................................................................................................................... 104
Figure 5.1. Simplified representation of regular migratory status acquisition .................................. 114
Figure 5.2. Current and previous (ir)regular migratory statuses of participants in Santiago .... 123
Figure 5.3. Current and previous (ir)regular migratory statuses of participants in Arica ........... 123
Figure 6.1 International Women's Day 2015 homage to migrant women in Chile .......................... 136
Figure 7.1 Doyal and Gough's theorisation of intermediate needs.......................................................... 174
Figure 7.2 Adaptation of Doyal and Gough's (1991) intermediate needs ............................................ 175
Figure 7.3 Map showing campamentos in Arica .............................................................................................. 183
Figure 7.4 Participants' level of education, Santiago ..................................................................................... 195
Figure 7.5 Participants' level of education, Arica ............................................................................................ 195
Figure 8.1 Flyer from MigraRed 'Voto Migrante' campaign ........................................................................ 216
Figure 8.2 Indigenous flags at demonstration, 12 October 2013 ............................................................. 221
Figure 8.3 Flyposting during demonstration for indigenous rights, 12 October 2013…………….222
Figure 8.4 Riot police move in on demonstration for indigenous rights………………………………...222
Figure 8.5 Anata Andina, Oruro Carnival 2014 ................................................................................................ 227
Figure 8.6 Diablada in the main Entrada, Oruro Carnival 2014 ................................................................ 227
Figure 8.7 Rehearsal in uniform, Barrio Bellavista, October 2013 .......................................................... 232
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Figure 8.8 Author’s hair and make-up for tinkus performance ................................................................. 232
Figure 8.9 Corazón de Tinkus dancing at the Fifth Annual Patronato Carnival ................................. 240

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