Latinx Online Gaming Communities on Discord: A Virtual Ethnography from a Transnational Perspective

This virtual ethnography explores how Latinx migrants construct transnational identities within online gaming communities on Discord. As digital platforms reshape the dynamics of community formation, this study delves into how online spaces act as cultural nexuses for migrants, offering insights into their integration and preservation of homeland ties. Focusing on Latinx gaming communities, the research examines the interplay between digital communication and the social realities of transnationalism. The study employs participant observation and non-participant observation within Discord’s Latinx gaming circles, revealing how these digital spaces foster community cohesion and identity formation. By engaging with theories of media evolution and migrant integration, this research departs from traditional assimilation models, emphasizing the importance of sustaining ties to the homeland as part of the migrant experience. The findings indicate that these gaming communities serve as significant conduits for maintaining connections with Latinx culture, while also facilitating integration into broader global gaming cultures. Discord’s gaming communities transcend their recreational nature, becoming arenas where social interaction, cultural negotiation, and identity performance converge. Migrants utilize these platforms to navigate both their Latinx heritage and their integration into new social environments, fostering a unique transnational space that blends the virtual with the real. This research contributes to the field of digital ethnography by highlighting the role of gaming in the creation of social ecosystems that extend beyond entertainment, offering new perspectives on how migrants build community and identity in the digital age. It underscores the transformative power of online gaming in shaping transnational practices and influencing the integration processes of Latin American migrants.