Contesting Stigma: Afro-Descendant Migrants in Santiago, Chile

The purpose of this exploratory study is to provide a qualitative empirical account of the experiences of Afro-descendants presently living in Santiago, Chile, and contribute to the debate on the migratory realities of people to Latin America from the perspective an understudied and often marginalized and excluded population. While this study can only provide a snapshot into the lives of some Afro-descendant immigrants presently living in Chile, preliminary findings suggest that this population is experiencing racism and xenophobia with which they must regularly contend. It seeks to understand the justification process by which marginalized groups contest stigma and how they disavow perspectives that suggest their identities have been devalued. Forty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult immigrants of visible of African-descent (27 female, 22 male), from 4 continents and 15 countries, between April and May 2013. They lasted between 10 and 25 minutes and were conducted in either Spanish or English. All but 11 were audio-recorded.