Work

“The Worst Thing That Could Happen to us but Unfortunately They Have Nowhere to Go”: Colombian students’ Contradictory Views on Venezuelan Migration, Democratic Crisis, and Xenophobia

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: In this paper, we explore Colombian secondary students’ views on Venezuelan migration. Despite contradictory feelings on the topic, our findings show the prevalence of (perceived) economic and security threats associated with migrants. Tensions emerged over perceptions that Venezuelan migration has shifted attention from unresolved domestic issues, contributing to nationalist and xenophobic sentiments. Young people also exhibited concerns about xenophobic discourse and showed efforts to resist the harms of mainstream narratives. We suggest that critical openings for curricular inquiry and dialogue in classrooms are needed to engage explicitly with young people’s concerns and to mitigate potential discrimination Venezuelans experience in schools.

Source: Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies

DOI: 10.1080/15562948.2023.2228243

Authors: Michelle J. Bellino, Marcela Ortiz-Guerrero

Institution: University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Venezuelan Migration and Society

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

Funder: Spencer Foundation