Colombian Migrants in Australia: Their Positioning Processes and Identities in Narratives of Lived and Imagined Experience Liana Mercedes Torres Casierra School of Languages and Cultures Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Sydney 2017 Table of Contents Abstract v Statement of Originality vii Acknowledgments viii List of Abbreviations x List of Graphs, Tables and Figures xi Transcript Notation xii Preface 1 Introduction 3 Research Questions and Theoretical Framework 10 Latin American Studies Scholarship in Australia 15 Research on Colombians in the Diaspora 21 Thesis Structure 23 Chapter 1 Dis-engaging and Dis-locating Colombian Migrant Narratives: An Ethnography on the Identities of a Growing Community in Australia 26 The Insider/Researcher Position and the ‘Accumulating Layers’ of Knowledge 29 Dis-engaging and Dis-locating Narratives of Migration 35 Mixed Narrative Sources and Mixed Spaces of Telling 38 From Identity Theory to a Multivoiced Identities Theory 43 In Dialogue with the Self and with Others: Dialogical Self Theory 50 Colombian Identities in Australia Seen Within a Global South Perspective 55 Chapter 2 Australia’s Composition as a Country of Immigrants and as an Emerging Preferred Destination for Latin Americans and Colombians 59 Australia, a Country of ‘Settlers’ and Immigrants as Planned by the State 63 The Idealized Images of Australia’s Multiculturalism and Tolerance 66 Resecuritization of the Australian Nation-State 72 Skilled Migration and Other Pathways for Migrating to Australia 76 Australia and Latin American Countries Relations 78 Synthesizing the Pathways of Colombians in Australia 83 i Chapter 3 Colombia-born Migrants to Australia: Who are They? Who are We? 86 Colombians’ Internal Displacement and Emigration 88 Colombians in the World 91 Official Data on Colombians in Australia 93 Preliminary Survey of Colombians in Australia 96 Participants’ Biographical Data 97 Decision-Making Process 101 Envisioning Australia and People Here 104 Post-Migration Contact with Colombia 107 Personal Future Endeavours 109 Colombian Migrants in Australia: A Broad Profile 111 Profiles of Four ‘Old’ Colombian Migrants 113 Camilo, 76, arrived in 1972 113 Carlos, 77, arrived in 1983 115 Diego, 60, arrived in 1994 116 Francia, 44, arrived in 1997 117 Profiles of Four ‘New’ Colombian Migrants 118 Martha, 37, arrived in 2006 118 Andrés, 36, arrived in 2003 119 Nancy, 34, arrived in 2008 121 Carmen, 58, arrived in 2004 122 Colombians in Australia 124 Chapter 4 Colombians’ Understandings of Social Distinction and National Identities 126 Elements of Social Class and Race Distinctions in Colombia’s Territory 128 Social Identifications by Region of Origin 132 Colombian Migrant Narratives: New Imaginaries of Social Class and Citizenship 134 Narratives on the Imagining of Residency Status 139 Narratives of Social Positioning Based on Job Mobility and English Language Proficiency 145 Shared Understandings on the National Identifications of Colombians 157 Identifying Oneself as Colombian vs Identifying Other Colombians 162 ii Chapter 5 Imaginaries of a Colombian Community in Australia and Their Intersection with Identifications of the National Back Home 165 From the Imagined Community of Colombians in Australia to its Material Aspects 167 Acknowledging the Existence of a Community of Which One Is Not Part 169 The Colombian Community Seen as ‘Weak’ in Reference to Other Migrant Groupings 174 The Imagining of a Virtual Community by ‘New Migrants’ which Resembles Spaces Opened by ‘Old Migrants’ 179 A Generalised ‘Lack of Sense of Community’ amongst Colombians in Australia 183 The Breaking of Rules as a Further Element in the Discourse of Community and National Identities of Colombians in Australia 189 Intersections of the Colombian Community and National Identifications of Colombia through Collective Remembering 196 Mistrust of Fellow Colombians, the Government, and Politicians 198 Lack of Reciprocity amongst Colombian Migrants 200 Lack of Civic Engagement in Colombia and Australia 205 Chapter 6 Social and Political Questioning over Colombia’s Past and Present Within Stories of Political Dissent and Silencing 209 Political Participation and Identity 210 Colombian Migrants’ Participation in Politics Abroad, a Question of (Mis)trust 212 Describing the Arena of Colombian Organising in Australia 215 Forms of Political Dissent and Political Silencing 219 Invisibility of Dissent 221 Overtly Silencing Dissent 225 Selected Voiced Dissent 228 Collective Social and Political Questioning over Colombia’s Past and Present 232 A Limited Political Identity amongst Colombian Migrants in Australia 248 Chapter 7 Multiple Identities, Positionings and Positionalities: Five Case Studies of Colombians in Australia 250 Positioning Processes in the Multiplicity of Identities of the Migrant Selves 252 Diego, 60, 1994 255 Early Childhood and Adolescence 257 Asylum in Venezuela 260 Fleeing to Australia and Diego’s Last 20 years here 261 Nelson, 52, 2009 265 Dealing with Other Colombians 266 Becoming a Migrant Facing the Australian System 269 Waiting for a Chance to Obtain Permanent Residency 272 iii Marcela, 34, 2010 274 Confronting New Life in Australia 276 Changing Jobs Facilitates Recognition 278 Regaining Interest in Colombia and Latin America 279 Rebeca, 33, 2009 280 Life in Colombia 281 Reflecting on the Changes That Migration Has Brought 286 Plans of Social and Political Agency 287 Andrés, 34, 2003 289 Personal Values of Perseverance and Resilience 291 Work Ethics and Politics 292 Not Willing to Return to Colombia 293 Colombians Multiple Migrant Identities, Positionings and Positionalities 294 Conclusion 300 References 313 Appendices 335 Appendix A: List of Interviewed Participants 335 Appendix B: Tables in Original Spanish Versions 336 Appendix C : Focus Groups Transcript Extracts (Chapter 5) 340 Appendix D: Focus Groups Transcript Extracts (Chapter 6) 344 iv Abstract This thesis examines the positioning processes of forty-four Colombian migrants in Australia that traces their discursive construction of social, national and migrant identities in view of their stories of lived experience before and after their migration. It looks at the socio-historical contours of Australia as an increasingly preferred destination for Colombians, bearing in mind the country’s treatment of its Aboriginal people, its foreign labour force, and its immigrant population. This project offers an overview of the flow of immigrants from Colombia and the features that characterize them as a growing national group in Australia. They could be broadly divided between ‘old’ and ‘new’ migrants, but their wide range of personal stories of mobility and the dimensions that have accompanied their experience here require a further consideration of factors beyond ethnicity and year of arrival. The thesis explores these elements from extant research and official census data combined with details obtained through a preliminary ethnographic approach. Data were collected during 18 months of fieldwork which included an open survey for Colombians in Australia, personal interviews, observation of public events, focus groups, written narratives and further personal communications with participants. This research takes its theoretical base from a combination of standpoint theory, narrative theory, positioning theory, and Dialogical Self Theory (DST) to examine the discursive formation and views of identity that Colombians articulate at different times and in different spaces, be they part of fieldwork or observation of private and community events. Employing these theoretical frameworks, the thesis departs from a perspective that posits both Colombia and Australia as part of the geopolitical Global South, with a given composite of social order practices. The research attends to the key concepts of positioning and positionality to study the reflexivity of participants in their narrative performance. v The thesis interrogates the scope of the multiplicity of identities that participants construct and how these are influenced not only by the social and economic conditions they find in the new country but also a number of shared understandings on Colombia’s past and recurrent social practices. This thesis maintains that Colombians in Australia mould their perceptions of citizenship and community in view of what they imagine these values are for Australians. Additionally, the study shows how features like employment mobility and relations with other Colombians effectively leave an imprint on the participants’ perceptions of their own community as fragmented and dispersed. Thus the forming of multiple identity positions or stronger and less volatile ones depend on the individual’s own early experiences as an immigrant, their reasons for leaving Colombia, and their own reasoning over the migration paths they have followed to date. As a result, the narratives examined here reveal how national identities in Colombian territory are intertwined with the participants’ reflections on their own socio-economic, educational and political background constructing at the same time an array of new positions that evoke a multiplicity of migrant identities. vi Statement of Originality I certify that this thesis submitted to the University of Sydney for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is the product of my original work and contains no material previously