Interaction and Coexistence Between Recent Migrants to Chile and Locals: A
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Interaction and Coexistence between Recent Migrants to Chile and Locals: A Phenomenological Exploration BY JOHANN GARCIA B.S., Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2003 M.A., Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2007 THESIS Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Planning and Policy in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Chicago, 2017 Chicago, Illinois Defense Committee: John J. Betancur, Chair and Advisor Brenda Parker, Department of Urban Planning and Policy David Perry, Department of Urban Planning and Policy Janet Smith, Department of Urban Planning and Policy Philip Ashton, Department of Urban Planning and Policy Ralph Cintron, Department of English This dissertation is dedicated to my mother, Rosa, the pillar of my life, my father, Juan, who, although forgetting his past and present, remembers my being, and my partner, Johannes, who always walks beside me. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Foremost I thank my advisor, professor John Betancur for his intellectual and emotional support, essential during the whole process of pursuing my doctorate. All our conversations and his guidance made me grow academically, and were crucial for completing the dissertation. It would not have been possible without his advice and without him believing in me. I am grateful for the support and dedication of the members of my dissertation committee: Phil Ashton, Ralph Cintron, Brenda Parker, David Perry and Janet Smith. To me research means a collective activity and doing a dissertation is one of the best examples, as these professors’ suggestions, thoughts on science and on my research challenged my ideas and thoughts, helping me to advance in this project. They have certainly improved this work. Knowing UIC and CUPPA, Professor Rodrigo Salcedo believed that this would be the right place for me to study in the US. Thus, he was the mentor and most important person to encourage me to pursue a doctorate at CUPPA and without our personal conversation several years ago my academic history would be different. His intellectual legacy will continue to inspire many young scholars to ask, think and achieve their academic goals. Special thank belong to my family and friends, especially my dear sister Zorayda Garcia, who was always willing to provide support in any moment of this process. My nephew Sebastian Baeza and my friends Sarah Cooper and Anna Vadacca for their important and tangible help. Sarah not only was present supporting me in every important academic moment during these years, but also helped me feeling at home far away from home. I dedicate this dissertation to my love Johannes Rehner, acknowledging not only his emotional support but also his intellectual involvement in the theoretical discussions which helped to build this research. iii The support of many CUPPA faculty members and staff has also been a pillar for achieving my doctorate, especially Hazel Brown, who always had kind and helpful advice and solutions for any issue. As an international student, I felt embraced by all the UIC support system, and I am particularly thankful to Jon Mann from the Academic Center for Excellence- UIC who patiently helped me each week to manage the challenges of writing in a foreign language. I also would like to highlight the trust that professor Maria de Los Angeles Torres from IUPLR put in me, to work as a Research Assistant with her. My friends and fellow PhD students at the UIC Natalia, Malissa, Carolina, Ivis and Marina made me feel part of friendships and an academic community. I would like to express gratitude to the Fulbright Commission, CONICYT Chile and the UIC Board of Trustees for the financial aid and institutional support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................... 1 Research Question ............................................................................................................ 5 Structure of the Dissertation ........................................................................................... 6 2 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................................... 8 Consciousness and Creation of Place through the Spatial Practices of Everyday ..... 9 2.1.1 Place: Experienced and embodied space. .................................................................. 10 2.1.2 Individuals’ interaction in space to shape community. .............................................. 16 2.1.3 Spatial practices. ........................................................................................................ 20 Cultural Coexistence and International Migration ..................................................... 28 2.2.1 The construction of otherness .................................................................................... 28 2.2.2 Construction of racism, and discrimination. .............................................................. 30 2.2.3 Critique of multiculturalism: ethnic diversity and the challenge of cultural and social assimilation. ........................................................................................................................... 34 2.2.4 Diaspora ..................................................................................................................... 40 Justice and Space: Perspectives on Justice .................................................................. 41 2.3.1 Liberal political philosophy, political economy, and social philosophy. .................. 41 2.3.2 Justice as experience of injustice and the multiple faces of power. ........................... 45 2.3.3 Recognition: the pluralistic meaning of justice ......................................................... 47 2.3.4 The struggle for recognition. ...................................................................................... 49 Chapter preliminary reflections.................................................................................... 52 3 Methodological Framework ................................................................................................. 54 Research Approach: Toward a Phenomenology-based Critical Perspective ........... 54 Qualitative Inquiry: A Case Study Informed by a Phenomenology-based Critical Perspective ............................................................................................................................... 59 Geographical area of study and case selection ............................................................ 63 3.3.1 A place in ‘La Chimba’: The context of a neighborhood located in a border area. ... 63 3.3.2 “Barrio Yungay”: A story of neighborhood change, coexistence, and diversity. ...... 65 Methods of Data Collection ........................................................................................... 66 3.4.1 In-depth qualitative interviews. ................................................................................. 67 3.4.2 Qualitative observations. ............................................................................................ 73 Methods of Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 78 Standards of Rigor for Qualitative Research .............................................................. 79 Pilot Study ....................................................................................................................... 80 3.7.1 Exploratory research. ................................................................................................. 81 3.7.2 Review and analysis of secondary materials. ............................................................ 81 3.7.3 Expert interviews. ...................................................................................................... 82 3.7.4 Exploratory field observations. .................................................................................. 83 3.7.5 Testing and adjustment of the instruments. ............................................................... 83 4 Public Policies and Current Latin American Immigration in Chile ................................ 84 Latin American Migration to Chile .............................................................................. 85 The Chilean Society’s Foundation of Cultural Homogeneity .................................... 87 Spatial patterns of immigrant residence in the Santiago metropolitan area ............ 89 Absence of an explicit public policy on immigration .................................................. 92 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Role of Housing and Urban Policy in Producing Immigrant Living Spaces ............ 99 4.5.1 A description of urban housing policy. ...................................................................... 99 4.5.2 Habitation: Institutional awareness of immigrants living in precarious conditions. 106 4.5.3 The ‘proper use’ of public space. ............................................................................. 109 Local Government Roles in Settling Immigrants and Mediating Coexistence ....... 112 Preliminary reflections................................................................................................. 115 5 The Comunas and the City: Barrio Yungay-Santiago and Benito Juarez-Recoleta