The meanings of “being a migrant child”. Conceptualizations from Peruvian childhood in Chile

Abstract

In each context are different ways to be boys and girls. The aim of this article is to reflect on the meanings that involves "being a migrant" for girls and boys Peruvians in Chile, considering the social integration generational perspective and how it changes the concept of childhood in transnational contexts. Through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 16 Peruvian children from 9-16 years old, it is concluded that there is a certain idealization of the forms of expression of children in Peru. While in Chile, girls and migrant children feel that the differences with their Chilean counterparts are transformed into relations of inequality, conflict and negotiation. In addition, the school integration promotes integration childhood certain models built from the adult world normatively and Chile, which leave little room for cultural diversity transnational childhoods.