Asociacionismo inmigrante y renegociación de las identificaciones culturales

Abstract

Migrates, wherever they have been settled, have always moved in order to set up groups somehow formalised, normally organised upon their ethnic or national origin. These groups always work to give a response to their needs. Thus, associations have become a basic element in the day-to-day life of immigrants. A basic element working two ways: On one hand, in the relationship between immigrates and the institutions of the receiving societies, considering that these groups act as representatives for political issues. On the other hand, in the relationship within the group itself, placing themselves, sometimes in a non-easy way, in a new settling context. In both levels, the associations act as a privileged way for social and cultural intermediaries. Associations arise as institutions based on identity reasons, members and non-members of the group can define them as religious, national, ethnical or cultural. But in these organisations, apart from identity, they create new spaces from which they work on migration contexts, music, dance, food or dressing habits, religious practices or use of languages become in identity references, in ways of expression of a community not just margined but also re-localised.