Migration, Identity, and Education in Chile: Biographical-Narrative Study in the Metropolitan Region

The sustained increase in migration in Chile has reshaped the country’s social and educational landscape, particularly in the city of Santiago, the main destination for both international and internal flows. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study based on the biographical-narrativ...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Castillo Armijo, Pablo, Miranda Carvajal, Carlos, Mella Herrero, Anastasia, De la Fuente Romero, Pablo
Format: Online
Language:Spanish
Published: Instituto para la Investigación Educativa y el Desarrollo Pedagógico, IDEP 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.idep.edu.co/index.php/educacion-y-ciudad/article/view/3649
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The sustained increase in migration in Chile has reshaped the country’s social and educational landscape, particularly in the city of Santiago, the main destination for both international and internal flows. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study based on the biographical-narrative method, which aimed to understand how migratory processes influence identity construction and intercultural relations between adolescents attending high schools in the Metropolitan Region. Through life stories, the voices of three students—two with international migration experiences (from Colombia and Venezuela) and one of Mapuche origin, representing internal migration—are made visible, and their trajectories are analyzed within a school context that often operates under logics of cultural homogenization. The results reveal identity tensions, structural barriers, and subtle forms of exclusion, but they also highlight strategies of resistance and the centrality of family cultural capital as a foundation for envisioning the future. The main contribution of this study lies in showing, through biographical narratives, how internal and external migration intersect in the construction of youth identities, providing a differentiating perspective with respect to previous studies that focused exclusively on international migration. A conclusion is drawn regarding the need to transition from a multiculturalist and merely expository approach towards a paradigm of critical interculturality that transforms pedagogical practices and school cultures, ensuring the right to identity and inclusive, relevant education for all students.