Abstract

From an empirical and theoretical perspective, the study analyzes the growth of experiences of cultural up-rooting among those who arrive to live in a society that is different from their own, and, concretely, the case of Peruvian immigrants who are residents of Santiago, Chile, today. Considering three life stories, migratory paths are treated in terms of: the development of the condition of foreigner and stranger to the society of their origins as well as the place of arrival; the nature of the social ties that are built during this process of up-rooting; and the cultural resources through which the subjects move as a function of dealing with that up-rootedness. The conclusion hypothesizes that the experience of moving away from their culture of origin becomes a potential strengthening of the social ties of the immigrants, although this is always an unfinished growth process, producing a more open identity that is flexible in the face of cultural diversity and the uncommon.