Abstract

Immigration is a complex and bidirectional process, which produces psychological and cultural changes among both immigrants and host community members. In the case of Chile, the sustained increase of the migratory flow from Latin-American countries is producing an important impact on building new forms of social relations. This chapter presents four studies on intergroup relations, acculturation orientations and their relationship with well-being, from both Chilean host society members’ and Latin-American immigrants’ perspectives. The first two studies analyze the relationship between well-being, perceived threat, out-group anxiety, cultural distance and acculturation orientations of receptor society members. The last two studies inquire on Latin-American immigrants’ perceptions about communitarian integration, cultural distance, acculturation orientations, perceived discrimination, stress, and their well-being. Results suggest that in the case of host society members, well-being could be operating as an antecedent of intergroup relations and acculturation attitudes. Regarding to immigrants’ well-being, outcomes stress the impact of discrimination perception, social integration, acculturative individualism, and gender. We discuss the relevance of these findings to the field of south-south migration.