The resilience of Peruvian immigrants through participation in community-based organizations in urban Chile

This study explores the situational elements related to the resilience of Peruvian immigrants in Santiago, Chile. Through extensive fieldwork with Santiago community-based organizations, in-depth semistructured interviews (N = 18) completed with Peruvian leaders, and an innovative grounded theory situational analysis, a critical psychopolitical framework of community participation of Peruvian immigrants was generated. More specifically, three main themes emerged from data analysis and describe resilience processes, including, negotiating historical narratives and multiple identities; navigating to resources; and resisting racism and dehumanization. Results describe how community participation plays a role in promoting resilience by transforming immigrants' conditions and contexts while increasing their sense of mattering, and their access to resources and human rights.