Migrant young people in Catalonia Carles Feixa Universitat de Lleida feixa@geosoc.udl.cat

1. Migrant young people in Catalonia Carles Feixa Universitat de Lleida feixa@geosoc.udl.cat

2. INTRODUCTION • (Transnational) Migrant • (Nomadic) Youth • (Hybrid) Identities • (Post-Political) Agency

3. Ghosts • Ghosts: latino gangs • Presences: migrant youth • Spectrum: adult fears

4. Summary • Theoretical background: “transnational gangs”. • Methology used in three different phases of the research project. • Stage 1: biographic narratives of the immigrant adolescents. • Stage 2: cultural identities of the latin kings and queens. • Stage 3, the gang agency through social projects. • Conclusion: we compare the three research experiences, on the basis of the different biographical and social transitions experienced by the subjects, reflecting on gangs in times of crisis.

5. 1. BACKGROUND • Generations of Youth • The generational relay (1920s) Ortega • The generational gap (1960s) Feuer • The generational lap (2000s) Tapscott • Generations of Migrants • Generation 2 (Thomas & Znaniecki 1927, Portes 1996) • Generation 1,5 (Rumbaut 2004; Feixa 2006) • Global Generations (Beck & Beck 2006)

6. The Latin American Community in Barcelona • Transnational families • Reagrupation processes • Generation 1,5 • Ethnogenesis and Stygma

7. Evolution of Foreigner Population in Barcelona

8. Moral panics: media • Mass media and “moral panics” • From red cronicle to research journalism • Traditional Journals • Free Journals • TV

9. Subcultural traditions • North American model: gangs • Latin American model: pandillas • European model: urban tribes • Virtual model: nations

10. 2. METHODOLOGY • Transnational Ethnography • Extended Case Method • Multisited fieldwork • Life stories • Participant observation • Applied Research

11. Phase I. Jovlat (2005) • JOVLAT. (2005-08). • ¿Reyes y reinas latinos? Identidades culturales de los jóvenes de origen latinoamericano en España. • Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. Plan Nacional I+D+I, Programa Nacional de Ciencias Sociales, Económicas y Jurídicas (SEJ). [SEJ2005-09333-C02-02/SOCI].

12. Phase II. Tresegy (2006-08) • Tresegy. (2006-08). • Toward a social construction of an European youth-ness: experience of inclusion and exclusion in the public sphere among second generation migrated teenagers. • European Union. FP6 [FP6-2004-CITIZENS-5.029105].

13. Phase IIIa. Eumargins (2008-10) • EUMARGINS. (2008-11). • On the Margins of the European Community. Young adult immigrants in seven European countries. • European Union. FP7 [FP7-SSH-2007-1.217524]. • http://www.sv.uio.no/iss/english/research/projects/eumargins/.

14. Phase IIIb. Yougang (2011-13) • YOUGANG. (2011-13). • Gangs policies: youth and migration in local contexts. • European Union. Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE [PIEF-GA-2010-272200]. • http://www.yougangproject.com/.

15. 3. MIGRANT YOUTH BIOGRAPHIES

16. Beyond: Origins • The best years of my life! (Lucia, Dominican Republic, 15) • Over there it was different, different in every way. (Toño, Peru, 17) • En mí país si tú te vas a fuera, encuentras bananas, plátanos, bananas verde, los puedes coger y te los llevas a casa y no te cobran nada ni nadie, son de todos. (Ismael, Ecuador, 15)

17. Here from There: Destinations • I imagined the magnificent Barcelona. (Vanessa, Ecuador, 13) • I stayed with my God and my grandparents. (Ismael, Ecuador, 15) • Cuando se fue mi padre me empezaron a salir canas… (Brenik, Ecuador, 16)

18. From There to Here: Transits • You feel a great sadness. (Christian, Ecuador, 16) • As the trip approached I did not want to come here any more. (Nanda, Ecuador, 19) • Bueno yo no decidí. Cómo veía a mi madre, a mi abuela, a mi hermano, yo decidí venir, porque yo me había acostumbrado más con ellos. Ya dije, mejor me voy p’allá. (Toño, Perú, 17)

19. Here: Welcome • I thought everything was nice, I came here very excited and then you get here... (La Cruz, Ecuador, 17) • Everything you left behind changes. (Carolina, Bolivia, 16) • A la semana me metieron al colegio”. (Toño, Perú, 17) • (El barrio) me pareció un poco aburrido. Porqué todo el mundo estaba dentro, dentro de sus casa y en las calles no había nadie. Cuando llegué, lloré mucho… (Melani, Ecuador, 16)

20. There from Here: Settlements • All young people have a purpose, they have a dream. (Gisela, Bolivia, 20) • I would give anything to be in my country. (Yankee, Ecuador, 16) • Aquí es muy difícil conseguir en realidad amigos, porque en Colombia yo tenía los amigos de toda la vida y es mucho más fácil relacionarse con ellos. Aquí ya vienes a cambiar de vida, a trabajar. (David, Colombia, 22)

21. Between Here and There: Eurolatinities • Tienes manera diferente, tienes gustos diferentes (Amanda, Brasil, 16) • Si vens de fora et jutgen per l’aparença més que pel que ets. (Vanessa, Ecuador, 13) • Tengo una amiga que es muy latina como quien dice - ¿Qué quieres decir ‘muy latina’? Que está solo con latinos, que no quiere estar aquí y volvería a su país… Ella dice que lleva lo latino en la sangre, en su forma de bailar, en su acento, en su forma de ser... (Brenik, Ecuador, 16)

22. 4. MIGRANT YOUTH IDENTITIES • Estilos • Pandillas • Bandas • Coros • Naciones • Organizaciones

23. The Latin King and Queen Nation • Chicago 1940: Latin Kings • New York 1985: ALKQN • Guayaquil 1995: STAE • Madrid 2002: STAS

24. Other Groups • Ñetas • Black Panthers • Mara Salvatrucha • Vatos Locos • Moro Kings& Gypsy Kings

25. Structure: from global to local • Chapter • Sector • Tribe • Nation • Empires

26. The Nation as the People • Carles: What is a nation to you? • King M.: A group of people who are governed by a single government, race, constitution, laws. • Carles: But this is a bit of a special kind of nation... • King M.: Well it is almost the same: we live here as a nation where we have a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, a counsellor, a war chief, teachers, our policies, rules, we have a supreme court, judges ... Within our organization, we live as a nation within another nation, which is Spain.

27. The Nation as a Gang • Carles: What is the difference between gang and nation? • King P.: Gang is that everyone does what they want, while as a nation we are all united, all striving for the same reasons: if we suffer we all suffer if we have to laugh, we all laugh. • King T.: The gang is almost a man, the leader. If he says, "Go and steal", they will all steal. That’s why we have our own Bible, our own laws. We have to abide by our laws, we are a Nation of organised people.

28. The Nation as a Tribe • King M.: Each tribe has its officers, its senior managers. STAE [Sacred Tribe Atahualpa Ecuador, is the Ecuadorian section of ALKQN Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, the official name of the Nation] is a tribe, which is divided into several chapters. We are guided by the sacred tribe, within the empire. Chapters cover the tribes. All of that makes up an empire. For example ours is the Holy Tribe Spanish Empire, hence it is divided into chapters. Holy because it cannot be sacred yet. It is sacred when you have a leader, who has already achieved his independence. The process we are leading is to enable us to be recognised as a sacred tribe.

29. The Nation as an Organization • King F.: To introduce our culture, in it, right? Because we see that the culture here is different from our culture, then we have to try and say, hey, bring the two cultures closer and embrace the culture here a little, you know? Forget a little bit our ideals in our country, forget a little our culture, and adapt to what's here, you know? And adapt to the laws that are here, and the big differences between the countries, between Latin America and this country.

30. The Nation as a Family • King B.: I like the way people now realise that we are not the typical people that the press have always portrayed ... so now people realise that we are open to society and relate to everyone ... we are working people who want to be friends with everyone ... we are not racist like many people are here in Spain ... we want to live a quiet life without harming anyone ... we are with the Nation and we are with the family, which is one of the things that we want ... many say that if we are in the Nation it is because we are in conflict with our family, our family does not understand ... and this is a big lie, because I love my family and my family loves me ... But I like the Nation and I have time for all this ... for my family for the Nation, for work. I even have time to get my driving license. I have time for everything ... I do not lose because of the Nation, on the contrary, it has always given me ... has made me find the best friends in life ... and all that ...

31. 5. MIGRANT YOUTH AGENCY • Young Mill:We are family united as one Unidos por el Flow specialisingIn locating talent and growing upcoming youthThey found me, groom me up from grass to grace • Queen Melody:No hay horizontes ni fronteras que nos separenNo hay diferencias de creencias ni de mensajesUnidos por el mismo sueño en una canción • (Unidos por el Flow, CD, 2008)

32. Concept • El Webster Dictionary define “flow” como “an smootth uninterrupted movement”, aunque otra acepción es “a continuous transfer of energy”. • En la cultura hip-hop se utiliza para denotar movimiento y mezcla, en un sentido musical y corporal, y por extensión también social y cultural.

33. Actors • Kasal Juvenil de Nou Barris • Ateneu Popular de Nou Barris • Organización Cultural de Reyes y Reinas Latinos de Cataluña • Asociación Sociocultural, Deportiva y Musical Ñetas • Otros jóvenes del barrio

34. Methods • investigación participativa • refleacción • hip-hop intercultural • K Industria Cultural

35. Outcomes • Casa de América de Madrid en diciembre de 2008 y en el CCC de Barcelona • CD • DVD • Book • Mas que tres: teatro cultural de hip-hop

36. CONCLUSIONS I • By way of conclusion, we will attempt to relate the results of these investigations with the other vertex of the “triangle” built around youth (research, policy and work). • When these exchanges are numerous, fertile or positive, the result is the strengthening of areas for youth participation. • But when exchanges are scarce, infertile or negative, the magic triangle can become a Bermuda triangle, in which young people are not the subject any more, but the object, they become invisible and disappear in a symbolic way from centre stage: youth research decreases or is fed with media stereotypes; youth policies suffer cutbacks or are subordinated to security policies; youth work survives on the basis of voluntary work and austerity.

37. Youth: Magic triangle…

38. Or the Bermuda triangle?

39. CONCLUSIONS II • In our case, the triangle has been built and dismantled according to the socio political conjunctures at each of the stages of the research. • During the first stage, the three vertexes were autonomous, without interferences but with asymmetrical exchange; in a context of economic growth and expanding social policies. The initiative came from the public authorities (more precisely from the local administration), who involved the academia in a research that was meant to be applied; the academia managed to involve the subjects, who found a space for recognition and reflection within the study.

40. CONCLUSIONS III • During the second stage, the dynamics generated met high doses of synergy, with increasingly symmetrical relations and interactions between the various agents, that had fruitful effects in the acknowledgement of these groups as associations. • During the third stage, in a context of crisis and restrictive social policies, there was a return to the traditional tripartite model, where the three vertex were separated and zealous of their autonomy, yet more and more aware that in order to address the growing problems that affect those at the centre (the young Latin) it is necessary to build a new model of triangulation.

41. ¡Cómo cambian los tiempos!