Collective Identity and Care Ethics: Insights From Chilean Migrant Solidarity Initiatives

Abstract

Based on ten months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted with more than twelve migrant organizations in Chile, this article examines how mutual support groups establish and maintain networks of care that their members view as moral imperatives. These organizations develop sophisticated citizenship narratives while emphasizing the importance of nurturing both their collective ethos and solidarity initiatives. Through analyzing how members interpret their collaborative care and solidarity efforts, this article reveals how care practices generate a distinctive form of sociability that departs from traditional Chilean solidarity frameworks. This emergent sociability manifests as an ethical project that challenges prevailing paradigms and expands our understanding of citizenship dynamics within migrant communities. The research contributes to anthropological perspectives by illuminating the intricate relationships between care practices, collective identity formation, and human interaction within migrant support networks.