Hijos e hijas de la migracióntrayectorias escolares, expectativas y condicionamientos

Abstract

The incorporation of the migrant population in the Region of Murcia in recent decades cannot be understood without paying attention to the characteristics and production strategies present in the agro-industrial sector. The peculiarities of the production market and the labour market that are imposed in intensive agricultural areas condition the structure of opportunities in which migrants and their children find themselves. For this particular social space, previous studies have shown the high incidence of educational failure and early school dropout among children and young people of migrant origin. This research focuses on the other side of this social reality, that is, on those who, having been socialised in these contexts, have developed successful educational trajectories. In this way, we ask ourselves what are the factors that favour educational achievement and the attainment of university degrees among those who seem destined to fail at school. With this aim in mind, a qualitative methodology has been developed, using in-depth interviews as the main technique for obtaining information. The results of this work show that there are multiple factors and relationships involved in the configuration of successful educational trajectories. Among them, the family, with its aspirations, strategies and resources, occupies a prominent place. In a context, such as that of intensive agricultural areas, in which the immigrant population occupies a subaltern social, economic and symbolic position, the commitment to higher education is perceived by the family unit as a whole as the only way to achieve social promotion. The educational trajectories of sons and daughters are thus placed at the centre of the parents' migratory projects. Similarly, attention is paid to the role of the school (at meso, macro and micro levels) in shaping educational trajectories. In particular, the role of teachers, and their ability to influence the educational aspirations of students and to foster their attachment and confidence in the academic environment, is shown to be a fundamental conditioning factor. The study also shows that the young people under study frequently face situations of discrimination and contempt, both inside and outside the school environment, from the majority group. Regardless of their legal status or origin, the presence of the migrants’ children in the public sphere is always questioned. It is young Muslim girls who wear the veil, as visible bearers of otherness, and as women, who encounter the greatest resistance to their participation in the different spheres of society. In this context, which is marked by a constant struggle for recognition as citizens, the migrant day labourers’ children hope that the development of long and successful educational trajectories will allow them to leave behind their migrant status and finally be recognised as legitimate members of the society of which they are a part.