ABSTRACT
Referred to by Durand and Massey (2010) as a series of ‘new world orders,’ the population flows into and out from Latin America since the 1500s have been characterized by huge diversity. Not only has the direction of flows changed over time, but migrants have moved to the continent, they have left, they have moved within and they have maintained complex transnational ties across borders. More than merely reflecting multiple patterns of mobilities, these movements have been the cornerstone of nation-building in Latin America, underpinned by expressions of intersectional power, exclusions, and inequalities (Wade, 2010). Furthermore, they act as important barometers of socio-economic, political, and cultural change in the continent and other parts of the world. This chapter traces these processes focusing on three sets of movements: first, early flows from Europe to Latin America; second, migration from Latin America to Europe and the United States (US); and third, movements within Latin America, before exploring the ways in which transnational ties link these together. The chapter also argues that these processes are often underpinned by inequalities of power manifested in multiple ways, and that the complexities, multidirectionality, and transnationality of migration within and beyond Latin America is often overlooked and simplified.
