Adaptation Attitudes, Optimism, and Intergroup Relations among Migrant and Hosting Populations in Latin America. Case of Venezuelan Population Exodus.

Marcin Stonawski , International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) / Cracow University of Economics

This study focuses on the unprecedented exodus of Venezuelans in recent years, prompted by economic deterioration, a collapsing health system, and political instability. By August 2023, the global population of Venezuelan migrants and refugees had reached 7.7 million, with 6.6 million finding settlement in Latin America and the Caribbean. The aim of this paper is to explore adaptation attitudes of Venezuelan migrants and their Peruvian neighbors living in Peru - one of the top destinations of population exodus from Venezuela with migrant population of 1.5 million people. We also investigate importance of optimism and intergroup relations between native and migrant populations for the adaptation attitudes. We use data from our own survey among Venezuelans and Peruvians at age 18+ living in Peru conducted in the MICLACAS project. This data is enriched by information gathered during in-depth interviews. We find significant differences in adaptation attitudes between Venezuelans migrants and their Peruvian neighbors residing in Peru. Venezuelans seems to be prone to more positive adaptation in Peruvian society whereas their Peruvian neighbors prefer to marginalize or separate migrants from Peruvian life. This situation can lead to an increasing conflict between native and migrant populations with more xenophobic behaviors towards migrants and become a push factor for further Venezuelan migrantion in the future. Optimism seems to play a significant role in adaptation attitudes of Venezuelan migrants and Peruvian neighbors.

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 Presented in Session P3. Migration, Economics, Policies, History