Immigration and social identity: similarities and differences in the migratory project of Mexican women to the U.S. and Moroccan women to Spain

Abstract

The study presented here compares two different migratory realities: Mexican migration to the USA and Moroccan migration to Spain. It focuses on identity issues and the way in which migration affects gender relations in immigrant women who affirm that they have achieved the purpose that made them leave their country. Also triple identity was identified. These three identities show a differential answer in the adhesion to the instrumental and symbolic components of the societies of reference. The reality experienced by the main protagonists of our study is to swim between two waters. They have had to coexist with tradition and modernity in a society in which, in most occasions, the identity crisis that these women suffer is not considered as a consequence of that duality. The response the above tension has promoted the emergency of this triple identity, that we have named: identity traditional, on having put the emphasis in the elements of the social reproduction; identity transnational consequence of giving priority to the social negotiation in both societies of reference; and an identity transgressive, for are more present those own elements of the social transformation. On the other hand, it offers the analysis the differential migratory one depending on the contexts of reference. The article finishes with a detailed explanation of the design of the research that has been carried out