El eterno dilema de los modelos de integraciónhacia un modelo de integración mixto desde la perspectiva de las personas migrantes

Abstract

Migration is an essential element of people¿s lives and, undoubtedly, a basic element of human history. That being said, it is also true that these migration processes have reached global dimensions thanks to the amazing and dazzling advances in the field of communications and transportation. This situation was unimaginable less than a century ago. Globalization has created a special breeding ground for the development of processes and global migration flows. Some sociologists have called this period the "age of migration" (Castles, Stephen and Miller, 2003). Others, such as Julio Martínez, described migration as the human face of globalization (Martínez, 2007: 51). The origin of this research came from the interest to clarify and deepen the process of migrants¿ integration through work performed over decades with diverse communities in different parts of the world. The main objective of this study is to provide evidence that can complement, enhance and, where necessary, challenge the integration processes of migrant communities from the perception that the very people who migrate have in their incorporation processes. Personal experience with migrant communities, and the study of classical models of integration, have been the breeding ground from which emerged the mixed integration model (MIM). Due to that experience of the reality of migration, it became apparent that no classical theoretical model was able to give a comprehensive account of the phenomena of integration. The mixed integration model emerged from the desire to clarify and understand the processes of integration. In the first part of this work, the theoretical itinerary that has helped to consolidate the proposal of the MIM has been developed. What also became apparent was the favorability of doing qualitative research on that theoretical proposal using the actual integration processes as seen by the very people who migrate through their lifestyles. In order to do this, we have studied the lifestyles of the Salvadoran community in Boston, the Ecuadorian community in Madrid and the Moroccan community in Valladolid. The field work was carried out through a multi-method approach based on a classical, virtual and multi-sited ethnographic methodology, as well as privileged informants. Finally, we have drawn conclusions and results in order to clarify, understand and advance the discussion of migrants¿ integration through the proposal of the