Female Latin American migrant workers and violences: towards an intersectional perspective?

Andrade, Cristiane Batista

doi:10.1590/1413-812320232811.16622022EN

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OPINION • Ciênc. saúde coletiva 28 (11) • Nov 2023 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320232811.16622022EN copy

Female Latin American migrant workers and violences: towards an intersectional perspective?

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The history of Latin American society has been influenced by colonization, which has subjugated non-white women to gender violence, racism and sexism. This article discusses the work of female Latin American migrants through the lens of intersectionality to reflect upon the historical and social realities of Latin women who migrate in search of employment or to escape violence. Drawing upon the contributions of the sociologist Patricia Collins, this article discusses the concept of intersectionality and topics pertaining to intersectional analyses (relationality, power relations, social inequality, social context, complexity and social justice). As a critical social theory that is under construction, intersectionality deepens the analysis of oppressions experienced by female migrant workers, such as xenophobia, racism, slave labor, sexual exploitation and precarious working conditions. Thinking about the violence experienced by female Latin American workers from an intersectional perspective implies listening to these women, understanding their resistance, increasing the visibility of collective actions, and guaranteeing the implementation of public policies considering their experiences and perspectives.

Key words:
Intersectional theory; Labor migration; Xenophobia; Racism; Sexism

What is intersectionality?
Intersectionality as an analytical tool	Intersectionality arose from the constructions of social activisms, especially those of women. Although the term was “coined” by Kimberlé Crenshaw at the beginning of the 1990s, it was thought about and used previously by women segregated due to race, sexuality and social class, or in other words by black and indigenous women, Chicanas and Asian Americans who had already produced knowledge about intersectional oppression. Intersectionality fosters an understanding that there are singularities and differences among social groups that should be complexified in critical theoretical analyses. As a foundation for analysis, intersectionality provides a critical understanding of social reality; it is “a way of understanding and explaining complexity in the world, in people, and in human experiences”3 (p. 245). By examining the intersections of oppressions of race, social class, gender, sexuality, generation, among others, intersectionality weaves critical understanding to deliver and guarantee social justice and democracy. Another key element of intersectionality is that capitalism and the development of neoliberal policies are at the core of intersectional analysis, meaning that historical and macro social approaches are key to obtaining an in-depth understanding of the intersections of oppressions.
Core themes for intersectional analysis
Social inequality	Social inequality as a historic construct should not be normalized. On the contrary, understanding its genesis provides an understanding of how social life operates in a capitalist society. In the same way, it allows us to understand the resistance of social groups in confronting social inequalities.
Intersecting power relations	Power relations are seen to be dynamic and intersectional, meaning that oppressions of race, social class, gender, disability, nationality, among others, are interrelated and influence the lives of social groups, as in the case of racism, sexism, xenophobia, colonialism, patriarchy, class exploitation etc. Not only forms of oppression, but also resistance are prime intersectionality discussion points. In short, the intersectional approach enables a critical praxis of social reality and complexifies power relations and social inequalities.
Social context	The analysis of social context fosters historical and political reflections that inform intersectionality. Historicity and the specificities of social context allow us to understand the workings of each society or social group.
Relationality	Extending beyond binary thinking, relationality brings together historical, social and individual knowledge in an interconnected manner. Consequently, knowing and doing and theory and practice are interrelated, making them two sides of the same coin. In this sense, it is possible to use relationality as a strategy to understand resistance and knowledge produced by social movements in the face of oppression.
Complexity	Complexity refers to a broader analysis that helps dissect power relations, context, social inequalities and relationality. It provides a framework for more expansive critical analysis, particularly when the experiences and construction of knowledge produced by the Global South are valorized.
Social justice	Social justice supports intersectional analyses aimed at knowledge construction, making it more democratic and ethical, and listening to the voices of disenfranchised people. In this sense, guaranteeing social justice effectuates the ethical construction of knowledge.

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[1] Chief editors:

Romeu Gomes, Antônio Augusto Moura da Silva