Abstract

MICOLTA LEON, Amparo. Colombian Immigrants in Spain: Parental experience and immigration. Rev.latinoam.cienc.soc.niñez juv [online]. 2007, vol.5, n.1, pp.163-200. ISSN 1692-715X.

Parenthood is a position which is socially attributed and defined by a series of socially constructed expectations and roles. Father and mother are expected to attend to the affective and biological requirements of rearing, caring and educating their children. When the father or mother -or both- migrate to another country they either leave their children in the country of origin under the care of other adults, or they take them to the new country. This paper analyzes the experience of a group of Colombians who took this second course. In international migration, new experiences are encountered that can lead to critical situations in the fulfilment of parental roles, because migrating to another country implies, among other meanings, to establich oneself in an unknown territory, and to anticipate and perform new functions. Fathers and mothers pursue dreams and hopes associated to the search of a better future for themselves, for their families and their children. In their new place of residence, fathers and mothers find themselves without family support networks, which force them to take on full responsibility for their children. This paper analyzes the declarations of a group of informants, trying to answer the following questions: What motivated fathers and mothers to take their children with them to Spain? What is their experience as regards their own performance as fathers and mothers? What are their expectations for their children's future?

Keywords : Socialization; father; mother; parenthood; children; international migration.

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