Sexualized Social Networks: A case study of homosexual Latino/a migrants in Amsterdam

N.Rodríguez Peña

The literature on migrant social networks has widely emphasized its positive consequences, while negative implications have been overshadowed. The academia on conflictive migrant networks has emphasized the rupture of ties owing to limited material and economic resources. Nonetheless, this area in migration studies has not yet been conflated with sexual orientation. Borrowing from research on family studies, this thesis conflates both fields to explore the impact of homosexuality disclosure in kinship networks and the development of new ties in destination communities. To this effect, homosexual Latino/a migrants (n=17) in Amsterdam were interviewed. The findings of this thesis indicate that the violence experienced after the disclosure processes might impede to mobilize networks resources, which, in turn, affects the migratory experience. This incapacity, although temporary, supposes an exercise to conduct strategies and reposition in the kinship networks. Further, owing to the discrimination experienced due to their sexual orientation, my participants clustered together with other homosexuals. In this process, other axes of differences, such as class, job, and language skills played an important role.