{"id":1026,"date":"2021-08-01T02:36:30","date_gmt":"2021-08-01T00:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/?p=1026"},"modified":"2021-08-01T11:40:59","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T09:40:59","slug":"different-ways-to-provide-voices-to-venezuelan-migrants-in-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/2021\/08\/01\/different-ways-to-provide-voices-to-venezuelan-migrants-in-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"Different ways to provide voices to Venezuelan migrants in Peru"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"223\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-1-1024x223.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-1-1024x223.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-1-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-1-768x167.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-1.png 1230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Classic media are very often criticized for one-sided, superficial, polarizing and clich\u00e9d reporting on migration issues. <strong><em>Digital space offers migrants and refugees the opportunity to speak for themselves, tell individual stories and create public counter-discourses. <\/em><\/strong>Nowadays, we can observe different grassroots initiatives pursuing precisely this goal. They include professional or semi-professional media projects as well as amateur initiatives. Yet the questions remain: Who can speak for whom? What are the blind spots of these bottom-up narratives? Which (new) stereotypes are being constructed and what is the (political) aim behind it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s have a closer look at three grassroots digital media projects that give voice to&nbsp; Venezuelan migrants in Peru and aim to address a broader audience. The object of comparison here are the short interviews that are published on YouTube in all three projects, although two of them also offer other formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Diaspora-Venezolana.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1043\" width=\"184\" height=\"97\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Diaspora-Venezolana.png 734w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Diaspora-Venezolana-300x158.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 184px) 100vw, 184px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Diaspora-Venezolana-ejemplos.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1032\" width=\"580\" height=\"369\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Diaspora-Venezolana-ejemplos.png 904w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Diaspora-Venezolana-ejemplos-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Diaspora-Venezolana-ejemplos-768x489.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Website: <a href=\"https:\/\/diasporavenezolana.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/diasporavenezolana.net\/<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Diaspora Venezolana <\/strong><\/em>was initiated by the Venezuelan journalist Alfonzo Iannucci who moved to Madrid, as an attempt to create a space for stories of Venezuelan migrants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Alfonzo-Iannucci.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1029\" width=\"256\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Alfonzo-Iannucci.jpeg 1023w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Alfonzo-Iannucci-300x199.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Alfonzo-Iannucci-768x510.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201cIn mid-2016, our director, Alfonzo Iannucci, began to shape an idea that he had had for a long time: <strong>Telling the stories of Venezuelan emigrants in an audiovisual way<\/strong>. This is how our YouTube channel was born. Later we added other social networks to accommodate so many stories, interviews, reports, reviews and anecdotes that were coming to us about this migratory phenomenon. (&#8230;) Our intention is to be the window to the world of the Venezuelan diaspora, so if you are one of those interested in learning about this growing phenomenon, this is your place.\u201d<\/em> <\/p><cite>(<a href=\"https:\/\/diasporavenezolana.net\/nosotros\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a>, viewed on 27.06.2021; own translation)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from the YouTube channel <em><strong>Diaspora Venezolana<\/strong><\/em> is present on different social media and is the most successful project as to the number of followers and subscribers among the three selected examples. Though one has to take into account that this is also the oldest project that started already in February 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/Di%C3%A1sporaVenezolana\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a> (13.100 subscribers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/diasporavenezolana\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a> (43.400 followers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DiaspVenezolana\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a> (2.934 followers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DiaspVenezolana\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a> (142.108 subscribers; 31.07.21)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Remarkably, although <em><strong>Diaspora Venezolana<\/strong><\/em> is the most international digital project in this selection, Spanish remains its only language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The core of the <em><strong>Diaspora Venezolana<\/strong><\/em> are short <strong><em>5-15 minutes interviews<\/em><\/strong> with Venezuelans living abroad after their migration. The interviews are shot mostly in different cities of Spain. But there are also selections of interviews conducted in other European countries, such as Italy, France and Great Britain, as well as the United States, Chile and Peru. There are also longer interviews, thematic specials and other formats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The interviews are structured around a<strong><em> repeating set of questions<\/em><\/strong>, which makes them particularly interesting for comparative research. The questions encompass different aspects of personal migration stories and current situation, including profession in Venezuela and current job, living costs, experience with integration and xenophobia, or memories of Venezuela.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All interviews are shot in pedestrian zones. You hear the questions of the interviewer, but you don\u2019t see his face. The atmosphere is very friendly. Quite often the interviewer presents the interview partner as an old friend. Usually only one person is being interviewed, but one interview in Lima is with a couple. You see the <strong><em>face of the interviewed person as a close-up<\/em><\/strong> and the city atmosphere behind. The video quality is usually very high. The overall impression is very professional, including music, logo etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The selected locations are mostly <strong><em>clean and nice urban spaces<\/em><\/strong>. In Lima: Miraflores, sea side, parks. Only one interview with a street vendor is shot on a busy street. She is also the only one talking about dangerous experiences, and the only one wearing a cap with the flag of Venezuela, a symbolic clothing item that one often encounters on the streets of Peru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The interviews are mostly conducted with representatives of the <strong><em>educated middle class<\/em><\/strong>, well-integrated in the Peruvian society: journalists, writer, psychologist, electrical engineer, small entrepreneurs. The interviewer can&#8217;t always hide his very negative attitude towards the political situation in Venezuela, and this sentiment seems to be shared by the interview partners. At the same time, the interviews contain very subtle critique on the Peruvian society, usually, when the interview partners are being asked about their experiences with xenophobia. All interviews in Peru have been conducted before the Covid-19 outbreak, therefore this is not an issue in the conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/RostrosVenezolanos.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1034\" width=\"315\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/RostrosVenezolanos.png 630w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/RostrosVenezolanos-300x142.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"918\" height=\"568\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Rostros-Venezolanos-examples.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Rostros-Venezolanos-examples.png 918w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Rostros-Venezolanos-examples-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Rostros-Venezolanos-examples-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 918px) 100vw, 918px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Website: <a href=\"https:\/\/rostrosvenezolanos.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/rostrosvenezolanos.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to the previously described project, <em><strong>Rostros Venezolanos<\/strong><\/em> was initiated in October 2019 by two displaced Venezuelan journalists who have made their own migration experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201c<strong>We are two Venezuelan journalists who met in Lima<\/strong> to carry out a project that seeks to show the good face of our compatriots in Peru. OndadigitalTV, a very small television channel in this country, but one that is huge for us, was the one that gave us the opportunity to produce this much-needed space within the community. After so many months doing very different jobs from the career that we had cultivated with so much effort in Venezuela, we decided not to miss the opportunity and move forward with this venture called Venezuelan Faces.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite>(<a href=\"https:\/\/rostrosvenezolanos.com\/quienes-somos-periodistas-genesis-castellanos-pedro-rueda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a>, viewed in 27.06.2021; own translation)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Rostros Venezolanos (Venezuelan Faces)<\/em> <\/strong>is also present on different social media, but counts with less followers and subscribers than <em>Diaspora Venezolana<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC2gDiCV2crTSlOmSHB3F6TA\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a> (6.710 subscribers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rostrosvenezolanos\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a> (11.900 followers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rostrosven\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a> (161 followers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rostrosvenezolanos\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a> (6.814 subscribers; 31.07.21)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The project states itself as \u201c<em>the information window of the Venezuelan community in Peru<\/em>\u201d. On the one hand, it is offering useful information for the Venezuelan community (all types of formalities, etc.). On the other hand, a declared goal of this media project is the promotion of a positive image of Venezuelan people in Peru: <em>\u201cWe will continue to <strong>show the positive side of our nationality.<\/strong> At Rostros Venezolanos we believe in our people who have traveled a thorny path called migration, and in Peruvian society that has given us a hand to contribute to the growth of this beautiful country that welcomes us.\u201d<\/em> &nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC2gDiCV2crTSlOmSHB3F6TA\" target=\"_blank\">Source<\/a>, viewed in 27.06.2021; own translation) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Rostros Venezolanos<\/strong><\/em> is a <strong><em>strongly personalised media project<\/em><\/strong>, with its initiators G\u00e9nesis Castellanos and Pedro Rueda being a central part of its self-presentation. Their photo is part of the project banner. The <em>About us<\/em> website section is entitled \u201cStarting a dream\u201d and tells the personal story of both journalists. G\u00e9nesis and Pedro are conducting all interviews together as a team, and usually, they are both present on the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The aesthetics with lots of visual gadgets and frames are <strong><em>reminiscent of TV news channels<\/em><\/strong>. At the same time, the video quality is not always optimal. Most interviews are conducted via video calls. Interviews on the streets remain an exception (probably due to the pandemic). The faces of the interview partners are shown in a rather small format, and often not at the best angle, a fact that at the same time provides a touch of authenticity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project has quite a<strong><em> strong focus on successful small entrepreneurs<\/em><\/strong> (in such areas as tourism, gastronomy, fashion or spa, for example). There is even a separate playlist on YouTube with interviews from this category. The overall tone is extremely friendly and warm hearted. Important narratives are the gratitude to the Peruvian society and the emphasis on the hard work necessary to make one&#8217;s life in the new country a story of success. Typical quotes from interview partners would be: &#8222;You come to Peru to work&#8220; or &#8222;I know it&#8217;s not easy, but it&#8217;s not impossible either&#8220;. The tough financial difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are also discussed, however, in a solution-oriented way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1063\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana.jpeg 900w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana-768x768.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"920\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana-ejemplos.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1065\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana-ejemplos.png 920w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana-ejemplos-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/07\/Hablando-con-Liliana-ejemplos-768x476.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-vivid-red-background-color has-vivid-red-color is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike the first two media projects, <strong><em>Hablando con Liliana (Talking to Liliana)<\/em> <\/strong>is not a professional journalist project. Lilana is a private vlogger running a YouTube channel since April 2019. There is no project website, and the corresponding profiles in other social media show no or almost no activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/HablandoconLiliana\/featured\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a> (4.840 subscribers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hablandoconliliana\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a> (118 subscribers; 31.07.21)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hablandoconliliana\/\">Instagram<\/a> (60 followers; 31.07.21)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another difference is that in her channel, <em>Liliana<\/em> is focusing on different topics (including cooking recipes or health issues), and the destiny of the Venezuelan diaspora in Peru is only one of them, although a very present and emotional one. Similar to the initiators of <em><strong>Diaspora Venezolana<\/strong><\/em> and <em><strong>Rostros Venezolanos<\/strong><\/em>, <em>Liliana<\/em> has made her own migration experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201cI tell you that <strong>I am a Peruvian who went to Venezuela for a long time<\/strong>. I became Venezuelan, so Venezuela is my second homeland. On my channel I make videos on various topics, but I especially like interviewing my compatriots because I want them to know about everything that is happening to them here in my country of Peru. So far I have been able to interview enterprising people who are fighting for a life of freedom, tranquility and getting ahead in a foreign country for them but who are beginning to love it as I love Venezuela. I hope that there is a union between these two sister countries and that Venezuelans show all their effort and talent.\u201d<\/em><\/p><cite>(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MUtNvh65ILg&amp;list=PLFbuQQvssZG--V9UUbx3WQcxtajfYf569\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">post from 06.03.2019<\/a>; viewed on 27.06.2021; own translation)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Liliana<\/em> is conducting her <strong><em>10-25 minutes interviews<\/em><\/strong> at the <strong><em>places where her interview partners work or live<\/em><\/strong>. In some cases these are planned encounters, in other cases the conversations seem to happen spontaneously (when Lilana is bumping into a stand with Venezuelan food on the street, for instance). As it is usually the case with vloggers, <em>Liliana<\/em> is very present in her videos, talking into the camera or from the off as an introduction to the interview. In the interviews, you see the face of the interviewed person as a close-up, but also the place and context of the interview situation (a market, for instance). Sometimes you can see <em>Liliana<\/em> in the video while conducting the interview. All in all, the interviews fit the name of the channel: <em><strong>Hablando con Liliana<\/strong><\/em> is showing sincere conversations of a cordial and daring woman with different people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lilana<\/em> does <strong><em>not necessarily focus on success in terms of career or money<\/em><\/strong>, although sometimes this is the main topic and is proclaimed as such in the video title (&#8222;YOUNG VENEZUELAN ENTREPRENEUR WITH OWN BUSINESS IN PERU !!!&#8220;). Other conversations are about the trip to Peru, formal or emotional adaptation difficulties or the like. The people Liliana interviews often (but not exclusively) work in the informal sector. The Covid-19 pandemic is noticeable in the videos (through the wearing of masks by Liliana and her interviewees, for instance), but it is not the focus of the conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"223\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-1024x223.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-1024x223.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-300x65.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana-768x167.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/files\/2021\/08\/Diaspora-Rostros-Liliana.png 1230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><strong>So what can we observe?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even this quick look at the three examples shows how different the representation of Venezuelan migrants in digital grassroots projects can look, even though they all pursue similar goals of showing the \u2018positive face\u2019 of Venezuelan migrants in Peru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such a goal quickly leads storytellers to the deservingness discourse and the selection of success stories as typical plots. You can observe this in all three cases analysed. However, this is especially true for the more professional and institutionalised <strong><em>Diaspora Venezolana<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong>and <strong><em>Rostros Venezolanos<\/em><\/strong> media projects. Both projects are run by Venezuelan journalists in exile who have a story of success of their own. They focus mostly on stories from Venezuelans who are well integrated into Peruvian society, for example, successful small entrepreneurs or people with socially higher recognized professions. At the same time, the Peruvian vlogger <strong><em>Liliana<\/em><\/strong> rather shows different people in their day-to-day life and talks with them about their current situation, which provides a feeling that she is \u2018closer to the people\u2019. Significantly, in none of the projects you will find stories of refugees who cannot find work and are dependent on alms, or have any trouble with Peruvian authorities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of the question of who is actually viewing the described content (Venezuelan diaspora, compatriots in Venezuela, Peruvians or others), all three projects aim to address a broader audience and therefore, like the big media, have an influence and the associated responsibility as information gatekeepers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inevitably the following question arises: <strong><em>Can such a selective representation be justified by the set goal of wanting to create a \u2018positive counter-discourse\u2019 &#8211; or does it rather reflect aporophobic traits of the diaspora itself, the desire to differentiate from certain groups of compatriots?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It becomes clear that studying and understanding digital migrant media initiatives requires a closer look. Just the fact that a media project is run by representatives of the diaspora is not automatically a guarantee for a broad and differentiated coverage of migration issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Related literature<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Georgiu, Myria (2018): <strong><em>Does the subaltern speak? Migrant voices in digital Europe.<\/em><\/strong> The International Journal of Media and Culture. Vol. 16(1) 45-57.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leurs, Koen; Agirreazkuenaga, Irati; Smets, Kevin; Mevsimler, Melis (2020): <strong><em>The politics and poetics of migrant narratives. <\/em><\/strong>European Journal of Cultural Studies 2020, Vol. 23(5) 679\u2013697.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Classic media are very often criticized for one-sided, superficial, polarizing and clich\u00e9d reporting on migration issues. Digital space offers migrants and refugees the opportunity to speak for themselves, tell individual stories and create public counter-discourses. Nowadays, we can observe different grassroots initiatives pursuing precisely this goal. They include professional or semi-professional media projects as well [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91493,9,90434,90479],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-91493","category-allgemein","category-interviews","category-migration-nach-und-in-den-amerikas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6303"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1026"}],"version-history":[{"count":72,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1121,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions\/1121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/migration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}