PhD defence D.M. (Daniela) Jaramillo Dent

Summary:

This doctoral dissertation explores social media content and creation practices by different actors in relation to migratory narratives and migrant groups in the United States and Spain. The analysis includes content creators in general, political figures, migrant influencers, and migrants creating content online. It considers the prominence of migratory narratives as instrumental for political, cultural, social, and ideological positioning as well as one that has critical implications for the ability of receiving societies and diverse individuals to coexist. In this case, the platforms of interest are Instagram and TikTok because of their popularity and visuality as well as the (self)representative configurations they enable.

The findings consider the empowerment and courage of many immigrants who create content online to tell their stories in the first person. The profiles and ideologies of these creators are very diverse and reflect the range of experiences migrants face. The cultural aspects of the content analyzed are also relevant, as creators reflect their national identities while adapting to their receiving societies. The study explores their subversive and activist practices within algorithmic systems, as well as their reported experiences with moderation and censorship. This research also invites reflection about the content that is not there and the immigrants who opt out of creating content in the face of dominant representations of migration that are increasingly discriminatory and hateful.