Migration, gentrification and housing crisis. The case of Peruvians living in Abasto (Buenos Aires)

Abstract

The neighbourhood of Abasto has been home to many Peruvian immigrants since the 1990s. Now, this population is suffering the effects of a notable increase in real estate value intensely. This work analyses the specific mechanisms that provoke a differentiated exposure of Peruvian neighbours to gentrification, as well as the differentiated responses of migrants to the housing crisis. This paper is an ethnographic account about the strategies developed by Peruvian families in the context of gentrification. For this purpose, an abundance of material collected through observation, in-depth interviews and a rigorous review of bibliographic and documentary material is provided. The results demonstrate how the condition of migrant as in-betweeners represents an overexposure to the effects of the housing crisis for this population. In this context, there is also an unequivocal tendency for migrants to develop autonomous strategies against gentrification.