Frente al espejo: My Life Before. My Life in Chile. Expressions of Migrant Children

This outreach initiative centered on amplifying the voices of migrant children by inviting them to take on the role of researchers of their own lives. Through creative and reflective methodologies, the activity enables children to explore, narrate, and share key moments from their life trajectories—highlighting differences between their experiences in their countries of origin and in Chile.

The project was carried out in partnership with the Municipality of Pedro Aguirre Cerda and the La Victoria School, located in a historically significant low-income neighborhood in Santiago that today hosts a high concentration of migrant families. With the support of the local Education Department, the MIGRA team worked with students to facilitate a structured, participatory process.

The activity unfolded in three main stages:

1. Life Trajectory Mapping: Children were invited to create a personal “life line”—a timeline of important life events they remembered or valued.
2. Collective Dialogue: In a group setting, children reflected on their experiences of accessing education and health systems both in their countries of origin and in Chile.
3. Artistic Expression: Each child selected a meaningful life event and represented it through an original artwork.

The stories that emerged were powerful and diverse. Some children recalled their journey to Chile as a defining moment; others, who had lived in the country for several years, focused on family milestones such as the loss of a loved one or the birth of a sibling. Their drawings captured intimate, often overlooked aspects of migrant childhood.

The project also formed part of the master’s thesis of Camila Castro, a student in the Master of Social Work program at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, under the supervision of MIGRA Principal Investigator Olaya Grau. Her research explored the lived experiences of migrant children and the methodological possibilities of participatory inquiry with children as knowledge producers. This connection reflects MIGRA’s commitment to integrating advanced training with socially engaged research.

The children’s artworks have been showcased in multiple MIGRA-led events, including the Policy Forum held in Arica, offering visibility to migrant childhoods in both academic and policy-facing settings. This initiative illustrates how MIGRA links scientific research, social intervention, and the training of new researchers in a cohesive and impactful outreach strategy.