Visibilizing Nicaraguan Immigrant People in Social Policy: a Multicultural Perspective

Abstract

This article offers a theoretical and methodological perspective that seeks to change the view of professional Social Workers towards Nicaraguans immigrants, especially towards those in greater social, economic and ethnic exclusion. Analyzing the conditions of Nicaraguan immigrants living in greater poverty in Costa Rica, the main hypothesis proposes that xenophobic attitudes towards people from Central American countries are based on prejudices and stereotypes, which lay in the institutional and social imaginary of the Costa Rican sense of identity.

To counterbalance this perspective, it is suggested an approach that focuses on making visible the contributions of the immigrant population, since Costa Ricans already share their lives and territory with nicaraguan people, their cultural traditions, and their socio-economic realities. Therefore, it is argued the importance of a professional practice oriented by the primacy of human rights. Being migration a relevant issue in a globalizing era, an intercultural perspective seems a promising contribution for a better understanding of complex societies such the ones we experience today, as well as a promising contribution for guiding the ethical and political actions we develop today.