In this article, two research questions are addressed: How are migration-related grief experiences felt among individuals who migrate from rural areas to urban centers in the Tarapacá region of Chile from the 1990s to 2023? And what connections exist between rural-urban mobility dynamics, the growth of mining extractivism, and the experiences of migration-related grief?
To explore these topics, we implemented a qualitative research approach that included semi-structured interviews, which were subjected to qualitative content analysis.
The results indicate that mining extractivism does not act as a determining factor in migration decisions. Despite being associated with critical phenomena, interviewees tend not to question its influence, considering it an almost unavoidable aspect. However, experiences related to migration-related grief, especially during the process of reconnecting with the community of origin and its worldview, lead participants to politicize their experiences and adopt a proactive role, questioning the presence of extractive companies in areas formerly inhabited by their families.
