“E-migrants” and digital social networks in the construction of a transnational space: the case of Peruvians living in Portugal

Authors

  • Joao Filipe Marques Research Center for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CinTurs) and Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Algarve, Portugal
  • Yesenia Calla Jesús Faculdade de Economia, Universidade do Algarve, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7458/SPP202510840530

Keywords:

E-migrants, virtual communities, digital social networks, information and communication technologies, transnationalism, Peruvian immigrants

Abstract

This article seeks to understand the influence of digital social networks (DSN) in the daily lives of immigrants. Furthermore, it is intended to know how these practices contribute to the construction of a transnational space, considering that this expression refers to the maintenance of ties between the immigrants and their country of origin, as well as the formation of links with their compatriots also living abroad. The article recurs to the concept of “e-migrants” to refer to those who, using information and communication technologies (ICT), remain connected to each other and to their homelands. It has been chosen to analyse the Peruvian migrants residing in Portugal as an empirical case. The research problem was then the following: How does the Peruvian community use the DSNs? Therefore, the article focuses on the practices that arise from the appropriation of digital platforms — namely, the construction of virtual communities — using a mixed methodology: the analysis of a set of semi-structured interviews, an online survey and statistical data regarding DSNs use.

Downloads

Published

2025-07-30

Issue

No. 108 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Joao Filipe Marques, Yesenia Calla Jesús

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish in this Journal must agree the following terms and conditions:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal the right to first publication, while simultaneously agreeing to a Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows others to share their work on condition that they cite the original author(s) and recognise that the latter’s work was first published in this Journal.
  2. Authors are authorised to enter into additional contracts separately, for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work that is published in this Journal (e.g. publication in an institutional repository or as a book chapter), subject to recognition of initial publication in this Journal.