English

Abstract

The migration wave from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico is becoming more marked making this community the largest ethnic minority in the island. A person could have multiple reasons when deciding to leave his country and sexual identity can be one of the reasons why gay men decide to migrate. The relocation motivated by sexual orientation is called sexual migration. This phenomenon is the result of repression, oppression, and persecution suffered by this population. Migration represents a great challenge because it implies a new culture, language, and racial discrimination. We explored the meaning of the migration experience and the image of migration for a group of Dominican men living in Puerto Rico and in Dominican Republic. An exploratory study was developed using qualitative methods in which eight men residing in Puerto Rico and fifteen men residing in the Dominican Republic were interviewed. Participants feel a great attraction for migration because it offers an opportunity to have better quality of life and management of their sexuality avoiding oppression and discrimination in their native country. Those who have migrated to Puerto Rico expressed the difficulties because they distance themselves from family, friends, and partners. Migration for reasons of sexual orientation is masked by economic discourses that go beyond the reality of discrimination based on sexual orientation.