Autonomy Through Language? Latin American Migrant Women in the Netherlands

What does it mean to start over in a country where you do not speak the language? BA student European Languages & Cultures Alexandra Has, in collaboration with the Empower Yourself Foundation, studied the experiences of Latin American migrant women in the north of the Netherlands. This group has grown in recent years, yet remains strikingly underrepresented in academic research and integration debates. Because they are women, migrants, and non-Western, they face challenges from multiple directions simultaneously. This thesis is therefore written from an intersectional perspective. It addresses the question: what role does the Dutch language play in the sense of autonomy among Latin American migrant women?

Based on qualitative research and a focus group with five women from Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, and Chile, the study identifies two core concepts: vulnerability and empowerment. A lack of sufficient language proficiency appears, particularly in the initial phase of migration, to reinforce feelings of dependency, isolation, and economic insecurity. At the same time, the research shows how these women, despite cultural differences and language barriers, develop new forms of empowerment and independence. Through entrepreneurship, creativity, and making their own decisions, they create space to strengthen their position and further develop their language skills.

The research makes clear that autonomy is not a linear process in which the language is first learned and independence only follows afterward. Rather, regaining a sense of agency, particularly through economic independence and decision-making, actively stimulates the process of language learning. In doing so, this study offers valuable insights into a growing yet underrepresented migrant group and provides relevant points of reference for integration policy and social support initiatives.