PLANIFICACION DE OPERACIONES|

Even before I commenced my fieldwork, I had some friends and acquaintances from Latin America in Edinburgh. However, there were not enough to conduct this study and I had to find a way of meeting more Latin Americans. The question then arose where I should meet them. In Edinburgh, there are neither districts nor parts of the city where the Latin American ‘community’ gathers. On the other hand, in London, for instance, there are the Elephant and Castle and Seven Sisters districts where there are many Latin American businesses. Edinburgh is not as big as London, and the Latin American ‘community’ is not as large. However, it is still impossible to point out, for example, a Latin American restaurant, bar, club or a church where the majority of Latin American people do gather. Thus, from the beginning of my fieldwork in Edinburgh there was no particular place where I could have gone to ‘participate’ and ‘observe’. Many Latin American restaurants in Edinburgh aren’t owned or managed by people from Latin America56, and if they are (e.g. El Barrio, Garibaldis, Boteco do Brasil) they are visited mainly by the same people. Nevertheless, many Latin Americans do not go to these places frequently. There are certainly some people from Latin America attending salsa, cumbia, reggeaton and batucada parties – or tango milongas, amongst others, although these places are not the meeting points for the majority of the Latin American ‘community’. It is usually the same people attending the same clubs. Other people from the Latin American ‘community’ join only sometimes when there is an event – such as a live music event – taking place. Indeed, music plays an important role in the lives of the members of the Latin American ‘community’. Nonetheless, contrary to the widely divulged stereotypes, not everyone dances salsa, bachata or merengue; and the music people listen to, play or compose is not restricted only to the above-mentioned genres57. Latin Americans, when they go out, go to different places – not to the same pub or café, as I had assumed after reading various anthropological studies on Latin Americans in other cities and countries, where researchers point to specific places where Latin Americans meet (e.g. see McIlwaine 2010; Román-Velázquez 1999). Some Latin Americans in Edinburgh prefer to meet at their or their friends’ homes. Many

56 _{They are owned by British people, there is also one Mexican place owned by a Turkish person.} 57 _{For more on music see Chapter 7.}  

celebrations, parties (birthday parties, baby shower parties and other parties etc.) are informal ones. They are informal because they are celebrated among a smaller group of friends, and the parties themselves are more spontaneously organised than the bigger, more official events organised by other members of the ‘community’, such as those from the Peruanos en Edimburgo [‘the Peruvians in Edinburgh’] community. Nevertheless, it only happens a couple of times per year.

In October 2013, at the beginning of my fieldwork, I started looking into and spending time on different Latin American Facebook groups in Edinburgh frequently, and requested whenever possible to be added as a member of these groups, such as ‘Mexicanos en Edimburgo’, ‘Peruanos en Edimburgo’ or ‘Venezolanos en Escocia’. I wanted to make sure that I was aware of any interesting events or meetings in which I could participate, as well as learn of the places where Latin Americans attend. It was through these societies that I met many interesting people from different Latin American countries – both students and non-students alike.

Gilberto, Pedro and Victoria from ‘la comunidad de Venezolanos en Escocia [‘the community of Venezuelans in Scotland’] started being very proactive and organised protests against human rights violation in Venezuela, as well as talks raising awareness about what is actually happening in Venezuela58. People from various Latin American countries – as well as many other non-Latin American countries – came to their events. There is a tendency for the intensification of the Latin American ‘community’s’ integration whenever there are problems with political or economic instability, or when a natural disaster happens in one of the Latin American countries.

Sometimes disasters bring people together. For example, in Chile. It was something comic or tragicomic. Sometimes one is already tired and one says I want to stay here [settle down in Edinburgh], I want to cut my umbilical cord [to their place of birth]. I want to relax. I do not want to know more of what is happening there [in Chile]. I want to be here. Then an earthquake happens – 8.8 on the Richter scale – “Hey we cannot keep away…” Carlos [Victor’s friend] says: ‘Let’s organise something; people lost everything’, Victor told me.

In 2010, they organised a fundraising music and dance event with Latin American food among a group of friends of different nationalities. People came from a number of

different countries with the intention of helping Chile. Interestingly, most of the ‘communities’ or organisations of Latin Americans outside universities are informal – not officially registered59.

The most active society at the universities in Edinburgh is the Mexicanos en Edimburgo [‘Mexicans in Edinburgh’] one at the University of Edinburgh, organising over ten celebrations and events every year. In October 2013 I noticed on their page that they were organising a ‘Day of the Dead’ event. I checked who the organisers of the event were and contacted one of them. I explained to Victor about my project and so we met for a coffee and to have a talk. He chose to meet in Peter’s Yard, a Swedish café. As he later told me, before he came to Edinburgh he lived in Sweden. He likes to come to Peter’s Yard as he has positive memories about his stay in Sweden. And this place, including the food and drinks it serves, reminds him of Sweden. During our conversation he encouraged me to come to the ‘Day of the Dead’ event and offered his support for my research. Victor said that he feels like an “ambassador of his country” when organising and participating in Mexican events in Edinburgh. He wants other people to get to know more about Mexico, as well as to break some stereotypes surrounding Mexicans. Death is an integral part of the life of Latin Americans. In the following section, I examine the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration and how Mexicans commemorate the life of their deceased beloveds while living in Edinburgh. Is this celebration only for Mexicans, or does it also attract other Latin Americans? How do they cope at distance when a member of their family or a close friend dies? What can the Latin American ‘community’ offer them when they mourn?