Paper short abstract:

Xarbán is a small village in Ecuador. Many of its villagers have migrated to New York City where they are not legal residents. In this context of precarious legal presence, Xarbán migrants in NYC orient their leisure activities towards their place of origin.

Paper long abstract:

Xarbán is a small village in the Southern Ecuadorian Andes. For over two decades many Xarbán villagers have migrated to the US in dangerous crossings over the Mexico-US border. These migrants are spatially concentrated in the borough of Queens, in New York City. Most of them do not hold legal residency in the US, and are unlikely to ever obtain it. This legal status prevents them from physically returning to Ecuador unless they are willing to pay again the high smuggling fees and endure a second dangerous journey back to the US. In this context of precarious legal presence in the US most of these migrants are Xarbán-oriented, what includes their leisure activities. Festive rituals in the US, both religious and life-course ones, are crucial to create gathering spaces where the idea of a shared community is nurtured. Frequent fiestas and gatherings take place in Queens where these migrants re-enact their original Xarbán membership. In these gatherings 'food from home' plays a very important role. These Xarbán-migrants-only festive events imbue with meaning the lives of these migrants who are otherwise too centred on finding and keeping a job which will allow them to earn, save and send money back to Ecuador. These events then counterbalance the centrality of work and saving money in the lives of irregular Xarbán migrants in Queens.