ABSTRACT
The drawing of political and cultural boundaries forms part of a new nation state's responsibilities. This process requires defining who will belong to the new community, hence nationality becomes subject to specific regulations. There are two sides to every nation-building process: one of inclusion and proud recognition, the other of exclusion and the creation of otherness. Studying the methods of exclusion sheds light on nation-building processes. In modern nations, extranjeria appears inextricably linked to immigration. Migration flows have always been sources of tension and conflict; for some, the indiscriminate arrival of outsiders threatens nations’ sovereignty, jeopardizing the integrity of their national communities. Unsurprisingly, politicians use immigrants for their own purposes, blaming them for most of the conflicts and tensions that afflict their host countries. Regulations say little about population movements and they reveal little about their volumes, compositions, and driving forces.
