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The purpose of this paper is to characterize the immigrant entrepreneurs of the Region of Antofagasta and identify their contribution to local development.

This is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach. Face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire were carried out with a sample of 314 immigrant entrepreneurs in the city of Antofagasta. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and mean difference.

The results show a new type of entrepreneur that cannot be fully described by the theories developed for South–North immigrant entrepreneurs. The concept of the South–South entrepreneur is therefore proposed, in order to categorise these entrepreneurs and explain their behaviour, with the conclusion that this group makes a significant contribution to the local economy, both in terms of job and wealth creation and by broadening the availability of goods and services.

Given that immigrant entrepreneurs are a valuable socio-economic asset to the city in terms of job and wealth creation and service diversification, public administrations should endeavour to support these individuals and attract them to the city.

Knowledge of the contribution of this group will lead to a greater acceptance of immigrants who have recently been rejected by certain sectors of the population.

This study reveals the existence of a group of immigrant entrepreneurs whose characteristics and contribution to local development were previously not known.

El objetivo de este artículo es caracterizar a los inmigrantes emprendedores/as de la región de Antofagasta e identificar de su aporte al desarrollo local.

Es un estudio descriptivo, con un enfoque cuantitativo. Se realizaron entrevistas cara a cara con cuestionario estructurado a una muestra de 314 inmigrantes emprendedores de la ciudad de Antofagasta. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando estadística descriptiva y diferencia de medias.

Los resultados muestran un nuevo tipo de emprendedor que no pueden ser explicados a cabalidad por las teorías desarrolladas para inmigrantes emprendedores Sur-Norte. Por ello, se propone el concepto de emprendedores Sur-Sur, para categorizarles y explicar su comportamiento, concluyendo que realizan un aporte significativo a la economía local, tanto en generación de empleo y riqueza como en el incremento en la oferta.

Puesto que los inmigrantes emprendedores son un valioso activo socioeconómico para la ciudad en términos de generación de empleo, riqueza y diversidad en la oferta de servicios, las administraciones públicas deberían de tratar de apoyarlos, cuidarlos y atraer a la ciudad.

El conocimiento del aporte de este colectivo contribuirá a una mejor aceptación de los inmigrantes, que en los últimos años han sido rechazados por algunos sectores de la población.

Este estudio devela la realidad de un grupo de inmigrantes emprendedores del cual no se tenía conocimiento sobre sus características y su aporte al desarrollo local.

Throughout centuries, Latin America has faced a paradox. On one hand, the abundance of resources has attracted immigrants who find a suitable place to undertake profitable business ventures in the region. On the other hand, the limited entrepreneurial resources of most countries of the region have motivated the migration of talented people, among them entrepreneurs, to non-Latin American countries. This chapter explores this paradox through the analysis of entrepreneurs' motivations to immigrate to, and migrate from Latin America, the influence of their profile on their business ventures, as well as the role played by both the home and the host countries' institutional conditions. The findings of this analysis underline the diversity of migrant entrepreneurs in terms of personal resources and survival versus opportunity-driven migration decisions. They also reveal the kind of mechanisms migrant entrepreneurs use to counteract their host country's institutional challenges.