21

This article analyzes the trajectories, dilemmas, and life situations of Africans and Latin-Americans residing in Switzerland. It combines a life-course perspective with the sociology of migration in order to improve understanding of the realities these people experience. The author proposes a typology based upon biographical interviews with 38 persons aged 55 or older. Four types are described: transnationals; those whose place of residence is uncertain, oscillating between their current home and their country of origin; those that are stable within the resident society; and those who promote projects in their country of origin. The article helps us understand the living conditions of minority populations who are hardly recognized by social policies and social workers.