Focusing on the categories of class and nation, this article explores the constitution of a particular expression of group identity, known in Chile as “identidad pampina”, in and around the notrate fields of the Atacama Desert. The arrival of numerous Chilean migrant workers in the decades preceding and following the outbreak of the War of the Pacific slowly gave rise to a very characteristic form of workingclass culture that combined, sometimes in harmony, others in tension, very strong feelings of both class and nation. Their complex interplay is traced through different moments and experiences, highlighting the often contradictory forces through which a community acquires and builds a sense of collective belonging.