Why groups are formed for acting on heritage protection and enhancement of a space? What are the motivations of the people involved in these processes? From these questions, the paper propose a reflection on the functions of the emotions felt and expressed by individuals as part of its mobilization for heritage protection and enhancement of neighborhoods in Santiago de Chile. Practices and claims that aim to stop the destruction of part of these neighborhoods product of multiplication of real estate projects that occur in the city since the 2000s. The article is based on field work conducted in 2014 with residents Matta Sur neighborhood, in the municipality of Santiago Centro. Through interviews and field observations, this paper aims to identify the functions of emotions in the heritage mobilization.