So close, so far: the presence of immigrants in the city of São Paulo

• Grant number: 13/15752-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2013
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Communications
• Principal Investigator: Ana Claudia Mei Alves de Oliveira
• Grantee: Alexandre Marcelo Bueno
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação (PRPG). Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 10/52122-4 - Customary actions and production of meaning in the city of São Paulo, AP.TEM

Abstract

Since the nineteenth century, Brazil has a continuous entrance of individuals and groups of different nationalities who bring new values, practices, languages and experiences. As a consequence, we can think how this "newness" is faced by the identity, ie, those who were born in the country, and especially, for those who were born and / or live in a city like São Paulo. The objective of this project is to observe, experience and understand how Bolivians and Koreans, who established in São Paulo, live and their intelligible and sensitive interactions with their communities, with other immigrants and with Brazilians, in their daily routine of work, moments of rest, leisure and cultural practices. Since, these practices sometimes referred to their signs of origin and traditions (religious, cultural, linguistic) which were idealized and produced in a place that do not belong to them per se, although they were an inevitable part. For this, it will be performed a field research in a known immigrant neighborhoods in order to have a closer contact with the "reality" of those who live and often suffer in São Paulo. The theoretical tools to be used will be the French semiotics developed by Greimas and collaborators. Theoretical proposals of other semioticians as Landowski and Floch will also be mobilized to better understand the ways of the immigrant presence in the city of São Paulo. Considering the possible outcomes, this project can contribute to the discussion of public policies to improve the living conditions of immigrant communities present in the city of São Paulo and other Brazilian cities.