Support network and social organization: Haitian immigrants in Salvador/BA

• Grant number: 24/05919-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 29, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Francirosy Campos Barbosa
• Grantee: Rosiane Trabuco de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The contemporary Latin American and global scenario is marked by transnational flows, migratory policies, and their effects on society and the state. From this context, the research proposal presented here aims to ethnographically analyze the construction of mechanisms for receiving and welcoming Haitian migrants and refugees in Brazil, focusing on the city of Salvador as the ethnographic locus. Thus, the aim is to conduct a descriptive and ethnographic analysis of the interaction between Haitian migrant and refugee subjects with Brazilian society and the state, as well as to examine the mechanisms of social, relational, and symbolic organization that arise from the mediation promoted by civil society organizations. In order to achieve this objective, I suggest analyzing the reception process, which encompasses governmental entities, international organizations, and, above all, civil society organizations (CSOs). I highlight the latter as the main gateway for migrants and refugees to necessary services. Therefore, the research proposal follows individuals, institutions, and documents, seeking to understand how different forms of social and racial borders manifest themselves throughout these processes. To this end, the investigation will involve immersion in the field, with participation in meetings, actions, and semi-structured interviews with CSOs and Haitian migrants and refugees. Additionally, documentary analysis will deepen the understanding of reception policies, since the promulgation of the Migration Law.