Brazilians in Spain
Transnational activism in a context of economic-political crisis
Contact: Denise Cogo, Coordinator, denise.cogo@espm.br
The purpose of this project is to analyze the communication and transnational activism of Brazilian immigrants in Barcelona, Spain, which can be linked to the current context of economic and political crisis in Brazil, focusing on the collective actions of these immigrants against the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff. Based on the theoretical interface between communication, migration, transnationalism and activism, the article uses a qualitative approach that includes semi-structured interviews with seven Brazilian activists in Barcelona and the collection of communication materials produced and shared by activists in digital spaces.
The results highlight the complementarity of street spaces and digital social networks in the exercise of an activism in which immigrants reestablish links, participate and intervene in the politics of the country of origin, articulate with the Brazilian diaspora in the world and give visibility to the context of economic-political crisis in Brazil in social and media spaces in Spain and other European countries. We highlight the relevance of gender relations, recognizing that most of the activists are women immigrants, and the preponderance of mobilizations guided by a feminist agenda that demarcates actions related to the impeachment in Brazil.
This study was conducted between October 2018 and February 2019, during a study period at the Instituto de la Comunicación (InCom) of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), with a grant from FAPESP - The São Paulo Research Foundation, under number 2018/02581-4
Spain
October 2018 to February 2019
Communication, Brazilian immigration, activism, politics, transnationality, social networks
Outcomes of this Project
Research Article
Cogo, D. (2019). O Haiti é aqui: mídia e narrativas de imigrantes haitianos sobre racismo no Brasil.
Chasqui. Revista Latinoamericana de Comunicación
Key Insights
01
The results highlight the complementarity of street spaces and digital social networks in the exercise of an activism in which immigrants reestablish links, participate and intervene in the politics of the country of origin, articulate with the Brazilian diaspora in the world and give visibility to the context of economic-political crisis in Brazil in social and media spaces in Spain and other European countries.
02
The Brazilian actvism against impeachment followed patterns similar to those in the country of origin, in terms of dissent that marked an activism strained by party polarization and also by tensions between those with strong partisan affiliations and non-partisan individuals. However, the reinvention of unique forms of interaction, cooperation, language and aesthetics in the social media is also observed in the exercise of the political activism
03
The relevance of gender relations, recognizing that most of the activists are women immigrants, and the preponderance of mobilizations guided by a feminist agenda that demarcates actions related to the impeachment in Brazil.
RESEARCH PROJECT BY:
Denise Cogo (Researcher)
Photography: Edi Barceló