Ethnic belonging and territoriality: Italians in the central zone of Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil)

Abstract

This paper aims at presenting some reflections about ethnic identities and territorial belonging among descendants of Italian settlers in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, over more than a century of colonization. Starting from ethnographic research, and especially from observing how these questions have been seen throughout time, we intend to show how these adscritive frontiers are important for the definition of belonging. The migrational process was initially formed by peasants (mostly poor catholics) and over time and through contact with the city of Santa Maria and the surrounding region, there was a new migration to other regions. Later, with the division of lands and hereditary successions, a great number of them moved to other states throughout the country (Santa Catarina, Paraná, Mato Grosso, Bahia) initiating new migrations and agricultural expansion in the country. All this spatial movement is part of family memories and generational itineraries, showing how present migration has been in the existence of the descendants of Italian settlers in Brazil.