Binational immigration entrepreneurs: An Historical Discussion

In recent years, Brazil has experienced a large wave of immigration, especially of Haitians, Bolivians and Colombians. In general these are poor immigrants with little knowledge of local language, laws and customs, who spend their savings paying intermediaries to help them get established in the country, to which they are attracted by promises of employment. The reality of this process, however, is different from the promises. This kind of relationship already existed in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, when immigration entrepreneurs participated in the colonization process, attracting immigrants and regularizing settlements. This article discusses the intermediary role of such agents in historical perspective, focusing on the activities of a 19^th century immigration entrepreneur in Rio Grande do Sul and his relations with settlers in the colony he established.

Keywords
Immigration; Binational entrepreneurs; Middleman minorities; Historical sociology