Abstract
In this article, I examine the studies on immigrants in Brazil, produced in the Brazilian social sciences between the 1940s and 1960s. I explore the dynamics of relationships that contributed to the production of these studies, considering the activities of some intellectuals that had a central role in that context, the formation of international networks of researchers and the theoretical-methodological content produced and mobilized there. It is argued that two post-war movements had a great impact on the analysis of the migratory issue in the Brazilian social sciences: the internationalization of the academic-scientific debate and the disputes between different academic projects. In particular, both the Brazilian participation in immigration studies initiatives sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the criticisms directed at the studies of communities produced in the social sciences of São Paulo are considered here. These two movements have directly impacted on the analytical frameworks advocated by social scientists, by redefining the condition of the immigrant and encouraging the establishment of new parameters for the study of ethnic-racial relations. The article intends to broaden the understanding currently available on the constitution of this field of studies historically focused on the discussion of themes so controversial in Brazilian society, such as prejudice, racism, segregation, social inclusion, democracy and national identity.
Keywords
History of social sciences; Migration studies; Immigration; UNESCO; Assimilation