The Haitian Immigrant in Porto Velho: History, Memories, and Integration
Migration; Identity; Collective Memory; Representation
This research examines the experiences of Haitian immigrants living in Porto Velho, Rondonia, with an emphasis on the construction of memories, identities, and senses of belonging. Using oral history as the central methodology, the study seeks to understand how these individuals articulate their experiences of displacement, struggle, and reconstruction in a context marked by social inequalities and exclusionary representations. More than just reporting trajectories, the research investigates how immigrants interpret their own stories, construct meanings about work, exclusion, and recognition, and confront discourses that associate them with a perceived threat. Grounded in authors such as Halbwachs, Hall, and Tomaz Tadeu da Silva, the study proposes a critical reading of the representations constructed about immigrants in the Amazonian space, highlighting the political dimension of listening and memory. By centering the voices of these individuals, the research contributes to the debate on identity, difference, and resistance in the context of contemporary migrations.