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Publication
Developing and transmitting a portuguese-american identity
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| 6.66 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
O presente estudo, um estudo exploratório qualitativo do tipo multi-caso, incide no
desenvolvimento da identidade bi-cultural e transnacional dos cidadãos
Portugueses que emigraram para os Estados Unidos durante a segunda metade do
século vinte, bem como a dos seus descendentes. Auretta (2011) sugeriu que,
“contar uma história é recontar o mundo. Recontar o mundo é renovar o mundo, ou
pelo menos renovar um mundo” (p. 3) e, no seguimento do pensamento de Auretta,
este estudo conta as histórias de imigração e da adaptação a um novo mundo, a fim
de compreender os processos de aculturação e assimilação que nela estão
envolvidos. Para que tal fosse possível, durante uma fase inicial do estudo, foi
solicitado aos participantes que se identificam como Luso-Americanos e que
vivem nos Estados Unidos, que respondessem a um questionário criado para este
efeito, o Portuguese-American Identity Survey. Durante uma segunda fase, uma
subamostra da população foi selecionada para o estudo multi-caso e foram
realizadas entrevistas individuais, semi-estruturadas, que permitiram a recolha das
histórias de vida dos participantes, bem como quaisquer lembranças das suas
experiências de imigração ou das dos seus familiares. Assim, o estudo analisou a
percepção da identidade cultural dos participantes, o uso da linguagem e a
aquisição do inglês e / ou do português, bem como a sua participação, ou a falta
dela, numa comunidade bi-cultural e bilíngue. As conclusões levaram a uma maior
compreensão da resistência e da transmissão de uma identidade transnacional, bicultural
e bilingue, a identidade Luso-Americana, demonstrando, especificamente,
como esta se desenvolveu, em que consiste e quais as suas implicações nas vidas
dos participantes. Os resultados revelam ainda que há necessidade de uma maior
discussão entre os membros da comunidade, pesquisadores e especialistas em
linguagem para garantir que a língua e a cultura portuguesa sobrevivam nas futuras
gerações luso-americanas.
This study, an exploratory qualitative multi-case case study, is particularly interested in the possible development of a bi-cultural, transnational identity of the Portuguese citizens who emigrated to the United States during the second half of the twentieth century, as well as that of their descendants. Auretta (2011) suggests that, “to tell a story is to retell the world. To retell the world is to renew the world, or at least to renew a world” (p. 3) and in following Auretta’s train of thought this study retells the stories of immigration and adaptation to a new world in order to understand the processes of acculturation and assimilation that are involved. In order to do so during an initial phase of the study, participants who identified themselves as Portuguese-Americans who were at the time living in the United States, were asked to answer a survey created for this purpose, the Portuguese- American Identity Survey. During a second phase, a sub-sample of the population was selected for the multi-case case study and individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted, allowing for the collection of participants’ life stories, as well as any recollections of their immigration experiences or those of their family. In doing so, the study analyzed participants’ perceptions of cultural identity, language use and acquisition of English and/or Portuguese, as well as their participation or lack of, in a bicultural and bilingual community. Conclusions led to a greater understanding of the endurance and transmission of a transnational, bicultural and bilingual identity, the Portuguese-American identity, specifically how it has come to exist, what it is comprised of, and what its implications in the lives of the participants are. In addition, the results reveal the need for further discussion amongst community members, researchers and language experts to ensure that the Portuguese language and culture survives in the future Portuguese - American generations.
This study, an exploratory qualitative multi-case case study, is particularly interested in the possible development of a bi-cultural, transnational identity of the Portuguese citizens who emigrated to the United States during the second half of the twentieth century, as well as that of their descendants. Auretta (2011) suggests that, “to tell a story is to retell the world. To retell the world is to renew the world, or at least to renew a world” (p. 3) and in following Auretta’s train of thought this study retells the stories of immigration and adaptation to a new world in order to understand the processes of acculturation and assimilation that are involved. In order to do so during an initial phase of the study, participants who identified themselves as Portuguese-Americans who were at the time living in the United States, were asked to answer a survey created for this purpose, the Portuguese- American Identity Survey. During a second phase, a sub-sample of the population was selected for the multi-case case study and individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted, allowing for the collection of participants’ life stories, as well as any recollections of their immigration experiences or those of their family. In doing so, the study analyzed participants’ perceptions of cultural identity, language use and acquisition of English and/or Portuguese, as well as their participation or lack of, in a bicultural and bilingual community. Conclusions led to a greater understanding of the endurance and transmission of a transnational, bicultural and bilingual identity, the Portuguese-American identity, specifically how it has come to exist, what it is comprised of, and what its implications in the lives of the participants are. In addition, the results reveal the need for further discussion amongst community members, researchers and language experts to ensure that the Portuguese language and culture survives in the future Portuguese - American generations.
Description
Tese de doutoramento, Comunicação, Cultura e Artes, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 2016
Keywords
Imigração Identidade transnacional Primeira/segunda/terceira geração Identidade cultural Construções de identidade Herança cultural Immigration Transnational identity First/second/third generation Cultural identity Identity constructions Cultural heritage