Finding their place in the world: Brazilian migrant identities in an interconnected world

This dissertation is a multi-sited ethnography that examines transnational social networks of Brazilian migrants living in Toronto.;Case studies outline the construction of migrant networks as well as compare the experiences of documented, undocumented and “transitioned” (from undocumented to documented) migrants. Examples are drawn from everyday social practices linked to religion, family, work and “community”. In addition to relations within the local Toronto-based Brazilian population, contact with Toronto's Portuguese community and with individuals living in Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Ceará) reveals which resources migrants access (or are unable to access) during strategic constructions of identity and positioning within their networks.;My analysis focuses on discourses within the migrant networks. Ethnographic data provides context for my discursive analysis that is informed by critical sociolinguistic theory (Heller, 2002). Through this combined approach, disjunctures in networks (what Heller labels “transition zones”) become visible and relations of power become accessible for examination. Discussion addresses the influence of structure and agency through analysis of the opportunities for and constraints on transnational network growth.;The data demonstrates that undocumented migrants have much stronger networks than documented migrants because of constraints denying them access to resources in the broader Canadian context (e.g., documented and state-influenced networks) while encouraging ties into existing Brazilian and Portuguese networks. Balancing strategies to address the inherent instability stemming from their marginalized relationship to the State is also explored. Further, the roles of Brazilian class, gender, and migration expectations are examined.;The work seeks to challenge traditional transnational studies that privilege relations between the countries of origin and destination by focusing primarily on practices in Canada, informed by Brazilian practices and ideologies as well as specific conditions in Toronto and the resulting constraints. Particular focus is given to how Brazilian class and Canadian migration status inform gendered transnational networks and positioning strategies of newcomers to Canada.;This research highlights certain disjunctures that exist between Canadian immigration policy and the Canadian labour market, including an examination of documented migrants unable to find professional work and undocumented migrants who find work, but do not qualify for immigrant or work visas.