NI DE ACÁ, NI DE ALLÁ: memória e identidade de filhos de uruguaios residentes em Pelotas/RS.

Abstract

The presence of Uruguayan immigrants in Brazil had always been a constant fact, however, there were very well-marked moments, such as in the 1970s when there was the upsurge of the military dictatorship in that country. Brazil was the fourth country in terms of preference for these immigrants. Among the factors which may explain such choice there is the economic development so-called “Brazilian miracle”, the spatial proximity, the similarity concerning the climate and the “gaúcha” culture. The present paper aims at analyzing the presence and the path taken by Uruguayans in Pelotas, observing the life conditions abroad, the understanding many had concerning the Brazilian reality in the same period and analyzing the maintenance mechanisms for culture and identity. In order to do that, we focused on identifying meeting places and interviewing groups of immigrants to have these memories shared and, therefore, considering the intersection between the individual and the social group, analyzing the history of a period and of a group as well.