Tac ics
in mo emen :
pu suing social
inclusion in
ansna ional
mig a ion
Simone F angella
8.
176 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
in oduc ion
Wi hin he social webs comp ising mig a o y mo emen , mu ual-help
and o ms o cohabi a ion p o e o be undamen al o hei c ea ion and
main enance. Bo h in he sphe e o na ional and in e na ional mig a ion,
o e lapping o unning in pa allel wi h o ms o S a e agency o e en he
illegal ne wo ks ha eme ge in his a ea, hese suppo ela ions a e a c ucial
axis o he ci cula ion composing he dynamics o mig a ion, as a collec i e
ac and an indi idual i ine a y (Menezes and Godoi 2011; Ma es 1999).
Whe he in sea ch o new o ms o amily-based economic ep oduc ion, o
due o “going ou in o he wo ld” seeking social expe ience o a di e se o de ,
mig an s c ea e ajec o ies ha a e con ingen upon exchanges, a ou s and
in e ac ions be ween ela i es, iends om he place o o igin and new ones
me along he a elled ou e. This p ocess in ol es an in ense mo emen o
people, asse s and in o ma ion. I con inuously ede ines and c ea es he social
ela ions and signi icance o place ha cha ac e ise he daily expe iences o
hese indi iduals (Olwig 2007).
In he deba e on ansna ional mig a o y mobili y, his phenomenon is
e lec ed in he mo emen o non-ins i u ional ac o s c ossing one o mo e
na ional, geog aphic, cul u al and poli ical on ie s (Schille Basch and
Blanc 1995; Po es 2006), and c ea ing he e ogeneous pe sonal and collec i e
expe iences in iew o he poli ical and economic asymme ies gene a ed by
hese on ie s, in complex and non-linea ansi s (Lee 2008; She ingham
2010). On his ex ensi e spa ial scale, in which ci cula ion is accele a ed by
he de elopmen o anspo and communica ion echnologies, a whole
p ocedu al mechanism o in e pe sonal ela ions is o med, a icula ing
space, ime, p eca iousness o clandes ini y, delinea ing and di e si ying
social ne wo ks in e ms o dimension, loca ion and social o m (Hanne z
1996; Ha ney and Baldassa 2007). C ossing he ansa lan ic dis ance and
ha o na ional on ie s, he ne wo ks implica ed in his jou ney be ween
he place o o igin and he a ious des ina ions in ol e a daily nego ia ion o
social and anslocal in e ac ions in e ms o obliga ions, oppo uni ies and
cons ain s (Olwig 2007, 9). I is in his b oad scena io o mo emen s, in e es s
and p ac ices be ween poin o o igin, ajec o y and place o des ina ion ha
he mig an s cons uc places and eelings o belonging.
Rega ding B azilian emig a ion, gi en he absence o go e nmen
ini ia i es o his mo emen and he signi ican exis ence o ba ie s in o he
social inclusion in ansna ional mig a ion 177
coun ies o des ina ion1, i is he ecip oci y be ween ela i es and iends o
acquain ances in he own o o igin ha , on mos occasions, guide he lows
o ansna ional mo emen . Ac s o mu uali y os e e e y hing, om he
p o ision o in i a ions, in o ma ion and p ac ical measu es o mig a ion, o
logis ical and emo ional suppo upon a i al and in adap ing o he in ended
des ina ion, including he main enance o ies wi h he place o o igin.
Al hough ins i u ional ne wo ks, such as ou is agencies and illegal con ac s
o ec ui men o undocumen ed mig an s, may play a signi ican ole in
some o hese lows (Pe ei a 2011; Assis 1999), hey lack he in ense dynamics
o he webs o in e pe sonal ela ionships.
The wo ld o mu ual help has a subs an ial, albei no o al, componen
o social in e ac ion alluding o eelings o amilia i y/simila i y. This means
ha people in ol ed in hese suppo ne wo ks a e, in p inciple, ela i es and
iends o acquain ances who, in some manne , embody a linge ing p oximi y
wi h he amily and place o o igin. Wi h ime and ci cula ion, hese ne wo ks
also include people ela ed o he daily li e o he mig an , who con ibu e by
adding o he meanings o place. Thus, he cons uc ion o he ansna ional
i ine a y can be iewed om a p ocedu al con igu a ion o kinship, amily and
iendship, om he in e subjec i e pa icipa ions ha o med hem (Ca s en
2004; Sahlins 2011) and om he iden i y o places (Olwig 2007).
T ansna ional mobili y mo es and is mo ed along hese axes, making he
mig a o y expe ience a piece o pe sonal and collec i e his o y, and c ea ing
a new way o being in he wo ld. Howe e , p ecisely due o i s p ocedu al and
nego ia ed na u e, his sphe e cha ac e ised by connec i i y s ands on a ine
balance o in e ac ions, subjec o he poli ical, social, economic and pe sonal
imponde ables o his mo emen . I is essen ial o unde s and he ough lines
and sha p edges in ol ed along he ou e, and he spa ial and ime dimensions
di ec ing hem, sea ching o he o ms o in e subjec i i y, he agile ela ionship
1 Up o he 1970s, he mig a o y mo emen was spo adic. B azilian emig a ion began o be mo e
sys ema ic om he 1980s onwa ds, wi h signi ican numbe s emig a ing pa icula ly o he Uni ed
S a es and Japan. The low inc eased om he second hal o his decade, as did news abou B azilians
ba ed ab oad. A la ge numbe o hese mig an s we e illegal, excep o he dekasseguis in Japan, who
we e legalised. Du ing he 1990s, he des ina ions o B azilian emig a ion di e si ied u he . Adding o
he mo emen o he Uni ed S a es and Japan, by his ime gaining densi y, I aly and Po ugal became
o he des ina ions (Assis and Sasaki 2001). In he 21s cen u y, mos Wes Eu opean coun ies we e
included in his ou e, such as he Uni ed Kingdom, I eland, Ge many, Holland, Spain and F ance.
Fo he majo i y o he lows, hese emig an s a e illegal, al hough he e is also a signi ican numbe o
people wi h double ci izenship.
178 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
be ween ime, employmen ne wo ks and he in es men expec a ion iden i ying
his connec i i y. I he e o e decided o ame hem unde he concep o
icinali y. Re lec ed in mu ual-help p ac ices and o ms o cohabi a ion be ween
ansna ional mig an s, icinali y is unde s ood he ein as he dynamics o
e i o y and ci cula ion o people, c ea ing webs o p oximi y, ini ially o med
by amily membe s, bu la e o simul aneously by kin and iends.
The concep e e s, in di e en an h opological s udies, o neighbou hood
g oups, including ela i es ( ha gene ally come in i s place), simila and
non- amily membe s ec ui ed o speci ic mu ual-help pu poses, wi h non-
igid in e -g oup ela ionships and spa ial de ini ions (Webs e 2009; Pina-
-Cab al 1991). Al hough he o ma ion o his icinali y eme ges, in he cases
in which i has been iden i ied, om he ga he ing oge he o ela i es, he e
is a common and necessa y inclusion o people wi h mo e enuous ies. In
o he wo ds, cohabi a ion and neighbou ela ions ex end beyond he p ima y
social uni (Pina-Cab al 1991). In bo h con ex s, he condi ion o belonging o
he g oup is gi en by an expec ed ecip oci y, by he main enance o loyal ies,
nego ia ed and ans o med o e ime (Webs e 2009, 90).
In heo ising my esea ch con ex – he mig a ion o he inhabi an s o
he s a e o Goiás (Goianos) o Po ugal – wo aspec s o his concep a e
pa icula ly in e es ing. The i s e e s o he way ha neighbou hood
expe iences a e spa ially lexible, o en gi ing ise o he es ablishmen o
mu ual-help p ac ices among people who a e no necessa ily close neighbou s.
Al hough he e is a ce ain spa ial cohe ence, he belonging o he g oup is no
de ined acco ding o he p oximi y o he homes, bu a he o he s eng h o
he ies ha a e main ained ( Webs e 2009). Thus, o he mos pa , mu uali y
ela ions condi ion he dynamics o he pa icula icinali y and i s inhe en
mobili y. Pina-Cab al add esses his condi ion in an in e es ing manne :
icinali y is no a spa ially de e mined a ea, bu a he a spa ial ela ionship.
The esiden ial p oximi y occu s a ound ies ha a e s uc u ed, and which
modi y o ha e modi ied he ac ual spa iali y o he ela ions acco ding o he
geog aphical o social dis ances ha a e c ea ed he ein (Pina-Cab al 1991,
186). This ea u e con e s ela i e expansion dynamics in spa ial e ms, as well
as ela ionship ne wo ks comp ising he icinali y; a po en ial enla gemen
and inclusion, which main ains a ce ain spa ial and genealogical cohe ence.
I p opose heo ising his po en ial enla gemen and inclusion in he case
o ansna ional mig a o y ansi s. This would enable, on he one hand,
unde s anding how mu uali y ela ions enla ge and modi y, bo h in he ci ies
social inclusion in ansna ional mig a ion 179
he mig an s le behind o hose hey wen o, and in he ac ual mig a o y
ajec o y. To wha ex en a e he mu ual-help p ac ices main ained along his
ansna ional dis ance? Wha a e he elemen s ha make i wo k and wha a e
he limi ing aspec s? How do people ei e a e o emake hei solida i y wi h
ela i es and iends? How a e new ela ionships c ea ed in he des ina ion?
Th ough he desc ip ion o he ajec o y o hese mig an s, I wish o show
ha icinali y is a o m o o ganisa ion in which mu uali y ela ions play a
cen al dynamic ole, no ixed o p ede e mined bu , as Webs e desc ibes,
plas ic. I would en u e o say ha i is his e y plas ici y ha condi ions he
cons uc ion o mig a o y mobili y.
The second aspec e e s o he enaci y o his se o exchanges and he
eelings in ol ed in i . F om Webs e ’s pe spec i e, he balancing o wo
dimensions is a emp ed. On he one hand, eelings such as solida i y, c onyism,
hospi ali y, “ iendship”, a ini y and kinship unde lie he cons i u ion o
g oups and he se o ac ions o ela i es and non- amily membe s. S eeped
in he same inspi a ion, and based on Po o amilies, Pina-Cab al sugges s
commensali y as “ he mos impo an o m o ep esen ing amilia i y and,
consequen ly, one o he p incipal pilla s o he language o emo ion” (Pina-
-Cab al 1991, 200). On he o he hand, and pa icula ly in Chope’s case,
in e nal compe i i eness and alling expec a ions o mu ual help can lead o
he b eakup o hese connec ions (Webs e 2009, 131). Vicinali y is, he e o e,
de ined as a nego ia ed ea u e: he close ela ionship be ween he language o
emo ions and he p agma ic ac ions ha in ol e he g oup. The main enance
o hese aspec s equi es cons an nego ia ion and ca e, and he emo ional
componen s a e easons o change icinali y.
In he ajec o ies o he people I ollowed, wha eally caugh my a en ion
was no so much he o ma ion o webs, bu a he he appa en ly ola ile
pa ame e s sus aining hem. In hese essen ial mu ual-help g oup ela ions
making up cohabi a ion, he e is a se ies o imp ecisions, emo ional u bulence,
p ac ical ailings, nego ia ions ha , in gene al, appea less in s udies on
mig a ion han he cohesion o hese webs (Ma es 1999). The e is a agile
balance in hese in e ac ions, main ained based on eeble ela ions o us
which, ne e heless, uel he ci cula i y mo ing hese pa hs. C ucial eelings
in he sus ainmen o hese webs o solida i y, commensali y and mu ual-
help, such as us and conside a ion, a e cons an ly being challenged by he
cha ac e is ic di icul ies o mig a o y ci cula ion. In his case, he ini ial
consequence o icinali y is a d i e o ep oduce he in e ac ions be ween

180 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
he ela i es who once we e and hose who emained behind, he iends
o back home and iends due o a ini y. Mig an s mo e o places ha a e
e e ences o hem ia hei con ac s in hei place o o igin, and likewise
li e in he same houses o houses close o Goianos in he des ina ion socie y.
Howe e , while he ne wo k ini ially se es o s eng hen he ep oduc ion o
hese ela ions, o e ime and due o he changes o mig a o y dynamics, he
ne wo k b oadens, opening up o o he social in e ac ions.
Based on he expe ience o Goianos who mo ed o Po ugal, in his
a icle I p opose o examine how people cons uc he space o mu uali y in
ansna ional mobili y.2 In o de o be e unde s and he social and indi idual
ha dships o mig an s in his b oadly encompassing con ex – in mo e
ex ended spa ial dynamics and challenging empo ali y – I will lis , h ough
se e al ajec o ies, he icinali y p ac ices in ol ed in cons uc ing he pa h
o his mobili y, and ollowing his, how i is e ealed in ini ial cohabi a ion
expe iences. In he cons uc ion o his pa h, icinali y pe ades h ough
empo ali ies and ba ie s o a di e se na u e, cons an ly eposi ioning
gene a ional, a ec i e and labou - ela ed ela ions, expec a ions o wo ld and
he no ion o belonging. The eme ging agili y o hese dynamics pa adoxically
coexis s wi h he enaci y o he webs ha unde pin he mig a o y ci cui , and
he sea ch o inclusion p ac ices in he des ina ion socie y.
icinali y in ou e
Goiânia and i s su oundings can be conside ed one o he majo cen es o
mos isible B azilian emig a ion, oge he wi h he egion o Go e nado
Valada es, a well-es ablished cen e in his ansna ional p ocess (Assis 1999;
Machado 2010), and No h o Pa aná. This is no a p ecise s a is ical inding
because, al hough he e a e numbe s on B azilian immig an s ab oad, he e
is no accu a e in o ma ion on he amoun o people and he p opo ion pe
egion in hese lows. Howe e , he massi e p esence o mig an s om hese
h ee egions is empi ically no ed in a ious Eu opean coun ies, no ably
Po ugal, he Uni ed Kingdom, I eland, Belgium and Spain. Goiás is a egion
2 The s udy on which his a icle is based add esses he dynamics o he mig a o y ne wo ks be ween
Goiás and Po ugal. This esea ch an om 2009 un il 2015, as pa o my pos -doc o a e, and included
ieldwo k in Lisbon, Goiânia and Anápolis.
social inclusion in ansna ional mig a ion 181
in which mig a ion g ew exponen ially in he i s decade o he 21s cen u y.3
Acco ding o he Ins i u o B asilei o de Geog a ia e Es a ís ica – ibge – a
his ime, Goiás became he s a e wi h he la ges numbe o in e na ional
emig an s4, al hough he isible e ec s o he in e na ional mig a ion a e s ill
a he dilu ed in Goianan ci ies.
Goianan emig an s cons i u e a dense ne wo k, mo i a ed by he oppo uni y
o as - ack hei en y in o a consume ci cui , by he desi e o en u e in o
a wo ld al eady known o hei con empo a ies and by a commi men o
in es men s in o de o c ea e hei place (which, in he majo i y o cases,
is back in he egion hey le , al hough he e a e many excep ions). Mos o
hese people come unde he p o ile o he mig an wo ke and, a leas in he
beginning, mo e wi hou documen a ion. As cons an ly happens whe e lack
o documen a ion is he mos common condi ion, he social webs a ound his
mo emen a e esponsible o helping he mig an in aking he i s s eps, in
adap ing o he des ina ion, and in main aining ies wi h Goiás.
Du ing he ajec o y in ol ing he mig a o y mo emen , mu ual-help
p ac ices s and ou in some pa icula momen s: in ob aining in o ma ion
abou he des ina ion socie y and he ways o ge he e; in ob aining he
ai line icke and o he a el a angemen s; in ecep ion upon a i al; and
in employmen indica ions and he con inuous e u n jou neys o isi s o
Goiás. Al hough o he g adually and imidly eme ging social ne wo ks in his
ci cui a e p esen , such as comme cial in e es ( he case o ou ism agencies),
p os i u ion and eligious en i ies, i is he connec ion wi h ela i es and amily
membe s, iends and acquain ances o he own o o igin ha ac ually enable
he ci cula ion o people, in o ma ion and esou ces. These links a e in o mal
and no necessa ily in e -a icula ed.
3 I should be said ha he e was al eady a low o Goianos o he Uni ed S a es in he 1980s (Ribei o
1999).
4 The ibge (B azilian Ins i u e o Geog aphy and S a is ics) 2010 demog aphic census eco ds
35,572 Goianos li ing ab oad. The Cen e-Wes egion co esponds o 12% o he emig an s,
in pa icula Goiás, which con ibu es wi h 7.2% o his con ingen . Al hough he la ges low
is om he Sou heas (49%), hese h ee o he egions – Minas Ge ais, Pa aná and Goiás – a e
inc easingly isible. This is due o he ac ha hey ha e e y sys ema ic lows con aining a mo e
homogenous p o ile o he undocumen ed labou mig an . See “Goianos lide am emig ação”,
O Hoje, Thu sday, 17 h No embe 2011. F om hem on, e en wi h he economic c isis in Po ugal ha
has p omp ed B azilian mig an s o e u n o home in ecen yea s, he e is s ill a signi ican low coming
om Goiás, less nume ous, bu s eady.
182 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
Rela i es o iends om he same neighbou hood a e essen ial in
s imula ing he d i e o mig a e, e en when he in o ma ion is no necessa ily
eal o posi i e. The people ha I con ac ed o in e iewed wen o Po ugal as
a esul o encou agemen by hei mo he , aun o uncle, child en, a cousin,
a b o he o else a iend who was al eady in Po ugal. “F iends” gene ally
means iends o pa en s, neighbou s in Goiânia, iends o cousins. This
encou agemen is done by he In e ne (mig an s a e a id use s o social
ne wo ks o cha ooms such as Msn/Skype and O ku /Facebook in o de
o communica e) o elephone. On some occasions, he s imulus is gi en in
a less in en ional way. Communica ion wi h he ela i e o iend nou ishes
he imagina ion o hose emaining behind conce ning he desi ed wo ld o
possibili ies, e en i he se e e pligh o he mig an ’s si ua ion is equen ly
highligh ed, along wi h disappoin men s conce ning wo k and he di icul y
o e u ning. A o he imes, i is he pa en s o iends ha ins iga e he
mo emen , and ensu e a good ini ial expe ience, as is he case, o example,
o mo he s who encou age hei daugh e s o emig a e in o de o ha e access
o good educa ion, o ge o e a “b oken hea ”, o e en o be close o hem.
This is he case o So aia, who I me and ollowed up in Lisbon. Cu en ly
30 yea s old, she mo ed o Po ugal ele en yea s ago due o sepa a ing om
he o me husband. He mo he , who was al eady in Lisbon, oge he wi h
So aia’s aun , pe suaded he o lea e Goiânia. Bo h mo he and aun had
a i ed h ough he in e en ion o a cousin. He ai line icke was pu chased.
When ques ioned why she decided o mo e, So aia said ha she was kind
o “d i ing” as a esul o he b eakup. She knew no hing abou Po ugal o
he employmen possibili ies, which we e aguely lis ed by he mo he . This
“d i ing” is common in he discou se o he young mig an s in my esea ch.
Bu hese a e no necessa ily eelings o passi eness o indi e ence; hey
appea , abo e all, o be possible answe s o pe sonal mis o unes, o he need
o ad en u e, o he desi e o apidly access consume p oduc s, one o he
aspec s o in o ma ion mos con eyed in his mig a o y ansi .
None heless, he objec i es a e somewha obscu e, inasmuch as he
in o ma ion is unce ain.5 The decision o mig a e is encou aged by hose who
e u n as mig an s, o by iends who a e ab oad, wi h whom hey communica e
5 Taken by olde ela i es o iends, a la ge numbe o hese young people (who a e a conside able
pa o he mig a o y p o ile) wish o explo e a new wo ld, e en when based on a ela i ely clouded
pe spec i e. O he issues ela ed o gende , age and gene a ion c ea e di e en expec a ions and ea s,
bu hese also appea o be based on unce ain in o ma ion.
social inclusion in ansna ional mig a ion 183
by he In e ne . In o he wo ds, he ideas and e e ences subs an ia ing his
decision and he s a egies ha enable he mo emen a e os e ed om a ious
poin s (spa ial and empo al) o he mig a o y ci cui . Those who ha e al eady
le o who a e in ansi supply a cons an sou ce o “expec a ions o change”.
The ac ha his in o ma ion migh be a om being eliable, o ha he e
may be discou aging discou ses on he mig a o y expe ience (exp essing he
ha shness o “li e ab oad”, o example) is o li le signi icance in compa ison
o he ambi ions p ojec ed by images and consume p oduc s ci cula ing
on he In e ne . A his ini ial s age, and a subsequen momen s o hese
ajec o ies, in o ma ion is he g ea mobilise o he mu ual-help ne wo ks.
Thei po en ial ailings can lead o c acks in his ne wo k, wi hou , howe e ,
comp omising he p ojec ion o he mig an s’ expec a ions.
Once he desi e o a el has been exp essed, he a angemen s mus be
made o he jou ney. A naldo, ano he in e iewee, paid o his ai line icke
ou o his own pocke , while So aia ob ained he s h ough he mo he . In mos
cases, he ai line icke is unded by he closes ela i es, who can be in he
homeland o al eady ou side he coun y, es ablishing a deb ha is payable
acco ding o nego ia ed deadlines, depending on p oximi y and a ec ion, o he
ela i e’s need. In many cases, due o his o m o indeb edness, he mig a o y
p ojec ini ially becomes a amily p ojec (Noguei a 2011; Pe ei a 2011; Assis
and Sasaki 2001). Howe e , his condi ion is no always main ained. The deb
migh no be paid, o , once paid, he pe son who mig a ed begins o es ablish
o he social ies and o he p io i ies, weakening his connec ion.6
This i s ma e ial exchange is one o he clea es connec ions be ween he
place o depa u e and a i al. O he impo an p epa a ions o he jou ney,
such as he le e o ecommenda ion w i en by a pe son in he des ina ion
socie y, a e also pa o his s a egy. Toge he wi h he le e , he e will be
an add ess ha becomes he e e ence accommoda ion o he immig a ion
agen s. This add ess may o may no co espond o place he pe son will
ac ually be. The p epa a o y s eps o he eloca ion ha e p og essi ely
changed in acco dance wi h he g adual inc ease o he low o B azilian
emig an s o Po ugal and hei expe iences o en e ing he coun y. The e is
a di e ence be ween he pe iod when A naldo a elled, and he ime when
6 Ano he g oup o hese mig an s equi e an agen o und he jou ney. This gene ally implies a pawning
o asse s, which ends up in ol ing he mig an ’s amily, placing he amily’s asse s and belongings a isk
(Pe ei a 2011, 227). Al hough hese cases a e no he majo i y, hey indica e he complex ela ionship
be ween o he membe s o he mig a o y ne wo k and pe sonal mu ual help ela ions.
190 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
ne wo ks and emain like ha , c ea ing a s ong sensa ion o p oximi y wi h
he coun y o o igin ( e i o ial con inui y). Howe e , o he ypes o mu ual
help and in e ac ion in he neighbou hood can be added o his expe ience
ha de y hese e i o ial bounda ies h oughou he mig a ion p ojec .
inal no es
I is ecognised in his deba e ha he ansna ional mig a o y expe ience is
endowed wi h di e en ia ed meanings and o ma s acco ding o empi ical
di e ences – mo i a ion, class, gende , eligion, o ms o en y and he densi y
o he cons uc ed ne wo ks, among o he s. The deg ee o linkage be ween he
connec ed coun ies, c ea ing s onge o weake ies wi h he homeland (Lee
2008), is also di e se in mig a o y con ex s. In his ega d, he enaci y o a
mig an ’s ansna ional connec ions eme ges as a ele an issue. The in ensi y
o he mo emen s and he a ie y o possibili ies o being si ua ed in mul iple
loca ions, o assu ing ies be ween one place and ano he a e linked o he
ime o he people in he mig a o y ci cui , o he g adual change o objec i es
b ough abou by he daily expe ience o li e, and o hei ac ual cons i u ion
as a pe son.
In his a icle, I ha e sough o unde s and how he ansna ional mig a o y
pa h and he ini ial o ms o cohabi a ion a e cons i u ed and imbued wi h
meaning based on hei unde lying con i iali y, mu ual help and mobili y
ela ions. In o de o heo ise beyond a mul i-si ua ed ision, my esea ch
aimed o unde s and how he ajec o y is p og essi ely c ea ed, whe he o
depa u e o e u n, and, as such, p oduces in e -subjec i i y and complex
eelings o belonging. Al hough he discussion abou he ansna ional wo ld
a i ms he dynamic ela ionship be ween he place o depa u e and ha o
a i al, hese a e s ill iewed as dicho omous.
The eal e ec o he empo al low mo ing his mig a ion is equen ly
o e looked. Time, which cons i u es hese ex ended spa ial lows, should be
in e p e ed he ein in i s ch onological dimension, bu also by means o he
social and poli ical ba ie s pe mea ing i , and he dynamics o con inui y o he
ela ions en eloping he pe son who mig a es. Wi h he p og ession o ime,
he e can be, on he one hand, a densi ica ion o he mig a o y ci cui ’s social
webs, con ibu ing o he idea ha he mig a o y p ojec is a p ojec o e u n.
Howe e , on he o he hand, he mig an s’ way o posi ioning hemsel es and

social inclusion in ansna ional mig a ion 191
li ing in he wo ld may change comple ely. Vicinali y cons i u es one o he
p incipal mains ays o be in es iga ed in o de o unde s and he e ec o
mig a o y mo emen .
In he mids o he ex ensi e deba e on mig a o y social ne wo ks,
in e pe sonal ne wo ks – ela ions ha in ol e amily and iends – end o be
in e p e ed as sou ces o pe sonal ajec o ies which, as such, embody me ely
one among o he ne wo ks comp ising he mig a o y expe ience. Many au ho s
endea ou o show pe sonal ies as d i e s o his ajec o y (Boyd 1989, 639;
Ma es 1999) and s a e ha he ac ual in e pe sonal ne wo ks o e g ea e
lexibili y in he ci cula ion o in o ma ion abou employmen oppo uni ies
and he s onges possibili ies o social ein en ion (G ano e e 1973; apud
Fazi o 2002). Despi e his, some sociological li e a u e on mig a ion ends
o iew hem as ha ing li le explana o y alue due o hei ocus on he
indi idual.
Now, in spi e o he impo ance ha mig a ion has o he cons uc ion o he
indi idual i ine a y o hese mig an s, hei in e pe sonal expe ience should
be seen om he pe spec i e o he mu uali y ela ions ha cons i u ed i . This
means ha , om he decision o mig a e up o he a i al and pe manence
in he place o des ina ion, all hese choices a e made h ough a sys em o
ela ionships ha is abo e all collec i e, con inuously a icula ed wi h he
socio-s uc u al cons ain s and dynamics condi ioning mig a o y mobili y.
In a mig a o y cycle, he s uc u al condi ions and he wo ld o eelings and
exchanges ha in ol e he mig an a e in con inuous in e locu ion. In his
ega d, al hough he po en ial explana o y powe o in e pe sonal ne wo ks
may no be as exhaus i e, hey a e he main h ead enabling his mobili y.
Vicinali y opens doo s o mo e encompassing dynamics o in e pe sonal
ela ions in he new accommoda ion si ua ion, wi hou e e de aching om
he ini ial e e ence ne wo k. Howe e , despi e an e o o cons i u e a place
ha co esponds o he mig an ’s posi ion in B azil, he o ms o socialising
g adually assimila e o he li es yles, which challenge his pe son’s expec a ions
and ways o in e p e ing he wo ld. The e o e, new o ms o inhabi ing he
wo ld a e engende ed, e en i hey will a ely be de ached om p e iously
cons i u ed mu uali y ela ions. A whole wo ld is composed wi hin his pa h,
a ma e ial and symbolic ou come o his e y mobili y, main aining a web
ha is g adually and cons an ly composed in sea ch o a place. Vicinali y is
p oduced along he way, always nego ia ed and con inuously elying on an
a i ude which pa adoxically weakens i : conside a ion o o he s.
192 ambiguous inclusions: inside ou , ou side in
I we iew icinali y as a dynamics assuming he main enance o an
unde lying mesh o solida i y and mu ual help, ma ked by he in e ac ion
o ela i es and non- amily membe s ec ui ed o his pu pose (Webs e
2009), I belie e ha we can ind ce ain a ini ies wi h he ansna ional
mig a o y ci cui . In hese dynamics o labou mig a ion, mobili y o ano he
coun y and be ween wo o mo e coun ies, essen ially depend on he
es ablishmen o ne wo ks p o iding in o ma ion, suppo , inancial and
logis ical a angemen s and emo ional suppo . The cons uc ion o he webs
is based, abo e all, on ela i es, iends o he amily and, o a lesse ex en ,
acquain ances om he same own.
These webs main ain he ope a ionali y o he ci cui , bu a e also augh
wi h e y weak, imp ecise and aul y o ganisa ion. The mu uali y ela ions
implica ed in hese webs a e subjec o cons an b eakdowns, and eelings
o us and en y a e pa o he ecu en na a i es linked o hei success
o ailu e. The ans o ma ion o hese ela ions a ec s he modes o li ing
oge he , he mig a o y p ojec plans and p e iously es ablished alliances. I
am le o imagine i he e is ac ually a speci ici y o icinali y in his con ex .
I belie e ha he di e en ial is ha he spa ial and empo al ela ionship
moulding hese ela ions appea s o be o ano he in ensi y.
The enaci y o hese ne wo ks and hei chao ic edesigning can be seen as
a powe ul esou ce in esponding o con inuous social exclusion mechanisms
ha ma k mig a ion mobili y poli ically, economically and logis ically.
The ansna ional dis ance implies physical dis ance, bu also he na ional-
based social and poli ical cons ain s and nego ia ions. The e a e con inuous
exclusion p ac ices, om blockages o mo emen a bo de con ols, o denial
o documen s, and good daily li ing condi ions, o low-paying jobs and social
disc imina ion. Such p ocesses a ec he mig a o y p ojec , holding back o
al e ing expec a ions on his se o mu ual a angemen s. A he same ime,
none heless, he e is a cons an mo emen gua an eeing he eme gence o
o he ecip oci y ne wo ks, d i ing a con inuous ci cula ion, allowing he
main enance o ansna ional mo emen s, s a egies o social inclusion and
c ea ing new ways o being in he wo ld.
acknowledgemen s
This a icle was p oduced du ing my pos -doc ellowship a ics (Ins i u o de Ciências Sociais,
Uni e sidade de Lisboa), wi h a c g an Re e ence s h/bpd/111800/2015.
social inclusion in ansna ional mig a ion 193
____________________________________
simone angella
Ins i u o de Ciências Sociais, Uni e sidade de Lisboa
A . P o . Aníbal Be encou 9 — 1600-036 Lisboa, Po ugal
simone. an[email p o ec ed]a.p
o cid.o g/0000-0003-3021-4096
____________________________________
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h ps://doi.o g/10.31447/ics9789726715030.08