Historias de vida y marcadores de identidad corporal de inmigrantes y refugiados en el contexto brasileño

Resumo

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the life experiences of immigrants and refugees in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, with a particular focus on the meanings constructed around corporeality and identity in contexts marked by forced displacement, social inequalities, and processes of (re)territorialization. Methodology: A qualitative approach was adopted using the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) technique, which enabled the construction of nine representative discourses based on in-depth interviews. This methodology fosters the emergence of collective meanings and allows for the understanding of subjective experiences from a social perspective. Main findings or results: The narratives revealed the complexity of the migratory phenomenon, ranging from motivations for leaving the country of origin to the current living conditions in the host country. Difficulties were identified in accessing rights such as housing, employment, and healthcare, as well as experiences of cultural tension and discrimination. A key finding was how these experiences influence the construction of bodily identity, transforming how individuals signify and inhabit their bodies in new sociocultural contexts. Conclusions: The study contributes to a situated understanding of corporeality in migratory processes and provides relevant insights for guiding social, health, and community-based interventions. Moreover, its findings may inform the development and reorganization of public policies that acknowledge the cultural and bodily specificities of migrant and refugee populations.