Uma autoetnografia sobre a experiência da imigração haitiana em Chapecó, SC

Abstract

This Final Course Paper presents an autoethnography on the experience of Haitian immigration in Chapecó, Santa Catarina, articulating the author’s personal accounts with the collective experiences of a group of Haitians who gather at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Jardim América neighborhood. The research investigates the reasons that led Haitians to choose Brazil as their migratory destination, the difficulties they faced upon entering the country, and the processes of sociocultural adaptation, considering everyday challenges such as work, housing, health, education, discrimination, and xenophobia. The study provides a historical and social contextualization of Haiti, highlighting its economic vulnerability, the impacts of the 2010 earthquake, and the political and environmental crises that intensified emigration. It also presents the development of Haitian migratory flows to Brazil, based on data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Observatory of International Migration (OBMigra), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and UNHCR, emphasizing Brazil’s role in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) as one of the factors that fostered closer ties between Haitians and the country. Methodologically, the research is grounded in a qualitative approach, using autoethnography on its centrais axis—particularly the ethnic autobiography modality, according to Versiani (2005) —complemented by participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Autoethnography enables a critical and reflective analysis of the trajectories, adaptation strategies, solidarity networks, and feelings of belonging within the Haitian community. The discussion draws on authors such as Versiani, Stevenson, and Barth, addressing themes such as identity, ethnicity, migration policies, rights violations, and institutional challenges faced by immigrants in Brazil. The results show that, despite structural adversities, violence along the migratory route, and the insufficient preparedness of public services, Haitians in Chapecó build forms of resistance and mutual support in the creation of social bonds. The study concludes that autoethnography reveals subjective and collective dimensions of migration that often do not appear in traditional studies, contributing to a broader understanding of Haitian experiences in the Brazilian urban context.

Travay Fen Kous sa a prezante yon otoetnografi sou eksperyans imigrasyon ayisyèn nan vil Chapecó, Eta Santa Catarina, kote otè a rakonte pwòp istwa li ansanm ak eksperyans kolektif yon gwoup Ayisyen ki reyini nan Sal Wayòm Temwen Jewova yo nan katye Jardim América. Rechèch la egzamine rezon ki fè Ayisyen yo chwazi Brezil kòm peyi destinasyon, difikilte yo rankontre lè y ap antre nan peyi a epi pwosesis adaptasyon sosyokiltirèl yo, konsidere defi yo fè fas chak jou tankou travay, lojman, sante, edikasyon, diskriminasyon ak ksenofobi. Etid la mete Ayiti nan yon kontèks istorik ak sosyal, mete aksan sou vilnerabilite ekonomik li, enpak tranblemanntè 2010 la, ak kriz politik ak anviwònman ki ogmante kantite moun k ap kite peyi a. Li prezante tou devlopman koule migrasyon ayisyèn nan direksyon Brezil, baze sou done IBGE, OBMigra, OIM ak ACNUR, epi li soulinye wòl Brezil nan MINUSTAH kòm youn nan faktè ki te pwoche Ayisyen yo ak peyi a. Metodolojikman, rechèch la baze sou yon apwòch kalitatif ki itilize otoetnografi kòm akt prensipal, espesyalman nan fòm “ethnic autobiography” jan Versiani (2005) prezante li, epi konplete ak obsèvasyon patisipan ak entèvyou semi-estriktire. Otoetnografi a pèmèt yon analiz kritik ak reflechi sou trajè, estrateji adaptasyon, rezo solidarite, ak sans apatenans kominote ayisyèn nan. Diskisyon an chita sou panse otè tankou Versiani, Stevenson, ak Barth, epi li trete tèm tankou idantite, etnisite, politik migratwa, vyolasyon dwa, ak defi enstitisyonèl imigran yo konfwonte nan Brezil. Rezilta yo montre ke, malgre difikilte estriktirèl yo, vyolans nan chemen migratwa a, ak mank preparasyon sèvis piblik yo, Ayisyen ki ap viv nan Chapecó devlope fòm rezistans, sipò mityèl ak konstriksyon lyen sosyal. Konklizyon an montre ke otoetnografi a revele dimansyon subjektif ak kolektif nan migrasyon an, dimansyon ki souvan pa parèt nan lòt kalite etid, e konsa li kontribye pou elaji konpreyansyon sou eksperyans Ayisyen yo nan kontèks ibano brezilyen an.