Il Richiamo delle Lettere: Lingua, Cultura e Identità nelle Corrispondenze Epistolari dei Migranti Italiani in Brasile

Abstract

Between the 19th and 20th century, one and a half million Italians emigrated to Brasil. The move forced most to lead long, painful lives and often permanent separation from family members and their own communities. The experience began with an ocean crossing, a sort of rite of passage in which the position of migrants is symbolicallu represented by the concept of uprooting. More accurately, the tangible signs of this process of identity fragmentation followed by tiresome but stubborn attempts at rebuilding it are seen in the letters. They restore a connection with the pst and their own community of origin. The ships sailed the seas with goods and crews, trailing a wake of words and writings that today make up an invaluable and somewhat irreplaceable source of information if one is to try and rebuild the historic encounter between the Italian and the Portuguese languages. This paper looks into a unique typology among these letters: the cartas de chamadas (invitation letters). The language interferences and socio-linguistic aspects of the written language found in these documents provide a precious perspective into the identity and cultural exchanges that resulted from this contact.