This article aims to analyze the integration of refugees from the global South in the workplace of small and medium enterprises in the city of São Paulo, based on interpersonal relationships between Brazilian employers, refugee workers, and Brazilian workers. The literature focuses on South-South migration, refugees in Brazil, and their stereotypes in the workplace. The research was qualitative, using a case study. Semi-structured individual interviews and non-participant observation were conducted with 28 respondents: 7 refugee workers (2 Haitians, 2 Angolans, 1 Congolese, 1 Nigerian, and 1 Beninese); 7 Brazilian employers (4 owners and 3 managers in the services, commerce, and industry sectors); and 14 Brazilian co-workers. Results show managerial incentive to different forms of communication seeking to break the language barrier as well as explicit racism. The employers only began to worry about the integration of refugees when they had problems with Brazilians, such as disrespect for Halal food of Muslim refugees and the perception that refugees transmit diseases. Brazilian workers and employers stereotype refugees from African countries (including Haiti) as a homogeneous group of “black Africans,” reflecting a total lack of knowledge about their geographical and cultural diversity. This lack of knowledge strongly influences interpersonal relationships and makes it difficult for refugees to integrate into the workplace. This article contributes to the reflection on South-South migration, since the literature usually explores South-North and North-North migration.
Since 2010 around half a million immigrants entered Brazil. This paper aims to describe their experience facing the Portuguese language barrier in the Brazilian labor market. Language here is understood as spoken, written and body language. The South-to-South approach here proposed differs from most of the literature, based mainly on studies South-to-North oriented. During six field visits the research group observed the arrival in Brazil, the hiring process and the experience of 34 immigrants from Haiti, Bolivia, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Togo, Iraq and Yemen working within ten Brazilian firms that hired them. Besides the observation technique, these immigrants, social workers, employers and Brazilian co-workers were interviewed. The employers emphasized the immigrants` enthusiasm, willingness to learn and dedication to work. The immigrants said they were well received and emphasized the use of Google Translator, mimicry and drawings to communicate. The employers said they used these same creative ways to teach the work activities to the immigrants as well as placing the immigrant next to another Brazilian worker who performed the same set of tasks so that the immigrant would learn by looking. Few complaints about lack of patience of Brazilian co-workers and lack of dedication of the immigrants to learn Portuguese were registered.
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