Ritið : tímarit Hugvísindastofnunar - 01.01.2014, Page 58

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ABSTRACT
“We just want to know where we are from and who we are”
Icelandic immigrants in Brazil and their descendants
In 1863 and 1873, a group of 37 Icelanders emigrated and settled in the southern
part of Brazil. Their intention was to establish an Icelandic colony similar to the
German colonies which had become common in the south of Brazil. The Icelandic
colony was, however, never established and Icelandic immigration to Brazil did not
continue. Initially contact was held between the immigrants and their families back
in Iceland, but was gradually lost. There seems to have been little contact between
Brazilians of Icelandic origin with Iceland from the early 20th century until about 20
years ago and knowledge of Icelandic language and traditions is almost non-existent
among the descendants today. In 1996 the Brazilian descendants started preparing
for the foundation of the Iceland-Brazil Association which was formally founded in
1999. The purpose of the association is to preserve Icelandic culture and strengthen
friendship, cooperation and goodwill between Brazil and Iceland.
The aim of this paper is to examine this recent interest of the Icelandic desc-
endants of their Icelandic origin and its contemporary significance. The paper
explains briefly the history behind the emigration and the emerging interest of
contemporary Brazilians to restore the link to their Icelandic origin. The article
emphasizes how identity is shaped within an increasingly globalized world and
engages with feminist theories of intersectionality and their emphasis on the imp-
ortance of different aspects of identity such as class, racialization and ethnic origins.
The article underlines the need to consider the emphasis on Icelandic ethnicity in
relation to racism and social class in Brazilian society and the meaning of Icelandic
origin as associated with whiteness. Scholars have stressed the importance of a sha-
red past in the creation of nations and ethnic groups and we use the concept “social
memory” to draw attention to the interplay of past and present.
Data for the article is based on an ongoing Ph.D. research, including fieldwork
in Brazil.
Keywords: Social Memory, whiteness, intersectionality, Brazil, Iceland
„VIð VILJUM BARA VITA HVAðAN VIð ERUM oG HVER VIð ERUM“