Xenoracism and intersectionalities: an exploratory-descriptive study with African migrants in the Brazilian context

Abstract

The objective of this research is to understand the dynamics of xenoracism and its intersectionalities concerning identity markers in the narratives of African migrants in Brazil. This study is exploratory-descriptive in nature and employs a qualitative approach with non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The field methodology adopted was the snowball technique, in which each participant referred the next, resulting in a final sample of six migrants: three cisgender men and three cisgender women, from various African nationalities and currently residing in Brazil. The interviews were analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), following Fairclough's (2013) framework. The results reveal how identity categories - such as race, gender, sexual orientation, language, and social class - shape the discriminatory experiences encountered by African migrants. Through self-narratives, multiple forms of discrimination were identified across distinct psychosocial spheres, including the workplace, education, and daily interpersonal relationships, often intensified by the participants' identity markers. The study highlights that experiences of discrimination are uniquely lived, showcasing how intercultural subjective processes shape each migrant's trajectory, resulting in an intricate interweaving of identity categories that materialize as intersubjective tapestries. In addition, the research underscores the challenges faced by these migrants within the contemporary context of migratory flows in the Global South. It emphasizes the critical role of intersectional analysis in informing social actors, service providers, and policymakers dedicated to the African migrant community. The study advocates for equitable measures to combat the institutional and symbolic violence that permeates their experiences in Brazil.