Migration and Institution: the Case of Veneti

In the migration process, to maintain some forms of belonging and a distinct ethnic identity, also combining elements from the original country with others already active in the country of settlement, can prove effective to respond to the various needs of people involved (Thomas, 1997 [1921]). Institutions play an important role in attracting or assimilating migratory flows within hosting countries, and in engaging migrants, through a particular institution such as "ethnic specialization" in the labor market (ie. the case of the Veneti in the agricultural field) and (less frequently) the residential segregation in urban areas. This theoretical aspect finds its realization in the empirical relationship between institutions and migration; It will highlight the role of the institutions in this area through a underlying common denominator which consists in a selected Italian regional population, the Veneti. The analysis will involve two different contexts, Italy and Brazil, in which the Veneti worked within the same historical frame. This paper will try to contribute to the debate by both reducing the heterogeneity of the addressed topic and applying an historical perspective. The case study is an Italian region’s population, the Veneto in the North of Italy. This paper will be structured in this way: 1. Theoretical background: Migration, economic development, and the role of institutions; 2. The Veneti in Brazil; 3. The Veneti in Pianura Pontina; 4. Discussion and Conclusio