Fratelli d’Italia e del Brasile? Associazionismo, immigrazione e dinamiche dell’italianità nel Sud del Brasile

This text analyses some aspects of the Italian immigrant associations and the descendants of immigrants in Brazil. It takes into account three historical periods to identify actions, mediations and institutions, aiming at reconstituting a sense of ethnic belonging. In the background of this process, there is the ever-present phenomenon of immigration. In the late 20th century, “gemellaggios” arose as the way of rebuilding ethnic ties with the places of origins for the descendants of Italian immigrants. These “gemellaggios” mean strong relations at the institutional and non-institu- tional level and, under the mantle of ethnic origin, develop also economic ties between these two countries