An insertion of northeastern migrants in São Paulo: the patch fabric trade

Abstract

The patch and remainder trade is mostly controlled by northeastern migrants, who form a network of people and merchandise based on this activity. Hence, this dissertation aimed at studying how these migrants were mobilized to work in this trade in the streets of Brás. In order to understand this process, the work also investigated the changes undergone by the district, from the Italian to the northeastern Brazilian occupation in the area. Once the connection between this and other areas was identified by the people/goods network evolution, the patch-goods circulation was followed by one of its ends, namely the “sulanca” fairs in Pernambuco. Among the several questions raised by this research, attention should be drawn to the social networks as a mobilizing means of the free-lance migrant, who trades patches that contribute to capital increase.