Knowledge and tastes of the country of origin as a form of integration

Abstract

The assumptions that dislocations account for new differences and that contacts in the host country generate new cultural borders support this study on the integration of Peruvian immigrants in the city of São Paulo. In insertion processes, immigrants make use of cultural aspects of their home territory; food is used to ensure nourishment, to reinforce the integration and even to highlight differences. Singularity converts into an identity reference for recognizing the group in which they belong to or to recognize the new context. Still, through the "territorial cuisine" created by the migrating group in the big city, it is possible to assess if regionalisms and differences from the home country are reproduced in the new settings.