ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a historical sketch of migration to Foz do Iguaçu, and examines how migration patterns have been shaped by broader political and economic processes. It traces the establishment of an Arabic-speaking population in the city and describes the social and economic conditions of settlement. The chapter illustrates some of the ways in which people in different generations draw on the communicative resources within their repertoires, in different domains of their lives and within local, national and transnational contexts. It also details community-based moves to establish bilingual schools, with particular religious orientations. The migration of Arabic speakers to Foz do Iguaçu began in the 1940s. Arabic speakers in Foz do Iguaçu have different origins, in different regions of the Middle East, including Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Syria. The widespread and intense use of the Internet and social media is enabling Arabic speakers in Foz do Iguaçu, both young and old, to establish and maintain social ties across far-flung diaspora.
