Agriculture, Evangelism, Ice Cream and Emigration – Itapuranga, Goiás, Brazil

My research on deportees in Goiás, Brazil will focus primarily on the small city of Itapuranga – a city with a relatively high number of emigrants and deportees. Many people in Itapuranga emigrate to the United States, Ireland, and Portugal. Most are undocumented abroad.

Itapuranga is in a part of Brazil where agriculture predominates. The biggest industries in this part of Goiás are agriculture and meatpacking. The capital of Goiás – Goiania – has one of the largest meat packing companies in the world. This company –JBS SA - recently purchased the US company, Swift.

At the market in Itapuranga, agricultural products abound. You can find fresh milk, fresh eggs, and many live chickens. Most products, however, are sold to larger agri-processors. There are several milk depositories and meat and chicken factories in the area. There is also an ethanol factory just outside Itapuranga. With all of the agriculture and associated industries, there is work to be had in Itapuranga. The economy seems, at first glance, to be quite active. The stores and markets are full of people spending money. In the plaza in the evening, the surrounding bars, restaurants, and ice cream shops are full.

There are quite a few ice cream shops in Itapuranga. One reason for this is the fact that it is very hot. Another is that there are a lot of Evangelicals – as they don’t consume alcohol, ice cream shops are a good alternative to a bar for passing the time. I have yet to come across official statistics for religious denominations for Itapuranga, but there are many Evangelical churches in the city. There is even one in the main plaza where the mayor’s office is located.

Walking around Itapuranga this weekend, many people noticed my accent and asked where I am from. When I say I am from the US, the reaction has been universally positive. People either say they have a family member there or mention that they’d like to learn English. Most people I met over the weekend knew someone who had emigrated – either to Europe or to the US. People told me they knew of people from Itapuranga in Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston and Austin, Texas.

One of the reasons for emigration from Goiás seems to be the connection with Minas Gerais. The city of Itapuranga was established about fifty years ago – mostly by migrants from Minas Gerais. The two people I asked about their family origins told me that their family came from Minas Gerais. An older woman with a large extended family who sells food from a small stand, for example, told me that she is from Minas, but has settled here. This woman’s grandson is in San Francisco.

I also met three people who had lived in the US, but have returned to Itapuranga. One young man went with his father to Austin, Texas when he was nineteen. He went on a tourist visa, but overstayed. After four years, he decided to return, as he missed his family in Itapuranga. In Austin, he worked in a pizzeria, and then drove a taxi. He went to Austin because he had friends and family there. He estimated that there are about 7,000 Brazilians in Austin.

I also met a couple who are US citizens, and have returned to Itapuranga. The husband lived in the US for 18 years, and his wife for eight. They had two children in the US. They lived in San Mateo, near San Francisco, and he worked in a pizzeria. She worked as a nanny for two years before their first child was born. They came back to Brazil because of family problems in Brazil and financial problems in the US. They are not sure how long they will be staying. The husband will travel back to the US to work, and the wife will stay with their two children. This may be a permanent return, or it may not.

Either way, the connections between Itapuranga and the US will remain strong.