BIO
I am a broadly trained geographer at the Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a wide-ranging inter-disciplinary academic background, and regional expertise in Brazil.I received a B.A. in cultural anthropology, minor in philosophy, at Northeastern University, Boston, and a M.Sc. in Geography at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where I plan to defend my Ph.D. in Geosciences in early 2008, titled:“ The Contexts and Consequences of Brazilian Transnational Migration Processes: An Ethnic Geography in Two Countries.” My doctoral dissertation evaluates sociocultural change within migration patterns, using multiple qualitative methods and a survey instrument. I have participated in numerous professional and international conferences, and I was Chair of the session on Race and Ethnicity at the First U.S. Conference on Brazilian Immigration at Harvard University, 2005. My specialization areas include Brazilian transnational migration processes, race and ethnicity, and the impact of immigration on global and urban landscapes.
RESEARCH STATEMENT
The focus of my doctoral dissertation research centers on Brazilian transnational migration processes – an estimated one million Brazilians live in the United States. I develop a grounded theory to help understand how migration both affects and shapes the interaction between migrants in their place of origin and destination. I evaluate the multi-dimensional processes, contexts and consequences that have propelled Brazilian migrants to the United States and that also thrust the return of Brazilian immigrants back to Brazil. The importance of this study lies in the unraveling of several consequences after migration occurs, as well as the correlation of hidden transnational networks and a myriad of intersecting forces that propel, seduce, facilitate and maintain Brazilian migration processes.
My research is based on a survey and multiple qualitative methods using 100 in-depth interviews, 173 informal interviews, and 12 focus group interviews with a total of 63 participants, as well as participant observation and secondary analyses. Fieldwork research was conducted in four sites in two countries: (1) Framingham, Massachusetts, and (2) Governador Valadares, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, two older and more traditional places of destination and origin respectively, and, (3) Marietta, Georgia, and (4) Piracanjuba, in the state of Goiás, Brazil, two places that until now remain unstudied and represent important recent focal areas of Brazilian migration.
My general interests focus on: (1) the inter-relationships between geographical, historical and sociocultural processes and practices on regional and global levels, and how they shape, and have been shaped by population movements; (2) the intersections between gender dynamics and labor market landscapes, and ethno-racial and religious identities after migration occurs.
PUBLICATIONS
Book Chapters
Marcus, Alan P. 2007. “Transnational Rio de Janeiro: (Re)Visiting Geographical Experiences” In Growing up Transnational, edited by May Friedman and Silvia Schiffer, Syracuse University Press (In Press – Special series on Gender and Globalization)
Under Review
Marcus, Alan P. 2007a. Brazilian Immigrants and Another American Ethnic Dilemma (Submitted for review)
_____________ 2007b. “Senso e Censo e Emigrantes Brasileiros nos Estados Unidos: Por Uma Geografia Humanística” (Submitted for review in Caderno do NEDER, Núcleo de Estudos Miltidisciplinar Sobre Desenvolvimento Regional, Minas Gerais, Brazil)
In Preparation
Marcus, Alan P. (Re) Creating Spaces and Places in the U.S. Global South: Brazilians in Marietta, Georgia
____________. The Contexts of Brazilian Transnational Migration Processes
____________. The Brazilian Migration “Corridors:” In-Betwixt and Between Identities
____________. Conflict in Brazilian Immigrant Settlements: Racial and Regional Inter-Relations
____________. Gender Dynamics among Brazilian Immigrants in Georgia and Massachusetts
Other Selected Publications
Marcus, Alan P. 2004a. “Brazilians, Ashamed of Being Brazilian,” Brazzil Magazine, August 2004, Los Angeles, California
____________. 2004b. The Geography of Racial and Ethnic Complexities and Identities in Brazil. Unpublished Master of Science thesis, Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
____________, 2004c. “Brazil’s Northeast: A Violated Land,” Brazzil Magazine, July 2004. Los Angeles, California
____________.2003a. “Paulistas and Caiçaras: Parallel Lives in Brazil,” Brazzil Magazine, June 2003, Los Angeles, California
____________. 2003b. “The Cruel Rite of Churrasco,” Brazzil Magazine, June 2003, Los Angeles, California
____________. 2003 c. “Politics of the Word ‘Race,’” Op-ed in The Recorder, June 24, 2003, Greenfield, Massachusetts
____________. 2003d. “Brazil: Northeasterners Get No Respect,” Brazzil Magazine, June 2003, Los Angeles, California
____________. 2003e. “Orson Welles’ Youth Folly in Brazil,” Brazzil Magazine, June 2003, Los Angeles, California
____________. 2002. “Oversimplifying Latin America,” Op-ed in The Recorder, January 19, 2002, Greenfield, Massachusetts
AWARDS
May 2007
The Geography Alumni Award in recognition of outstanding attainment in Geography, UMass, Amherst
April 2007
Travel Grant awarded by the Graduate School, UMass, Amherst
May 2006
(1) The Geography Alumni Award in recognition of outstanding attainment in Geography, UMass
(2) The Latin American Studies Pre-Dissertation Grant Award. UMass, Amherst
May 2005
The Geosciences Alumni Award in recognition of outstanding attainment in Geosciences, Department of Geosciences, UMass, Amherst
February 2005
Travel Grant awarded by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program, UMass, Amherst
PARTICIPATION IN CONFERENCES /SESSION CHAIR
“Debunking Pan-Latinamericanisms: The “Hispanic/Latino” Category. Brazilian Immigrants and (another) American Ethnic Dilemma.” Annual Association of American Geographers Conference, San Francisco, CA, April 19-21, 2007.
“Debunking Pan-Latinamericanisms: The “Hispanic/Latino” Category. Brazilian Immigrants and (another) American Ethnic Dilemma.” Embracing Diversity: Latino Immigration and the Transformation of the American Society. An Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference. Harvard, Cambridge, MA, October 13-14, 2006.
“Brazilians in the US: The Non-Spanish Speaking Latin Americans.” Annual Association of American Geographers Conference, Denver, CO, April 5-9, 2005.
“Brazilians in Framingham: Notions of Place and Ethnicity.” First National Conference on Brazilian Immigration to the United States, jointly organized by the Department of Romance Languages/Harvard University and the David Rockefeller Center for the Latin American Studies, Harvard, Cambridge, MA, March 18-19, 2005. Chair of session: Race and Ethnicity
“Brazilians in the United States: Perspectives on ‘Race’ and Ethnicity, Color and Identity.” Race, Ethnicity and Place Conference, Sponsored by Binghamton University, Howard University, and the Association of American Geographers, Washington D.C., September 17-18, 2004.
“Brasileiros em Massachusetts, EUA: a identidade étnica de uma minoria invisivel.” BRASA VII Congresso Internacional, Brazilian Studies Association (BRASA), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 9-12, 2004
“Brazil and Brazilians in Massachusetts: The Undercounted and Overlooked Non-Spanish-speaking Latin Americans.” Brazil in Bold: Dialogues across Disciplines Conference, Sponsored by the Latin American Studies Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, February 13-14, 2004
INVITED GUEST LECTURES
“(Re) Creating Spaces and Places: Brazilian Transnational Migration Processes” in Comparative Perspectives on Religion and Politics, taught by Peggy Levitt, Wellesley College, Massachusetts, Fall 2007
“Debunking Pan-Latinamericanisms: The “Hispanic/Latino” Category.Brazilian Immigrants and (another) American Ethnic Dilemma,” invitation by Georgia State University, Department of Anthropology and Geography, Atlanta, Georgia, Fall 2006
“Brazilians in Atlanta, Georgia: Cultural Landscapes of the ‘Other’ Lusphone Latin Americans.” In Research Colloquim Series, Reports from the Field, UMass, Amherst, Fall 2006
“Histories of Geographic Knowledge,” in Theory and Methods taught by Richard Wilkie,” UMass, Amherst, Spring 2006
“São Paulo Urban Landscapes: the Mega-city of Brazil. Challenges and Developments” in Ecological Cities Forum organized by Rutherford Platt, UMass, Amherst, Fall 2005
Brazilian Student Association dinner, keynote speaker, Ballroom, UMass, Amherst, Spring 2004
ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Have traveled to Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, China, Thailand, Tahiti, Australia, Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Chile, and throughout Brazil and Europe.
International experience enhanced by following paid working experiences:
o Bar manager in the Highlands of Scotland
o Agricultural moshav in Israel
o Catering company in London, England
o Musician/guitarist, taught and performed, São Paulo, Brazil
o Intern in factory for a fruit company in Northeast Brazil
LANGUAGES
Portuguese: Native
English: Native
Spanish: Advanced Proficiency
QUOTED
By Margolis, Maxine. 2005. “Brazilians in the United States” Opening Address delivered at the Fong Auditorium, Harvard University. Publication forthcoming. First National Conference on Brazilian Immigration to the United States, March 18-19, 2005
In the NCM National Ethnic Media News: “Global Migrant Rights Treaty Includes Undocumented El Norte Digest”, by Marcelo Ballve, July 17, 2003. Also available online:
http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=9e2660d26c8da46e1e056408d0f3d009
In “Giving Voice to Brazilian Communities” Roundtable, the David Rockefeller Center for the Latin American Studies at Harvard University October 2003. Also available online (PDF): http://drclas.fas.harvard.edu/uploads/images/103/GivingVoiceFINAL.pdf
In Animal People News: May 2004. "Barcelona is an anti-bullfighting city". Also available online: http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/04/5/barcelonaantiBull5.04.html
MEDIA OUTREACH
Globo Television Newscast, June 2007, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil Interviewed on my research and the effects of out-migration
Sol Radio, July 2007, Piracanjuba, Goiás, Brazil. Invited Guest on morning show, feature on effects of out-migration and interview about my research
WBIX Radio, AM 1060, Brazilian Radio Show, Framingham, Massachusetts, September, 2006 Invited Guest on Sunday show, interviewed on my research
Boston Globe, Thursday, April 14, 2005. “North of the Border” By Fernando Ordonez. Feature on Brazilian immigrants in Framingham, interviewed on my research. Online version: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/04/14/north_of_the_border/
The Daily News/Needham and Metro News/Framingham, MA. March 20, 2005: “Brazil Lauded in Conference” by Liz Mineo. Interviewed as Chair on Race and Ethnicity session and on my presentation at First Conference on Brazilian Immigration at Harvard, 2005. Also available online: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=93641
The Brazilian Times, Framingham, MA, August 8, 2004: “Pesquisador da UMass questiona os estereótipos sobre latinos, hispânicos e brasileiros: Alan Marcus chama a atenção para a diversidade e complexidade do brasileiro morando nos EUA”, by Paulo Torrens. Interview feature on my research
In “Nailed” (2007), a film directed by Sheldon Schiffer, Department of Communication, Georgia State University, on Brazilian immigrant women. I interview the director on his film as well as I am interviewed on my doctoral research about Brazilian immigration, in a special feature section on the DVD release.
