subject: The Theoretical Approaches [print this page] If geographers are to bring fresh answers to the questions of ethnic economic success, acculturation and assimilation, settlement location and stability, and cultural transfer, there must be more studies at the local or micro scale. Micro-level studies are required not only to increase our knowledge of ethnic behavior but also to examine more carefully the significance of intergroup differences as they pertain to the contributions of ethnic groups to American cultural patterns. (1979, p. 94) Following these propositions by Raitz and Zelinsky, I evaluate Brazilian migration processes through fieldwork research, and the lens of a cultural geographer. In this vein, my outdoor fieldwork research conducted in two countries helps to highlight the multi-dimensional processes discussed throughout this paper.
