by Valquiria Almeida, PhD student at the Federal University of Minas Gerais

Valquíria is a PhD student in Demography at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), who recently spent six months on research leave at GDI. She is currently a researcher at the National Committee for Refugees of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security and has nine years of experience working with civil society organisations dedicated to the socioeconomic inclusion of migrants and refugees in Minas Gerais (Brazil).

Her research focuses on international migration to Brazil, gender and race issues in migratory trajectories and integration into Brazilian society, migration law, the life course approach, and social policies. In this blog post, Valquiria reflects on her experiences of studying abroad as a migration researcher. 

My name is Valquiria, and I’m Brazilian—a PhD student in Demography back home—currently spending six months on a research visit at the University of Manchester, funded by the Brazilian government. This is my first time outside Brazil. These months in Manchester have been a constant exercise in unlearning and relearning. In the end, that’s what makes the experience of studying abroad so enriching: the opportunity to question what is considered “normal” and to discover that there are thousands of valid ways of living.

When I moved to Manchester, I thought the biggest challenges would be the weather or the food. But it turned out to be the small, everyday habits that made me feel most like I was on another planet. My first surprise came in the first few days at the university. Used to the Brazilian routine, I arrived at 7am—only to find the campus completely deserted. “Alright,” I thought, “I’ll try 8am tomorrow.” Same scenario. It wasn’t until I started arriving at 9am that I began to see signs of life. Even then, many colleagues only appeared after lunch, some showing up as late as 3 or 4pm. This made me reflect on how differently time is approached in the two countries. Of course, this is also closely tied to the social inequalities in Brazil and the extent to which we have to overwork in the face of weak labour protections—but I must admit I actually prefer the British way. It would be very difficult to implement in Brazil, given the context mentioned above, but having a lighter work routine and more time for oneself is, in every way, healthier.

Lunch was another revelation. In Brazil, we stop everything for a full meal—rice, beans, meat, salad—and sometimes even squeeze in a quick nap afterwards (yes, many companies and universities have designated spaces for this). Here, lunch is basically eating a sandwich in ten minutes, and I still think: “But that’s a snack, not lunch!” When I tell my colleagues here in Manchester that in Brazil we usually have one to one and a half hours for lunch, they’re shocked. But considering our typical working hours go from 7am to 6pm, with extra time lost in chaotic traffic and unreliable public transport, it makes perfect sense that we need that pause. Especially for Brazilian women who, in the majority, juggle double or even triple shifts—including unpaid care work—this moment of rest can be essential. With such long working days, getting enough sleep becomes impossible.

What struck me most, however, were interpersonal relations. In Brazil—especially in Minas Gerais—we greet everyone, and I’m not exaggerating. You arrive at a bus stop and say good morning to whoever’s waiting (and sometimes even chat until the bus comes). You board the bus and greet the driver and the person next to you. At university, we say hello to the security staff, the cleaners, the receptionists… Not doing so is considered rude or unfriendly. Here, I feel odd with just a quick “hi”, and I still catch myself nearly saying “morning” to strangers on the street.

Speaking of greetings, I think what Brazilians find most difficult is the fact that people here usually greet each other with, at most, a handshake. In Brazil, we hug. Everyone. And often that hug comes with one or two kisses on the cheek—even when you’re meeting someone for the first time. The social distancing imposed by COVID-19 was particularly hard for Brazilians. According to our public health system data, the prevalence of anxiety and depression rose by 13.5% during the pandemic. But after the vaccine rollout, we quickly returned to our usual level of physical contact—and it was to be expected. Even after months in Manchester, I still feel something’s missing during these brief British greetings.

In Minas Gerais specifically, we have a reputation for being like one big family (a family of 20 million people, but still). It’s perfectly normal to meet someone on the street and be at their house for coffee later the same day. That doesn’t happen in São Paulo or Rio, but in Minas Gerais and some Northeastern states like Pernambuco, that’s just how things work. That’s why I took a while to understand why some international students found the relationship with professors here “too informal”. In Brazil—especially during a PhD—it’s not uncommon to go out for drinks with your supervisors or be invited to their homes. I suppose for them, the cultural shock goes in the opposite direction.

I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the colleagues and professors who made this moment in my life smoother and more welcoming—especially to Professor Tanja Bastia.

As a migration researcher, experiencing the very phenomenon I study has brought a deeply personal dimension to my work. Theory gained texture in those hesitant moments before a greeting, in the strangeness of new daily rhythms, in the constant negotiation between my cultural background and this new environment. This experience has transformed my academic perspective—I now understand more clearly how identities are undone and remade in everyday life. What were once analytical categories now reveal themselves as intimate, complex processes, teaching me that to migrate is to navigate, daily, between multiple ways of being in the world.

Note:  This article gives the views of the author/academics featured and does not necessarily represent the views of the Global Development Institute as a whole.

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