The “Dutches” from Carambeí and their languages: a study about identity
Keywords:
identity, linguistics plurality, Portuguese/Dutch bilingualism.Abstract
The aim of this paper is to discuss the identity manifested by the “Dutches” from Carambeí, a small city in Paraná, considered the oldest Dutch colony established in Brazil in the
20th century. To conduct this discussion, we use the ethnographic method (SAVILLE TROIKE, 1989). The denomination “Dutches” (between quotes) occurs because the community from Carambeí established an opposition where “they” are identified as “Brazilians” (people who were born in Brazil and are not Dutch descendants) and “we”, the “Dutches” (people who were born in Brazil and are Dutch descendants). The data collected in this research led us to conclude that the identity manifested among the members from the surveyed groups isn’t homogeneous, stable or uniform. On the contrary, it is inconstant and even contradictory (MEY, 1998).