« Being Portuguese in Montreal: Cultural and Traditional Practices as Markers of the Community’s Identity »
Résumé
This article aims to present the cultural practices that mark Portuguese identity
in the Portuguese community of Montreal. This community, established primarily
in the district of Saint-Louis, is an example of an ethnic district where Portuguese
traditions thrive, and the Portuguese language serves as a vehicle of communication.
Portuguese migrants arrived there in the 1950s and created their own space, while also
integrating within the urban linguistic landscape of French or English. The research presented
here is based on an ethnography that illustrates how dynamic the community
is and how language practices in Portuguese evolved and are used within the group
mainly during cultural activities and traditions. In addition, discursive analysis is used to
examine elements relating to community members’ cultural and linguistic awareness
with the process of identity (re)construction. This research shows how the Portuguese
language and its representations may help in understanding the complex process of
defining the group’s identity through cultural and traditional practices.