WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2015 Migrants and Cities: New Partnerships to Manage Mobility
181
Migrant voices
Building a family link across the ocean: A Brazilian working mother in Lisbon Lidia came to Lisbon ten years ago to pursue a master’s degree. Lidia’s initial idea was only to stay in Portugal for her studies and then go back to Brazil, her home country, to find a job and build her life. Lidia was already a university lecturer in her home city, Fortaleza. Ten years have since passed and Lidia still lives in Lisbon. After obtaining a doctoral degree in communication sciences, Lidia now teaches at the Autonomous University of Lisbon and also works as a researcher, enjoying the life in the “beautiful, attractive, culturally rich and, most of all, safe” city. Although Lidia thinks she is well integrated and feels at home in Lisbon, it has not always been easy as she had to face many challenges and some discrimination. Lidia is still sometimes reminded that she is a migrant. “I always think I have to face more difficulties than those who are from here”, she says with some sadness in her voice. Nevertheless, Lidia has managed to overcome difficulties and create strong bonds in Portugal, as she has built her own family life. Together with her partner, she adopted a lovely seven-year-old Portuguese girl two years ago. Very proud of being a mother, Lidia claims everything went just fine with the adoption process, “There was never any problem because I am from Brazil and I was very well received”, she points out. Lidia now lives with her family in their newly bought apartment in a very calm neighbourhood near the city centre. Lidia appreciates living in Lisbon with its proximity to Brazil. “I try to go to Brazil at least once a year. It is important to go there and be with my family and friends. Flights are expensive but direct from Lisbon!” she explains. Lidia also participates actively in the city’s cultural and political activities: she votes, keeps herself informed of public campaigns, is a member of a migrant association and attends many cultural programmes. Right now Lidia is trying to create a campaign to encourage her friends to vote for a city project that aims at building parking spots for bicycles, “My daughter wants a bike. We don’t know where to park one. I am thinking of creating a campaign on Facebook to gather the most votes possible so this project will become a reality and my daughter can have her bike!” Asked where she sees herself in five years, Lidia replies without hesitation: “Right here! I see myself in Lisbon, in the same apartment together with my partner and my daughter. Now that I have a Portuguese daughter I want to see her grow here. Only with a more stable working contract”, she concludes with a smile.