A pátria no palco: mobilização política e construção de uma identidade nacional nos clubes recreativos italianos em São Paulo (1870-1920)

Motherland on Stage: Political Mobilization and Construction of a National Identity in Italian Philodramatic” Societies in São Paulo (1870-1920) Abstract: We analyze some of the Italian recreational clubs activities in São Paulo, from the end of the 19th century, when the city was transformed from a colonial village into an industrial metropolis and suffered the impact of the great migrations. Escaping from plantation to the city, workers manage to articulate forms of resistance to exploitation through voluntary associations (newspapers, trade unions and theatre) which fuels a discrimination atmosphere, culminating in racial persecution. Political emancipation has been pursued through art, especially on stage.