Some reflections upon the ethnographic analysis of the cultural manifestation from migrants in the society of destination: Paraguayan bicentenary`s celebration in the city of buenos aires

The present paper sets out to explore some of the emphasized dimensions that took place during the celebrations of Paraguay´s 200 years of independence in the historic centre of the city of Buenos Aires on May 29, 2011. The celebrations can be seen as a favorable context to tackle ethnographically the representations that the different individuals consider and argue over the notion of “ Paraguay’s national culture”. This analysis sets out to consider these types of mass events as specific contexts of “hypervisualization” of some identity dimensions which permeates the individual. One of the main aims of the “patriotic celebrations” is to publically reinforce the commitment and support to certain underlying representations which are considered to be shared. Moreover, and in more than one sense, the celebrations carried out by the migrant collectivities reflect a symbolic space that the State and the civil society has confined them historically through diverse operations of “folklorization” of their political and cultural manifestations. Therefore, the migrant’s performances in the public events can be seen as an opportunity to display strategies to establish the sense over their migration not only in the presence of the origin and destiny states but also in the presence of their own migrant collectivity.