African Immigrants in São Paulo and Their Efforts Towards a New Vision of Africa

This communication deals with the arrival of African immigrants to São Paulo in the 21^st century and their role as cultural mediators between Africa and Brazil. In the 21^st century there was an intensification in the migration of people from African nations, mostly black, who differed from the white migratory waves of the 20^th century. In our research, we came into contact with many, usually young people, who came from territories that had been colonized by Portugal and France. The interviewed subjects explained during the oral narratives the experienced problems in their displacements and how they had overcome the difficulties. They work in different activities and came from: Congo (1), Niger (2) and Angola (9). They talk about the difficulties for the integration in São Paulo; combating stereotypes and racism; establishing exchanges with other Africans and Brazilians; assisting those who come from Africa; pursuit of individual growth; establishing exchanges with other Africans and Brazilians; spiritual dimension; production of knowledge and understanding by Africans themselves. The interviewees strongly emphasizes the significance of African individuals themselves engaging in the construction of history and knowledge, drawing upon their own reflections and experiences. It is important to emphasize how it highlights the significance of the African immigrant's role in enhancing the understanding of what Africa represents. As we conducted numerous interviews, we observed a dimension of the migratory process that we had not initially considered: the shift from African countries to the new reality of São Paulo meant, for many, the necessity to scrutinize how they were perceived. Consequently, they began engaging in activities aimed at demystifying the constructed images of Africans while simultaneously combating prejudices in this new context. They manifested themselves as cultural mediators between these two contexts.