The social action of the Peace Mission in welcoming migrants and its anti-racist work

Abstract

This research brought to the field of sociology the debate on the social contributions of the Peace Mission in welcoming Haitian migrants as a means of combating the racism they endured, seeking to consider anti-racist struggles from perspectives still little studied in official histories. Thus, it deepened studies on the social work of the Peace Mission and its educational work in combating racism, particularly in the internal activities of the religious entity. The Archdiocese of São Paulo carries out social work with migrants, especially those welcomed by the Peace Mission in São Paulo, a religious institution founded in 1940. To understand the issue of reception and the fight against racism, we used bibliographic and documentary research in official Catholic sources, semi-structured interviews with members of the Peace Mission (religious, professionals, volunteers, and Haitians), and field observation between November 2022 and July 2023. As a result, it was possible to identify that, in addition to the pastoral work of welcoming and integrating migrants into São Paulo society, the professionals of the religious organization implemented an educational process that aims to promote awareness of rights and combat racism, whether among the individuals served or in their relationship with Brazilian society.