“Where two eat, three eat”: Food, care and affection among Colombian refugee families in Southern Brazil

Abstract

This article seeks to link the concepts of food, care and affection which places Colombian refugee women in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, as producers of stable social relationships and as holders of specific knowledge that grants them power within the social group of which they are a part. The article also tells how the organization of these women and their families was fundamental to the survival of the family nucleus and extended family at critical moments in their lives. It is the result of anthropological research carried out between 2018 and 2022 with Colombian refugee families resettled in Brazil and proposes a broader approach to the issues raised in the thesis. The guiding thread of this reflection is my relationship with Maria and her family, a central character when it comes to maintaining Colombian habits and customs. Finally, I propose thinking about the negotiation of ingredients, techniques and dishes as a way of expressing their agency and keeping the social group together.