Resumen

MAPRIL, José. Banglapara: immigration, businesses and (in)formalities in Lisbon. Etnográfica [online]. 2010, vol.14, n.2, pp.243-263. ISSN 0873-6561.

In recent years, migration studies dedicated part of their interest to entrepreneurial activities. Opportunity structures and social capital are two dimensions frequently mentioned to explain the emergence of such initiatives. A third dimension, though, is the relation between immigration and what has been frequently described as “underground”, “subterranean”, “parallel” or simply “informal” economies. This is precisely the main theme of the present article. Based on a case study about Bangladeshis in Lisbon, my objective is to show how the success of small-scale entrepreneurial activities depends on strategies that are located between the formal and informal sides of the economy.

Palabras clave : informality; entrepreneurs; immigration; Lisbon; Bangladeshis; Southern Europe.

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