Abstract

PEREIRA, Alexandra. PROCESSES OF TRANSNATIONALISM AMONG NEPALI ENTREPRENEURS IN LISBON. SOCIOLOGIA ON LINE [online]. 2023, n.33, pp.51-71.  Epub Mar 06, 2024. ISSN 1647-3337.  https://doi.org/10.30553/sociologiaonline.2023.33.3.

We start from a theoretical framework based on the concepts of economic transnationalism, migrant entrepreneurship, ethnic economies and diasporas. In this study, we have as our main objective to analyze the processes of transnationalism involved with the activities of entrepreneurs of Nepalese origin with businesses in the city of Lisbon. The relevance of the work is related with the focus on a more recent, growing and not so well known immigrant population in Portugal. This is a qualitative study that encompasses 36 semi-structured interviews with Nepali business people, ethnography and participant observation. In the results we analyze the profiles of the Nepali entrepreneurs and we examine the financing strategies and specific forms of business development, as well as the modes of transnationalism involved. We also make a comparison with other South Asian immigrant entrepreneurs in Lisbon. The conclusions highlight the relevance of Nepali transnational ethnic networks, as well as ethnic-based business strategies in Nepali entrepreneurship, hypothesizing the existence of several separate ethnic economies in this migration; in addition new forms of economic migrant transnationalism were detected.

Keywords : migrant transnationalism; Nepali entrepreneurs; ethnic economies; migrant networks..

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