Interculturalism, immigration and consumption

body modifications among immigrants in Portugal and Spain

Abstract

This paper presents results of the research project “Identity processes, immigration and plastic surgeries”, developed between 2013 and 2014 in Portugal and Spain. The general objective was to understand the interest and the practice of ethnic plastic surgeries and other body modifications among immigrants. In-depth interviews were carried out with Latin American, Asian and African immigrants. The literature about interculturalism, consumer society and ethnic plastic surgeries was used in order to analyze the interviews. The results indicate that the intersections between immigration, representations and body modifications are multiple and polysemic, expressing not only trajectories of continuity but also trajectories of disruption.