Expatriate Populism: Religion & the Authoritarian Right among Brazilian Migrants

• In Event: Diaspora Politics: Transnationalism from Above and from Below

Abstract

Brazilians in the Boston area voted overwhelmingly for right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro in 2018 and 2022, and many are also enthusiastic supporters of Donald Trump. Based on in-person exit polling of Brazilian expatriate voters in the October 2022 presidential elections, combined with focus groups and analysis of the livestreamed services of local Brazilian churches, this paper explores the degree to which religion and participation in religious communities drives support for right-wing authoritarian populism among Brazilian migrants in Boston.

Author

• Taylor C. Boas, Boston University