Student Affiliate
Alyssa Farinha-Amorim is an MA student in Concordia University’s Social and Cultural Anthropology program. Her current research investigates how festas—annual celebrations tied to religious processions—function as cultural symbols of a collective desire for self-representation among the Portuguese diaspora of Montreal. Moreover, her work considers how azulejos—hand-painted ceramic tiles—act as visual markers of Portuguese migration in the city’s urban landscape. By creating an analog photo album and soundscape alongside her written thesis, she intends to address themes of memory and imagined or lived histories that fuel the practice of festas through the medium’s tactility. Alyssa holds a BA (Hons.) in Anthropology with a major in Communication and Cultural Studies from Concordia University.
