TRAÇOS DE RESISTÊNCIA: o universo das cholas na fronteira Brasil/Bolívia

Abstract

This paper presents the final results of a completed master's research project that investigated the cultural preservation practices of Bolivian women known as cholas, whose identity is strongly expressed through traditional clothing—polleras and braids—and who live on the border between Brazil (Corumbá, MS) and Bolivia (Puerto Quijarro). The study analyzed the colonization of Bolivia and its implications for the identity formation of the cholas, exploring cultural and social transformations over time. The border was approached as a space of economic power and territorial disputes, affecting the dynamics of the cholas, especially in the context of cross-border trade. The main objectives of the research were: to identify the geographic origin (Bolivian departments and provinces) and the migration processes of the cholas, to understand the perceptions of discrimination related to the use of polleras on the border, and to analyze the strategies for maintaining traditional clothing. The methodology adopted combined bibliographical research and semi-open comparative interviews with cholas working in Corumbá (Brazil) and Puerto Quijarro (Bolivia). The results revealed differences and similarities between the cholas working on both sides of the border, addressing aspects such as personal identity, migration, discrimination, clothing and culture, as well as daily life in the border region. The study showed that these women play a fundamental role in preserving the knowledge and traditions of the Quechua and Aymara indigenous peoples, reaffirming their cultural resistance in a territory marked by constant social and economic transformations.

Keywords: chola; border; cultural and national identity.