Jéssica Oliveira da Silva
32 years old · Lisbon (Mouraria/Martim Moniz area)
Restaurant worker (waitress/cook assistant)
Persona: Brazilian Restaurant Worker
Jéssica Oliveira da Silva
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Jéssica Oliveira da Silva |
| Age | 32 |
| Gender | Female |
| Location | Lisbon (Mouraria/Martim Moniz area) |
| Occupation | Restaurant worker (waitress/cook assistant) |
| Education | Incomplete university (Business Administration in Brazil) |
| Housing | Renting room in shared apartment (€450/month) |
| Family | Single mother, daughter (7) with her, parents/sister in Minas Gerais |
| Voter Status | Brazilian citizen - CANNOT vote in presidential elections |
| Time in Portugal | 4 years |
Background Narrative
Jéssica came to Portugal in 2021, fleeing both economic collapse in Brazil and a difficult relationship. She'd started a business degree in Belo Horizonte but couldn't finish when her daughter was born. Portugal seemed like a chance—same language, easier visas, a new start.
The reality was harder. Her Brazilian degree means nothing here. She works split shifts at a Brazilian restaurant in Mouraria—lunch service, break, dinner service. Her daughter goes to Portuguese school and is becoming more Portuguese than Brazilian, which makes Jéssica both proud and sad.
She's part of the largest immigrant community in Portugal—Brazilians are everywhere now, enough that Portuguese people joke about it. But jokes have edges. "Brazuca" can be affectionate or contemptuous depending on who says it and how. She's felt both.
The evangelical church is her community. She found faith after arriving, and the church provides what Portugal's systems don't—childcare help, emotional support, a network of Brazilians who understand. The pastor talks about family values, hard work, God's plan. Some members support Bolsonaro; others fled him. They don't discuss politics much.
She can vote in local elections after 3 years of residence, but not national ones. She watches Portuguese politics without a voice, wondering what Chega's rise means for her daughter, who has a Brazilian accent and brown skin.
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Low (€950/month, often with tips) |
| Income source | Service work (informal hours, some undeclared) |
| Financial stress | High (single mother, rent consuming 47% of income) |
| Housing cost burden | 47% |
| Economic trajectory | Uncertain (depends on regularization, opportunities) |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 4 | Caring mother; helps other Brazilian newcomers |
| Self-Enhancement | 3 | Ambitious for daughter; wants better life |
| Openness to Change | 4 | Left everything behind; adaptable |
| Conservation | 4 | Strong faith; values family, tradition |
Top 3 values: Benevolence (daughter above all), Security, Self-Direction
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Biconceptual with strong Nurturant elements
Expression: Jéssica combines nurturing values (sacrifice for daughter, community care) with some conservative religious values. She wants opportunity, not handouts. She's skeptical of both left rhetoric that seems naive and right rhetoric that threatens immigrants.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | Brazilian channels (Globo), some SIC | Medium |
| Online | Instagram, WhatsApp groups, Brazilian YouTube | Medium-High |
| Social Media | WhatsApp (church group, Brazilian mom group), Instagram | High |
| Community | Church, restaurant colleagues, school parents | Very High |
Media consumption pattern: Heavy WhatsApp use for community information. Follows Brazilian news more than Portuguese. Instagram for entertainment and connection to Brazil. Gets Portuguese political news filtered through Brazilian immigrant networks.
Relationship to Portuguese Politics
Why She Can't Vote (Presidential)
- Only Portuguese citizens and citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries with reciprocity agreements can vote in presidential elections
- Brazil has limited reciprocity agreements
- She can vote in local elections (autárquicas) after 3 years residence
Political Awareness
- Knows about Chega—other Brazilians warn about them
- Followed COVID response, grateful for healthcare access
- Heard Ventura's comments about immigration; felt targeted
- Doesn't know other candidates well
- If she could vote: uncertain, might follow church community
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- Daughter's future: "Will she have opportunities here? Will she face discrimination?"
- Work stability: "My hours change weekly. I can't plan anything."
- Housing: "If rent goes up again, I don't know what I'll do."
- Legal status: "The bureaucracy is impossible. AIMA takes forever."
- Isolation from family: "My mother has never met my daughter in person."
Hopes
For herself:
"I want stability. A contract with real hours. Maybe to finish my degree someday. To bring my mother here to meet her granddaughter."
For her daughter:
"I want Beatriz to feel Portuguese but know she's Brazilian too. To have opportunities I didn't have. To never feel she doesn't belong."
For immigrants in Portugal:
"I hope Portugal stays welcoming. That they see we work hard, we contribute. We're not here to take—we're here to build."
Fears
Personal fears:
"That something happens to me and Beatriz is alone here. That I get sick and can't work. That rent becomes impossible and we have nowhere to go."
Fears about Chega/politics:
"When Ventura talks about immigrants, I know he means us. Brazilians especially. If people like him get power, what happens to my daughter?"
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That I made a mistake bringing her here. That Brazil would have been better despite everything. That I'm building a life on sand."
"In Their Own Voice"
How she'd describe Portugal today:
"Portugal is complicated. Portuguese people are mostly kind, but there's this... distance. They complain about immigrants while eating at immigrant restaurants, hiring immigrant cleaners. Lisbon runs on us. But we can't vote for president, we wait years for documents, and some people look at my daughter like she doesn't belong. Still, it's safer than Brazil. It's a future. I have to believe that."
What she'd want politicians to know:
"I work twelve-hour days. I pay taxes. I'm raising a Portuguese citizen. But I can't vote for president, I can't get an appointment at AIMA, I can't get my degree recognized. I'm not asking for charity—I'm asking to participate in the country I'm building."
On Chega's rise:
"In Brazil we had Bolsonaro. I know how this goes. They start with corruption, then it's immigrants, then it's women, then it's anyone different. My church friends who supported him regret it now. I hope Portuguese people learn faster than we did."
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response (if she could vote) | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Strongly Negative | Direct threat to immigrant community |
| Gouveia e Melo | Cautiously Positive | Organized vaccines for everyone including immigrants |
| Marques Mendes | Neutral | Doesn't know him; traditional right worries her |
| Seguro | Neutral-Positive | PS seems more immigrant-friendly |
| Catarina Martins | Neutral | Values progressive views; doesn't know her |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Neutral | Liberal ideas unclear to her |
| António Filipe | Neutral | PCP supports workers but feels old |
Notes for Scenario Development
- Represents largest immigrant community (31.4% of foreigners)
- Evangelical church connection bridges Brazilian and Portuguese culture
- Single mother precarity heightens stakes
- Daughter's integration as proxy for her own belonging
- Can vote locally but not nationally—partial political voice
- Could interact with: Portuguese neighbors, other immigrant parents, restaurant owners, church community
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: AIMA appointments, school meetings, church services, sending money to Brazil, explaining Portuguese politics to daughter