I think it's the american racism that contributes to this mess. Racism from both black and whites alike.
True, Brasil is great on that department, it has some flaws, but still great. The main pai de santo em Porto Alegre is a guy of German Descent. Only in Brasil. Also I'm very grateful for a Brasilian culture because I can play capoeira, listen to pagode, eat feijoada etc etc or go to Oktoberfest have some great schweinaxe and kuka com schmia or anything else I would like to do and not be called a "sellout" like they say in the states.
Depois de mais de 40 anos, meu coracao e' 1000% BRASILEIRO!!!! Eu sempre sinto saudades de tudo do Brasil, bom e mau... bom: mulheres!!! bikinis!!! futebol, samba, churrasco, feijoada, caipirinhas, Chopinho gelado, batidas, and did I forget the beautiful garotas de Ipanema/Copacabana/Lapa? mau: malandragem, burrocracia, ! LOL Although a Carioca, I love the south - from Parana to RG do Sul
The rigidity of the American racial system is slowly crumbling, but while the definition of “black” and the one drop rule were built on racist foundations, it has actually made it easier to redress the sins of the past. Programs like affirmative action, while controversial, have helped the black poverty rate in the US fall from about 50% to 24%. These race programs have WORKED: The GNP of black America is so large that it makes the African-American community the 10th most prosperous "nation" in the world. Ironically, as the US moves to a “fairer” racial system like Brazil, Brazil has recognized the fact that affirmative action can be a great tool to reduce poverty and provide new opportunities. I just saw an excruciating documentary about AA in Brasilia and how the university would be accepting “black” students, based on lineage… and facial characteristics (!). I greatly believe in the effectiveness of such programs in the US, but it was painful to see the US system superimposed on the legendary Brazilian racial democracy. Lula and Matilde Ribeiro opened up a HUGE can of worms.
O Brasil e' mesmo maravilhoso! O Rio de Janeiro e' parte do melhor, tem problemas como o Rio Grande do Sul tambem tem. Mas mesmo assim e' uma das cidades mais lindas do mundo sem sombra de duvidas.
I am not sure if you lived in Brazil ... but you must have lived in a very different part than mine. Racism in Brazil is largerly unspoken, but it is present everywhere. The shanty towns (favelas) are largely populated by black people and the rich prosperous people are mostly white. The people with the worst paying jobs are typically black/mixed that have migrated from the poorer North-East.
Yes, I understand totally but as an American I discuss these issues in a neutral tone (self preservation! ) in Brazil.
Interesting article about Brazil - Barack Obama!!! http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/brazil-in-black-and-white/obama-in-brazil/3452/ Brazil in Black and White Obama in Brazil Senator Barack Obama may have won last night’s President debate in the U.S., but in Brazil, another Barack Obama just lost the election. That’s Claudio Henrique-Barack Obama, a candidate for municipal council in the city of Belford Roxo, in the state of Rio de Janerio. Claudio Henrique “Barack Obama” dos Anjos was one of six candidates in this week’s elections in Brazil to register his candidacy under some form of the name “Barack Obama.” None of the Obamas won. Politicians in Brazil often adopt attention-grabbing names during the election season — this year, about 200 candidates named themselves after the popular president Lula da Silva; others chose Bin Laden, Zinedine Zidane or Father Christmas. Sen. Obama’s historic run for the U.S. presidency has been enthusiastically embraced by a country where almost half the population is of some African descent. This entire blog is dedicated to the Brazilian perspective on the U.S. presidential race. In Brazil in Black and White, WIDE ANGLE reports on racial disparity in Brazil, following five college hopefuls from diverse backgrounds as they compete for a spots at the elite University of Brasilia.