Brazzil

I will never understand why people feel ok saying "blacks". Do you mean black PEOPLE. For me it is the terminology of apartheid and segregation. I would seriously challenge anybody who referred to me or my family as blacks to my face. FOOL.

I think in many places you would have to challenge people all day long.

Differently from most countries, black people tend to disappear in Brazil. Miscegenation goes to such an extent that in 100 years black people will be rare in Brazil.
At this very moment black people ARE NOT prevalent, but
a hybrid of several skin colors .
Good for Brazil. Where else can you find such beautiful black and mulatto and whatever-color women in such numbers?
..................................
GREAT ARTICLE !!!

Personal qualities are what matters.

The term 'black' is just as justified as the term 'white'. I feel that 'African American' is a far more racist term. Aren't white Americans really 'European Americans'?

Whoever wrote the first comment to this article does not understand Brazilian racial politics. If you had read the article properly, you would have realised that Race and Skin Colour in Brazil are explored in depth, concluding that the Brazilian concept of 'Race' creates its own category.

You are clearly not an Afro-Brazilian, otherwise, you would understand that the term 'black' has an entirely different meaning in Brazil. I refer you to 'Racial Politics In Brazil' by Michael Hanchard. Read the book (and this article properly) before you call the writer a fool.

Good job on the essay!

Good for Brazil that they are trying to erase the black presence? Shame on Brazil.

Interesting and well researched article, but surely your reference to "Brazilian Stan Getz" is a typographical error. Any true fan of Brazilian Bossa Nova can easily distinguish it from its American cousin, and distinguish between its Brazilian and American jazz interpreters.

First, M. Jackson sold more records than E. Presley. Secondly, the young blacks in Brazil are not ashamed to be call blacks. The light is shining in Brazil and many people are waking up to the BS.

Banda Black Rio and the whole 70s giant afro funk soul groove?

Tim Maia?

Funk brasileiro? Baile funk?

This article completely misses out on the very things it complains that people miss out on. He's only interested in the politically correct officially approved by co-opted intellectuals national culture of Afro-brazilians, the one that's ok for them to have and that they are supposed to have. But national culture as a promoted ideal is a very dangerous commodity, very easily tipping over into the kitsch and totalitarian chauvinistic ideals. The Soviets were constantly having folk dancing and folk songs all over the place. All over the eastern european bloc folk was OK but not rock unless it was sanitized. There is always that risk when music of the people, indigenous folk traditions, become co-opted by the state to promote an officially sanctioned culture. And there will always be tweedy intellectuals who look on approvingly, with no sense of shame nor irony of their own part in it. And they will always go on about their darling Caetano bloody Veloso and nothing about the Roberto Carlos that really touched the hearts of Brazilians. And now Caetano is trying to co-opt Rappin' Hood. It is all so sad.

Rap Roledei

I wrote the first comment and if YOU actually read what I said I have no problem with the term black but BLACKS. I cold go into a very in depth reasoning with you in another place but when I think about it its none of your business and NOTHING to do with brazilian racial politics because this article is in ENGLISH.
I am a young brown woman and it is perfectly legitimate for me to question his use of the term blacks. Why try and attack me? did i say I was brazilian.I am a mulatta and my partner is Black from Brazil.
There is nothing wrong with saying black PEOPLE.

Brazil has been trying to "whiten" itself for the past 100 years yet blacks are still there. The rest of the world may think Brazil's "women of color" are to die for but obviously Brazil doesn't. All of their models and actresses are blue-eyed blondes of German, Italian or Polish ancestry such as the multi millionaire blonde entertainer Xuxa.

Brazil tries to hide her anti-black feelings under the banner of racial democracy but when all else is said or done, Brazil wants to be a white Aryan country and is ashamed of her black population. Brazil won't help the black and brown citizens because she hopes they will die off and be replaced by blonde Xuxa clones.

I wrote this article. The title was changed by the editor. The original title was "Is Brazilian Popular Music a projection of the nation's identity?", intended to provoke debate.

I disagree with the title "How Music Has Brought Blacks Back to the Brazilian Melting Cauldron", as this is not what the essay is really about. Race and Colour is just one section - my real point is that national identites are constructed, and, as someone points out above, these constructed identities can be very dangerous. If you have a problem with the term 'blacks', then email the editor, as it has nothing to do with my essay, and I refuse to be criticised for something I didn't write.

Secondly, of course Baile Funk and Funk Brasileiro are important movements in Afro-Brazilian history, but word limts apply and I chose to focus on Bossa, Samba and Tropicalia. My aim was to compare critics' opinions on the subject of Brazilian National Identity and to consider the Internationalization of Brazilian Music - the amended title is misleading, and I have emailed the editor ask for it to be switched to my original title..

This essay has received a lot of criticism, but if people disagree so strongly, then write your own 6,000 article and prove me wrong.

Oz

I completely accept that then if the title was changed by the editor. Please accept my apologies.

Wow if you're Brazilian this is not a good representation. First of all why would you be sensitive about someone saying Blacks? People say whites, Jews, Asians, girls, boys, etc.Secondly you call yourself a brown woman? What the f**k is that? Is someone ashamed of being black? Hmm, my guess is yes.

It's a good article, I guess it needs more chapters to make the whole book. :-)

Rap Roledei

Caetano Veloso actually did record an album with Banda Black Rio. Hard to find, though...

She is right, and you know that.
Could I call you bobalhão without your being angry?. Of course, you sound like being one, but I don´t need to classify you as such.
I can just say; You...

People don´t call me "white", just because I happen to be white.

Brazilians are giving in to the American propaganda which disseminates their hatred around. the globe. (Globalization, hum? )
" Afro-American " is a discriminatory expression.They should all just be "Americans".

We are Brazilians. Who cares about the color of your skin?
Saying "Afro-Brasileiro" além de ser uma babaquice (não há melhor palavra) é empréstimo.
E, de mal gosto?

Será interessante quando você for convidar um amigo para ir a sua casa . Que tal?
- Leve a crioula da sua mãe também. Eu gosto tanto dela.

ou: The Anerican way.

- A Afro-Brasileira da sua mãe também pode ir... desde que ela se comporte bem. Eu gosto tanto dela.

Também poderia ser(buscando a exatidão):

- Não se esqueça de levar, também, a corcunda da sua mulher e a merda dos seus filhos.(Talvez um pouquinho de estatística tornasse o discurso mais elegante. ) - Seus 4 filhos.

" Afro-American" is a lousy term. Rejecting thought habits is confortable but not convenient.

Brazil is neither white nor black.
Most people have mixed blood, and this is very good. Many people have black blood and this is excellent. Many are from indian descent (Brazilian indians ) and this is fortunate.

---

Hey, you have a right to have an opinion, but it seems Roberto Carlos will be forgotten as soon as he dies.

He lacks something important - intelligence.

Caetano Veloso may lack some other thing but musical intelligence.

Copycats like copying. You are copying somebody or something you read or you heard somewhere, aren´t you?
First of all, you know very little about Brazil. Its is disgraceful playing the fool., butyou have anonimity to give you a hand.
Brazil IS an "Aryan" country if you just take into account the States in the South region.
Brazil IS "African" if you take into account Bahia. Brasil IS "Indian" if you take into account the Amazon region.
If you go to Rio or São Paulo you have all these races mixed in a vast region.
XUXA is welcome. She is a beautiful woman. Besides, XUXA you have thousands and thousands and thousands of beautiful women on every corner, in every city in Brazil. They happen to be graceful, delicate and very feminine, differently from the overweight, shrill-voiced, graceless American women( There are a few exceptions , I concede).
Now, if you knew what you were saying you would not have commited a stupid mistake in your discourse.
I will not tell you what it is. Go and repeat your mistake and show around your ignorance.
A Brazilian would spot it immediately.
Hey, I think it is Barneys show time. Don´t miss it.

Ever heard of a thing called plastic surgery? It happens to be RAMPANT in Brazil. So there's your answer.

Also you might not like this idea, but American women don't want to deal with globally famous controlling, cheating, beating men. Maybe that's not graceful, but liberty sure is.

So many arguments! Why is having Black "excellent" and having Indian blood only "fortunate"? You must have some underlying prejudice to write this.

Using the term Afro-Brazilian in an academic context is not 'babaquice'. I think the point that people are missing here is that racial history and identity MUST be explored if acceptance is to arise. All Brazilians have as much a right to know about Quilombos as they do about Cabral. This knowledge is the key to defeating prejudice and racism in Brazil, and the rest of the world, as we can only move forward by learning from the past. Brazil is still a very racist country.

I'm sorry, but whoever wrote 'She is right...' needs to get their facts straight. Brazil IS a White, Black, Indian, Asian. Please accept this. The question is, how well have all these races and origins mixed over the years.

To pretend that we live in an equal and fair world is 'babaquice'. We must acknowledge, embrace and celebrate our differences - this is the only way to rid the world of racism. To ignore them would be ignorant.

Oz

Saying Jews, Asians,Boys Girls. Is not the same as saying blacks or whites. Why do people always say- oh well you are obviously not a brazilian. So the f**k what.

"- A Afro-Brasileira da sua mãe também pode ir... desde que ela se comporte bem. Eu gosto tanto dela."

Americans don't use African-American that frequently. They wouldn't say that African American can come too. It's more for formal use, like 80% of African Americans etc.

"desde que ela se comporte bem"??

Is that how Brazilians talk about blacks? Saying they should behave themselves or expecting them not to? Or is that the impression they have of America, that Americans talk about blacks this way?

Can you explain how Brazil is racist?

I think much of the debate has resulted in the silly choice of title of this article " How Music Has Brought Blacks Back to the Brazilian Melting Cauldron", really the article was about how Brazilian music has changed over the years vis a vis the people and culture, not about 'blacks' specifically and the original title "Is Brazilian Popular Music a projection of the nation's identity?" is far more accurate and wouldnt have brought a fraction of the responses most of which have nothing to do with the article itself.

Exactly!

In response to your question, Brazil, like most other nations, is not a land of equal opputunities.

Many say that Brazil is the great melting pot of the world. This is true to an extent, but this view ignores the fact that while many races and cultures have mixed, shared and miscengenated in the nation, it is still rare to find a Black manager in a bank.

The echoes of slavery still ring out, having left many Afro-Brazilians at the bottom of the economic ladder, where many still reside. Many of the white elite still thoroughly distrust Afro-Brazilians.

"Black and mixed-race Brazilians comprise 64 percent of the poor, the average salary for black Brazilians is less than half that of whites, while the illiteracy rate is twice as high, and that in 2002, Afro-Brazilians held just 14 of the 584 Congress seats".

Afro-Brazilians may have found a popular cultural voice in the 20th Century, but have little representation politically.

Brazil is a beautiful, amazing country, full of interesting, intelligent and passionate people, but is far from a utopia. There are many books on the subject, but I feel that "Racial Politics in Brazil" by Michael Hanchard would answer a lot of questions on this comments board.

Oz

quote:
Is that how Brazilians talk about blacks? Saying they should behave themselves or expecting them not to? Or is that the impression they have of America, that Americans talk about blacks this way?


I think the person was giving his impression of how he perceives American whites. I'm sure it was a caricatural exaggeration just to highlight the schock of culture when foreigners talka about races, i.e. not Brazilians.

I think the only racism that exists in Brazil is the one of a brazilian being rich or poor. Or being poor or middle-class or being upper class or middle class.Not races. I don't really think race is a issue in Brazil but having or not havng money. There you can feel preconceived I think from my experiences and others as well.

quote:
Is that how Brazilians talk about blacks? Saying they should behave themselves or expecting them not to? Or is that the impression they have of America, that Americans talk about blacks this way?


I think the person was giving his impression of how he perceives American whites. I'm sure it was a caricatural exaggeration just to highlight the schock of culture when foreigners talka about races, i.e. not Brazilians.

I think the only racism that exists in Brazil is the one of a brazilian being rich or poor. Or being poor or middle-class or being upper class or middle class.Not races. I don't really think race is a issue in Brazil but having or not havng money. There you can feel preconceived I think from my experiences and others as well. It's crazy...

Maybe, but in many countries, especially South Africa and Brazil, Race is intrinsically linked with Economic status.

"I think the only racism that exists in Brazil is the one of a brazilian being rich or poor"

I'm sorry, but this is simply not true. Economic prejudice is not racism, but the two are often linked. Many Brazilians like to think that they live in some kind of utopia, like you claim, that racism does not exist in Brazil. Of course there is racism in Brazil - racism exists in every society in the world! I never once saw an Afro-Brazilian bank manager. If racism does not exist in Brazil, why are Afro-Brazilians so woefully under represented politically?

Because many Afro-Brazilians haven't got appropriate education. And no economic prejudice is not racism, is prejudice, that's right. I was just trying to point how I see this issue. It is not exactly the case of being creating an utopic racism-free country. No, no. You are not Brazilian to say that, meaning you say that because you don't have deep experiences in Brazil.
Or maybe I am a Brazilian who live in a world, a small world you may say, where people mix and get along between races without perceiving it exclusively as a risk? No no boy, that ain't a criterion in Brazil to judge people from my experiences, never was. This exists and it is not utopia. Utopia is having this country running greately this year and the next 4 years probably. that is. Maybe the world I live is a juvenile one, and in that case i would be a fortunate person? People say about Argentinians for example b/c they are only tourists or rivals football players, that's personal experience.Anyway, economic prejudice is what I understand to be the root of subtle prejudice here, not racism and it is not fun though.
It was nice to write.

Nao acho que ha o racismo no Brasil.

I haven't been to Brazil but I have been studying their politics and culture. I have yet to hear anything that resembles racism.

Racism is having a hierarchy of races that makes some races inferior and others superior, a hierarchy that is biological. Not having a black bank manager or having a lot of poor black people doesn't make a place racist at all. Neither does have the elite distrust the black population.

If wealth distribution signaled racism, then Washington DC would be the most racist city in the US, because the most developed section is all white even though the city is 70% black. But DC, "Chocolate City" is nowhere close to racist.

As for the distrust, if you were part of a market-dominant minority, were part of the .01% that controls most of the country's land, were one of the top 30,000 families, and were rich in a country that has by far one of biggest income disparities in the world, would you distrust the masses? Probably. You would be waiting for them to overthrow the government, like the Zapatistas. You would be waiting for extremists like El Mallku to swoop down. Race doesn't have to factor into that distrust and even if it does, that isn't racism.

Quote:

"I wrote this article. The title was changed by the editor. The original title was "Is Brazilian Popular Music a projection of the nation's identity?", intended to provoke debate.

I disagree with the title "How Music Has Brought Blacks Back to the Brazilian Melting Cauldron", as this is not what the essay is really about. Race and Colour is just one section - my real point is that national identites are constructed, and, as someone points out above, these constructed identities can be very dangerous. If you have a problem with the term 'blacks', then email the editor, as it has nothing to do with my essay, and I refuse to be criticised for something I didn't write.

Secondly, of course Baile Funk and Funk Brasileiro are important movements in Afro-Brazilian history, but word limts apply and I chose to focus on Bossa, Samba and Tropicalia. My aim was to compare critics' opinions on the subject of Brazilian National Identity and to consider the Internationalization of Brazilian Music - the amended title is misleading, and I have emailed the editor ask for it to be switched to my original title..

This essay has received a lot of criticism, but if people disagree so strongly, then write your own 6,000 article and prove me wrong.

Oz"


Reply:

Well I thought the essay was pretty badass (awsome). Plus you know how to communicate clearly and your thoughts are very orderly and crisp. Hopefully one day I'll write as good.

Where is the article about the Brazilian army being ready to defend the Amazon region from invaders??

It was right here in Brazzil yesterday 05/31, but now it HAS JUST VANISHED.

Didn´t my comments on endangered American forests please Brazzil´s staff???

Isn´t this a free serious magazine ???

Quote:

"Nao acho que ha o racismo no Brasil.

I haven't been to Brazil but I have been studying their politics and culture. I have yet to hear anything that resembles racism.

Racism is having a hierarchy of races that makes some races inferior and others superior, a hierarchy that is biological. Not having a black bank manager or having a lot of poor black people doesn't make a place racist at all. Neither does have the elite distrust the black population.

If wealth distribution signaled racism, then Washington DC would be the most racist city in the US, because the most developed section is all white even though the city is 70% black. But DC, "Chocolate City" is nowhere close to racist.

As for the distrust, if you were part of a market-dominant minority, were part of the .01% that controls most of the country's land, were one of the top 30,000 families, and were rich in a country that has by far one of biggest income disparities in the world, would you distrust the masses? Probably. You would be waiting for them to overthrow the government, like the Zapatistas. You would be waiting for extremists like El Mallku to swoop down. Race doesn't have to factor into that distrust and even if it does, that isn't racism."


Reply:

Damn! I'm not sure if I agree or disagree with you. But you raise some interesting points.

I do tend to believe that racism best manifests itself economically, however life being complex as it is, that one or more groups in the dawm of the 21st century has a lot less share of national wealth or political representation does not in itself mean "racism" per se. It could be the *effects* of racism from a century or more before, if the economy remained primarily agricultural for a long time.

The US ecenomy is $10 or $11 trillion large. I'm not sure because I can't recall off of the top of my head but I don't believe the Brazilian economy is even $100 billion large. Out of $10 or $11 trillion I would hope Black Americans would have some of that wealth wherein it could manifest itself in certain luxuries and in enrollment in universities.

Anyways there are brown people in Brazil in the middle classes. Hell Lula himself is dark enough that had he been President in the United States many people in the US would point to him as an example of US racial progress. And cominf from the Northeast as I undersatand it, the people there are generally heavily mixed, of short stocky powerful build, and rather swarthy. Which is pretty much what Lula looks like - from my perception at least [shrug].

I still like that he wears a beard.

“Neither does have the elite distrust the black population.

Race doesn't have to factor into that distrust and even if it does, that isn't racism.”


Race has or not importance in that distrust? This part is confusing and contradictory.
You are also saying that the 1% elite people have an excuse to distrust? Well, that would be an excuse for everybody then!

I was saying that their distrust is not "excusable" exactly (neither is their elite status) but explainable without even bringing in race, much less racism.

I didn't know that Nordestinos generally looked like Lula. That'll be interesting to see

Nordestinos look like anything. It really depends which states and where in the northeast you go. Although, in general the people from the interior are more mixed european and some indian decent and most of the coast has a lot more black and mullato. But I know people from the northeast who are decendents of lebenon and italy also. But generally Northeasterners are more mixed. At the same time I wouldn't really think of Lula as looking anything other than white, just not anglo saxon. Just as when I look at Ralph Nader (lebanese decent) or Dukakis (Greek) my mind still classifies them as white people just not as white as someone who is northern european decent. But anyway's that's probably not that important. Getting back to whether there is racism against black people in brazil I think there is but it is not as strong as in the US on average. The history is just different. In general white and black people share more of the same culture than in the US. For example, you can tell USUALLY when you speak on the phone to an american whether they are black or white, or even a lot of time when people write in this blog, because the words used and accents are different. (Even when they have the same eduction level). However in brazil two people with the same education level will sound the same on the phone regardless of thier race.

I am tired of hearing about how the races "all get along" and how black people are at the bottom of the sh-t heap because of class discrimination. Hah Hah Hah hah! So not true!

It has been acknowledged time and time again that the most beautiful women in Brazil are located in Southern Brazil and are the most beautiful because of their GERMAN, ITALIAN or POLISH ancestry. Not mixed, not black,not Indian but white and European. I have traveled to Brazil. Never do you find a black or mulatto face on ads, billboards and in magazines unless it is a racist caricacture. Never or seldom has Brazil chosen a beauty queen that wasn't white or preferably blonde.

Get your head out of our bunda and wake up! Everybody comments on how blonde and white the models from Brazil generally are and where are the black or mulatto models. That Brazil would choose a white blonde as the national symbol of beauty in a nation of black and brown speaks volumes about her true views of racism. The only persons who comment on the beauty of the brown or black women are foreigners. In Brazil these women are considered ugly. Why else would a supposedly poor country pay a white blonde like Xuxa half a billion US DOLLARS. It is self hate pure and simple.

Slavery existed in Brazil as well as the States and blacks in Brazil were treated no better than elsewhere. Racism against blacks not as strong as in the States? Then why is 99% of them still living in third world shanties while your average white lives in first world luxury? Brazil is VERY racist against black people. The only Brazilians who will say that we treat "our blacks" better are white rich Cariocas. Ask their black maids whether they have it better and you will get a different story. Any visitor to Brazil can OBVIOUSLY see the poverty and squalor Brazil's blacks live in. That is why they have given up trying to participate in Brazilian society and turn to drug lords instead.

Nobody is buying that "we are all one under the sun" bullshyt but rich white Cariocas who have never had to live in a sh-tty crime infested favela!

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea — True to form, Asia's biggest logging company, Rimbunan Hijau (RH), intimidated and detained six of our activists who attempted to present them with a ‘Golden Chainsaw’ award for forest destruction.

The activists were harassed inside RH’s Port Moresby compound and had to lock themselves into their vehicles for their own safety. A cameraman was assaulted while attempts were made to seize his film and his camera was broken.

RH is the largest logging company in PNG today. A 2003/2004 review of existing logging concessions documented numerous allegations of abuse of local landowners, including rape and physical violence, by either logging company officials or police associated with the logging companies. Allegations were also made by a former officer of an elite PNG police taskforce that RH paid local police officers to intimidate and beat landowners who complained about breaches to their rights.

Today, our personnel and people from the media were prevented from leaving the compound for 45 minutes. The cars and windows were pounded on and verbal threats made. The situation came to an end after police arrived and escorted Greenpeace staff and volunteers, along with senior management from RH, to the local police station. No charges were laid.

We wanted to peacefully present the company with the award – to mark 30 years of forest destruction – and leave. RH’s over-reaction reflects its belief that it is above the law.

The incident occurred as delegates from around the world arrived in Port Moresby for the African, Caribbean and Pacific – European Union (ACP-EU) ministerial meeting to discuss trade and development. We will be asking EU delegates to urgently implement legislation to stop illegal timber from companies like RH from entering the European market.

RH controls logging concessions in many parts of the developing world. It operates with impunity in PNG, directly controlling 40 per cent of all log exports. It was recently granted a new 791,000 hectare concession in Kamula Dosa by the PNG government. This concession is located in one of the largest pristine forest areas left in the country.

The Greenpeace Golden Chainsaw award is reserved for the worst forest destroyers in the world. It has been awarded twice before, to companies in Brazil and Indonesia.

In conjunction with the award, we released a “Forest Crime File” highlighting RH’s continued involvement in large scale forest destruction and questioning the legality of its operations.

The report states that unless brought under control, timber giants such as RH will continue to “plunder the world’s ancient forests, destroying cultural diversity, biodiversity, stealing from some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and degrading the environment on which we ultimately depend”.

The report also points to the close ties RH enjoys with the PNG government. Examples include:

An ex-Deputy Prime Minister was criticised by the PNG Ombudsman for pressuring the National Forest board to favour RH with an illegal timber permit extension.
In 2004, Minister for Internal Security, Mark Maipakai was the shareholder and director of a company, Gopera Investments Ltd, holding a timber permit sub-contracted to RH.
A National Intelligence Organisation report alleged that a provincial Governor and two Members of Parliament were on RH’s payroll.

Anapu, Para State, Brazil — 74 year old American missionary Sister Dorothy Stang was assassinated on Saturday in the Amazon state of Para, Brazil. Sister Dorothy was travelling to a sustainable development project in Anapu with some colleagues when she was shot three times by two gunmen.

This tragedy occurred 16 years after the murder of Chico Mendes, who was also a defender of rural communities. Mendes was also a colleague of the current Minister for the Environment Marina Silva. Marina Silva is in Anapu meeting with State authorities, following the news of Sister Dorothy's death.

"Like Chico Mendes, Sister Dorothy refused to be intimidated and she paid an enormous price," said Paulo Adario, Greenpeace Amazon co-ordinator. "She selflessly worked for many years supporting the rights of rural workers, and defending the Amazon from reckless deforestation and we can't let her death be in vain."

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, US, Sister Dorothy was a Brazilian citizen and has worked in the Amazon for the past 37 years, living in Anapú since 1972. For 56 years she has been a member in good standing in the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, an international Catholic religious order of approximately two thousand women who work on five continents. She opposed land grabbers and illegal loggers who use intimidation, violence and guns to force small landowners off their land. She worked in an area that is remote and lawless and she has received many death threats.

"She had been on a death list for years, yet the State government of Para has failed to protect her. She was not alone either, as there are many others fighting against the forest destruction and the rights of local communities, whose lives are in danger", said Adario. "The violence and intimidation must stop. We cannot accept more martyrs in the Amazon."

Para is the Amazon state with the highest murder rate related to land disputes. According to the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), a Catholic organisation campaigning for landless people and the poor, 1,237 rural workers died in Brazil from 1985 to 2001, and 40 percent of these occurred in Para.

Para State is responsible for approximately one-third of the deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and plays a leading role in both environmental abuse and human rights violations

Quote:

"It has been acknowledged time and time again that the most beautiful women in Brazil are located in Southern Brazil and are the most beautiful because of their GERMAN, ITALIAN or POLISH ancestry. Not mixed, not black,not Indian but white and European. I have traveled to Brazil. Never do you find a black or mulatto face on ads, billboards and in magazines unless it is a racist caricacture. Never or seldom has Brazil chosen a beauty queen that wasn't white or preferably blonde."


Reply:

That's true of about every nation in Latin America. Over in Asia India has plenty of very dark people, but you'll strain yourself to death to find any models that aren't very light skinned Indian women. The Japanese and their manga magzines makes almost all their cartoon figures look white - the good guys that is. The bad guys they make with slanted eyes.

But the problem with your commentary is it's lack of context. Because Brazil choose just not white models but skinny ones with no *ass* them. So if Brazilian culture was to be judged by her run way fashion models, one would conclude the Brazilian men and culture put no emphasis or appreciation on the *bunda.* One would conclude that their is little market in Brazil for jeans that would accentuate the *ass.*

Fact is, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or so called race, most people in the world are *shallow* and *followers.* Brazil like almost every other nation on earth (minus perhaps China and most of Africa) chooses models that *sell to the world.* One's that are considered *industry standard.*

A few years ago it was a fairly dark skinned woman (darker than me) that Brazil choose to lead it's famous Rio Carnaval. She walked in the parade naked but for paint on her body, her round and plump bubble ass was the envy of women across Brazil. --- So there is more than one side to Brazil.

very true there is WAY more than one side to brazil. It seems to me the guy who wrote the above about Brazil only wanting blond women had probably taken a trip or two there and is only looking at the surface. Of course there is racism in Brazil. But Brazil also has a long history of celebrating the mullata woman. There is even a white artist who made his entire career drawing sexualized mullata women.

so?

"It has been acknowledged time and time again that the most beautiful women in Brazil are located in Southern Brazil and are the most beautiful because of their GERMAN, ITALIAN or POLISH ancestry."

So? That is their preference because that is the rarest type of woman there. And that is what the whole world thinks is the prettiest woman. White Americans just ignore black women so they won't feel guilty admitting they don't like them. Mulatto women they see as black so same thing. They would never marry a black woman, they wouldn't admit to liking her, they stay separate from her, and they never talk about going to Africa to check out the African beauties the way they talk about going to Europe, Asia, and Latin America for that purpose. They might even think black people are naturally stupid and not want to lower their childrens' intelligence by mixing them with blacks.

"Never do you find a black or mulatto face on ads, billboards and in magazines unless it is a racist caricacture."

Racist caricature? Anyway, that's because whites are a market-dominant minority and have the money so the ads will target white women not blacks.

"Slavery existed in Brazil as well as the States and blacks in Brazil were treated no better than elsewhere."

Black slaves in Brazil were treated far worse than anywhere else in the Transatlantic. They would be thrown into fires and burned alive, whipped 100s a times, and hung publicly. It was far more brutal. But slavery isn't racist or else Africa is racist against blacks too.

"Nobody is buying that "we are all one under the sun" bullshyt but rich white Cariocas who have never had to live in a sh-tty crime infested favela!"

Class.

Brazil is not the ideal paradise and it's not for everyone. But it's not hellish. Why are blacks in the favelas so often seen smiling and laughing?? In fact a woman wrote a book about it called Laughter Out of Place. In fact ALL Brazilians are always smiling and laughing. There is more to life than money Americans. And Brazil has problems but there is something that draws people to it.

It is a shame that they only care about whiteness. They should be proud of their mixes, that's what makes them unique. But whites aren't the only ones with voices there. The blacks are waking up. There's Raca magazine. Belezanegra.com, and others.

bravo!

It really is interesting to see that so many people have different opinions about Brazil. I think that this is undefineable defintion of the nation.

i think that is true. Brazil is and means different things to different people. More so than most other countries. As for me I don't agree that white women are considered the best looking. I am as white northern european as they come and think mixed girls and black girls are way better looking on average than most white chicks. Although that is not to say that others don't have different tastes.

DARK SKINNED BLACK WOMEN ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, THEY ARE SUPER CHOCOLATELY AND SO STUNNINGLY EXOTIC. I LOVE THEM. AND I AM AN AVERAGE WHITE MALE

I have travelled to various countries around the world and have seen various races of all colours shapes and sizes and would say I have found beauty in all of them.

This blatant put down of people of colour, especailly people of African decent is deeply racist and extremely demeaning to say the least.

Why is everyone alway beating down on these people? Would you say that all BLACKS around the world are ugly, dumb and unappealing?

Anyone who seriously believes this is shallow and suppressed and needs to open their mind and outlook.

Sure there are some beautiful WHITES, but isn't beauty in the eyes of the beholder....honestly.

I'm not white but that was the point another user made. It's us foreigners who put a premium on mulatto, indian and afro brazilian women. why would l want to see blond woman in brasil when I seem them every damn day in the US?

this beauty debate has really gone off topic. This essay was about national identity, not which race in Brazil is the prettiest! Jeez..