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 Take a walk along the busy sidewalks of Little
Brazil Street these days and you will notice that only a few of the many
Brazilian-owned businesses that once thrived here remain.
Some of us, of course, are still there, such as the office of The Brasilians newspaper, to whom this writer often contributes, as well as some restaurants, boutiques and others.
"Few Brazilian residents ever come here," a restaurant employee told me with a sigh recently as I sat down to enjoy a meal
"Nowadays mostly Americans and homesick Brazilian tourists make up the core of our clientele these days."
They coexist with Japanese, Indian, Italian and Argentine (who would have thought?) restaurants and fast-food franchises like Subway and McDonald's .
The magic and heartbeat of the street somehow still remains, but the solid presence we once had on W 46th Street is definitely gone.
Brazilians have moved on, running away from the steep rental prices that have plagued many of Manhattan's ethnic neighborhoods.
They are now in the borough of Queens - more specifically, in the thriving area of Astoria, once a stronghold of Italian (jazz singer Tony Bennett was born and still resides there) and Greek immigrants.
"When I came to Astoria sixteen years ago", says Copacabana Restaurant owner, José Bezerra, there weren't many Brazilians living around here. We are now a community, and that is good for the Brazilian-owned businesses."
Today, Astoria, just a short train ride from midtown Manhattan, is a synonym of Brazil itself, as once Little Brazil street used to be years ago - something the unforgiving gentrification process has contributed with.
Bezerra came from his native Fortaleza (where this writer, at least at heart, also hails from), in the Northeast of Brazil and began working with sales of fire extinguishers.
Seven years ago, he had the opportunity of purchasing a formerly Hispanic-owned pizza place, and soon he became the owner of the first Brazilian-owned pizzeria in the region.
Today his restaurant, which is located at 31-13 36th Avenue has expanded to a full-service buffet, and more growth is on the way.
Over the years, a number of rodízios (all the meat you can eat places) have flourished throughout the city, and until recently there was virtually no option for lovers of Brazilian cuisine except that of the São Paulo - Minas Gerais circuit.
This was until chef Herbet opened his cozy Malagueta, the name of the popular red peppers that are widely used in Brazil, where he specializes in the little-known shrimp moqueca (a dish in which vegetables are stewed with shrimps, coconut milk and dendê, and unfiltered palm oil) and other northeastern delicacies.
New York Magazine mentioned in a recent issue that Malagueta is a "surprising" option for more adventurous diners.
Fine dining, alas, is not the only thing thriving in Astoria. Once almost an exclusive service in Manhattan, Brazilian bikini waxing, popularized after the third season of Sex And The City was brought to this piece of the outer boroughs through the hands of Angela, who promises a "special Brazilian touch" for her customers at Lutresse Salon on 29-11 Broadway.
Brazilian music has always been popular in America - first through the voice of Carmen Miranda, who would have been 100 years old this year, who took our sambas to Hollywood's big screen, and later through the immortal compositions of Antonio Carlos Jobim during the height of the bossa-nova era.
Today the music of Brazil is everywhere; the annual Central Park Summerstage has a day reserved for the Brazilian sound in its schedule.
Head on to Astoria and you will be able to enjoy the many beats of Brazil in places like Chateau Brasil (38- 02 29th Street - 718 729 3300), which hosts Brazilian music nights every weekend.
Brazilian culinary, though simple for everyday cooking sometimes needs special ingredients, such as smoked pork parts for feijoada, the popular, heavy bean stew that is commonly consumed on Saturdays in the mother country, or dendê oil.
You will not find these products on the shelves of your local super market. Even around 46th street, we could not find any of these. Head to Queens and visit places like the US-Brazil Grocery (41- 02 34th Avenue - 718 482-0219) and you will find these and other products for your specialized food needs.
Religion is a strong characteristic of the people of Brazil. At St. Rita's Roman Catholic church, the Brazilian community meets for prayer every week, and also participates in the community's everyday life by hosting numerous events at the Church's grounds.
Astoria has changed over the years thanks to these and many other pioneers who first began doing business and calling this place their home. Nowadays, the presence of Brazilians within its streets has livened the community with Brazil's colors, music and aromas.
Sure, you can still come to this neighborhood for a hearty serving of moussaka or a baklava at the local Greek eateries, but if it is vatapá, bossa-nova and the sound of spoken Portuguese that you want, Astoria is the place to be.
Ernest Barteldes is an ESL and Portuguese teacher. In addition to that, he is a freelance writer whose work has been published by The Greenwich Village Gazette, The Staten Island Advance, The Staten Island Register, The SI Muse, Brazzil magazine, The Villager, GLSSite, Entertainment Today and other publications. He lives in Staten Island, NY. He can be reached at ebarteldes@yahoo.com.
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I just hope us, Brazilians, that live here in the USA, especially those who live in NY, don't let our heritage die out!
Gus