Racial Ralations in Brazil

Marcos Arraes
• Brief historic background

• Differences between regions

• Brazil Vs USA

• Contemporary Issues
• North East and South East – Plantation system
– Indians, Europeans (mainly Portuguese) and
African slaves

• South – “No man’s land” – Free

– Tropeiros, French, Spanish (Colonial Times)
– German, Italian, Polish, Japanese (19th and 20th
centuries)
 Race in Brazil and USA
• Binary model
– Racial Segregation Laws  Classification and
Power

• European Thinking in Brazil

– Social Darwinism
– Racial Whitening after Slavery
• Brazilian Modernity
– Origins and National Identity
– Miscegenation as positive

• Mith of Racial Democracy

– No classification / Self afirmation
• Moreno, Chocolate, Queimado de sol, escurinho, pardo,
marrom…

• Census Data
– Brancos, Pardos, Negros, Indígenas, Amarelos
– Decreasing number of people who declares
themselves as white
Brazilian Census – 2000 and 2010
 Contemporary Issues
• Hidden Prejudice

• Secretariat for Policies to Promote Racial

Equality

• Negro and not Black

• Universities Afirmative Action – Quotas

– Huge Debate

• Reading History through a Racial perspective?

• A way to impose a racial classification?

To Think About
 World Cup

Racism: what do I have to do with it?