race & ethnicity
Brazil consists of people from a vast variety of origins. These includes original native americans, black african slaves, portuguese and immigrants such as Japanese, Chinese and Europeans. You can read more on immigration here.
As Japanese and Middle Eastern immigrants arrive in the early 20th century, Brazil’s racial mix was made more diverse. During the 1900s, the Japanese descendants became primarily urban residents, more so in Sao Paulo. They constitute the the biggest community of Japanese outside of Japan, except for Hawaii.
All the different racial and ethnic groups intermingled and intermarried, leading to an increasing number of mixtures of all possible combinations. Therefore, it is hard to classify the people in racial terms. The proportion of blacks decreased whereas that of mulattoes increased. At the same time, the process of whitening was taking place. In 1991, the self-declared proportions were 55.3% white, 39.3% mulatto, 4.9% black and 0.6% Asian.
Due to the absence of distinct colour difference, a strong cultural tradition of tolerance and explicit laws against racial discrimination, Brazil is seen as a country with racial democracy. However, this is a myth. A strong correlation between light colour and high pay, education and social status is evident. Only few blacks achieve positions of wealth prestige and power, except in the form of arts and sports. Majority of the whites had professions such as doctors, dentists, fashion models and lawyers while the blacks were left to be maids, doormen, street cleaners and garbage collectors. There is only one black senator so far, and that would be their current black president, a women, Dilma Rousseff. Though racial discrimination is usually not explicit, there are subtle forms of it: unwritten rules, unspoken attitudes, placing higher values on white or nearly white people.
In the 1960s, black consciousness grew, but black movements are easily dismissed as un-Brazilian due to the lack of clear colour line. The movements did not request for changes in government policy as they are already officially against racial discrimination. Instead, they emphasised on racial pride and the fight against subtle forms of discrimination. You can read more on racial inequality here.
As Japanese and Middle Eastern immigrants arrive in the early 20th century, Brazil’s racial mix was made more diverse. During the 1900s, the Japanese descendants became primarily urban residents, more so in Sao Paulo. They constitute the the biggest community of Japanese outside of Japan, except for Hawaii.
All the different racial and ethnic groups intermingled and intermarried, leading to an increasing number of mixtures of all possible combinations. Therefore, it is hard to classify the people in racial terms. The proportion of blacks decreased whereas that of mulattoes increased. At the same time, the process of whitening was taking place. In 1991, the self-declared proportions were 55.3% white, 39.3% mulatto, 4.9% black and 0.6% Asian.
Due to the absence of distinct colour difference, a strong cultural tradition of tolerance and explicit laws against racial discrimination, Brazil is seen as a country with racial democracy. However, this is a myth. A strong correlation between light colour and high pay, education and social status is evident. Only few blacks achieve positions of wealth prestige and power, except in the form of arts and sports. Majority of the whites had professions such as doctors, dentists, fashion models and lawyers while the blacks were left to be maids, doormen, street cleaners and garbage collectors. There is only one black senator so far, and that would be their current black president, a women, Dilma Rousseff. Though racial discrimination is usually not explicit, there are subtle forms of it: unwritten rules, unspoken attitudes, placing higher values on white or nearly white people.
In the 1960s, black consciousness grew, but black movements are easily dismissed as un-Brazilian due to the lack of clear colour line. The movements did not request for changes in government policy as they are already officially against racial discrimination. Instead, they emphasised on racial pride and the fight against subtle forms of discrimination. You can read more on racial inequality here.
Recently, to help boost the number of black and mixed-race youths, Brazil has taken affirmative action programmes.
Brazil’s mixed-race group is divided into a variety of subcategories – loura, branca, morena, mulata and preta. However, the government has now grouped all of them together as one category. Almost every group – early childhood programmes, school groups, choirs and instrumental groups, Lions Clubs, kids sitting in shopping centers and eating or just socializing, and dance groups, consisted of people who ranged in colour from the blacks to the whites, with every colour of brown in between. Students, even adults, would not voluntarily segregate themselves based on their skin colour, just because most of the youths did not fall into any of the single-race category.
Class
In Brazil today, other than the racial lines, there are those who are very wealthy, the middle class and the extremely poor. The poor make up majority of the population, usually found on the streets selling food and trinkets. This class structure overlaps into race, but it is false that all the wealthy are white and the poor are blacks. It is also extremely difficult for anyone to advance social levels, regardless of race. Racial discrimination in Brazil is not so serious.
In 2002, a survey was conducted among 10, 624 persons between the age range of 12 to 64 years old. The tables below show the results observed, based on the socio-economic and education levels within the different races.
Brazil’s mixed-race group is divided into a variety of subcategories – loura, branca, morena, mulata and preta. However, the government has now grouped all of them together as one category. Almost every group – early childhood programmes, school groups, choirs and instrumental groups, Lions Clubs, kids sitting in shopping centers and eating or just socializing, and dance groups, consisted of people who ranged in colour from the blacks to the whites, with every colour of brown in between. Students, even adults, would not voluntarily segregate themselves based on their skin colour, just because most of the youths did not fall into any of the single-race category.
Class
In Brazil today, other than the racial lines, there are those who are very wealthy, the middle class and the extremely poor. The poor make up majority of the population, usually found on the streets selling food and trinkets. This class structure overlaps into race, but it is false that all the wealthy are white and the poor are blacks. It is also extremely difficult for anyone to advance social levels, regardless of race. Racial discrimination in Brazil is not so serious.
In 2002, a survey was conducted among 10, 624 persons between the age range of 12 to 64 years old. The tables below show the results observed, based on the socio-economic and education levels within the different races.
From these charts, it is clear that for the socio economic levels, whites are more likely to be in the wealthier classes, compared to the darker skinned. For the education level of the head of their households, it can be seen that most whites are university graduates.
Slavery
During the colonial period, the Indian slavery was proved to be hard to enforce. The colonists imported hundreds of thousands of slaves from Africa to help with the labour on the sugar plantations, coffee plantations and in the mines. Slaves outnumbered the white people in many areas initially but eventually, the balance changed due to the high mortality rate and low fertility rate. However, slavery became less feasible, in the economical and political aspect, after 1850 and the British stopped slave trade. Italian immigrants then replaced the slaves on coffee plantations in Sao Paulo.
During the colonial period, the Indian slavery was proved to be hard to enforce. The colonists imported hundreds of thousands of slaves from Africa to help with the labour on the sugar plantations, coffee plantations and in the mines. Slaves outnumbered the white people in many areas initially but eventually, the balance changed due to the high mortality rate and low fertility rate. However, slavery became less feasible, in the economical and political aspect, after 1850 and the British stopped slave trade. Italian immigrants then replaced the slaves on coffee plantations in Sao Paulo.