THE RACIAL ISSUE: differences between BRAZIL and USA*

THE RACIAL ISSUE: differences between BRAZIL and USA.

I’m not a sociologist neither expert on racial issues, but I’d Like to say something, adding another angle to the text.

RACISM differs in our countries. It’s more critical and deep-rooted in your society. In BRAZIL it is veiled.

I’ve never seen this kind of politically correct racial manual around here. But I would consider “adaptations”.

Although we have racism in BRAZIL in a very subtle and surrepticious form, undoubtedly, it’s onipresent at the detrimental of blacks in your society. It may be a scourge in AMERICA, however it made great advances which are copied all over the world, including here. On the other hand, in BRAZIL it is like a chronic disease with low morbity, but with persistent and deleterious symtoms, corroding their way of life and lives more precociously.

The explanation is that BRAZIL has a more miscigenated population than the USA. BRAZIL received 4.8 million black slaves in comparisson to 389 thousand in the USA. Demographically, there’s 55% blacks in BRAZIL and 12% in USA. Interracial relationships are more intense. So racism has many “atenuated” forms.

Although our society looks friendlier, it’s more unfair to black people (education, job, income, housing, health, opportunities and etc.).

The racial tensions in USA attracts attention in Brazil, making us think about the social injustice towards the black population, but not to the point to cause racial tension and clashes. If the fiercest black wouldn’t desire them in BRAZIL.

A curiosity: in BRAZIL to call someone “BLACK” is offensive according to intellectual negroes, which frequently compares the two societies here and there, pointing that in USA is better for the afrodescendents than in Brazil in terms of racial opportunity and equallity and I agree with that, but racial hate is visible and intense in USA. In Brazil is a veiled discrimination which prevents us to be a fairer society.

At last, Condoleeza Rice when came to BRAZIL in the 2000s she was visibly marvelled by our “racial democracy”, unfortunatelly, ignoring completly the nuances of RACISM in BRAZIL.
Love, Paulo Rebelo