Race Relations in Brazil

2668 Words6 Pages

The purpose of this paper is to recognize, study and analyze the race relations in Brazil. Race relations are relations between two groups of different races; it is how these two different races connect to each other in their environment. Since Brazil is racially diverse, this study is focused on how Brazilians relate to each other. Throughout the essay, it will become clear that there exists a conflict between two race groups. Afro-Brazilians and White-Brazilians are not connected and though these two groups converse with each other, discrimination still lies within the society. This discrimination has created inequality within the society for Afro-Brazilians. Thus, this paper will not only focus on racism and discrimination that Afro-Brazilians experience because of White-Brazilian, but also on the history of Brazil, the types if discrimination that Afro-Brazilian must endure today and how the media creates discrimination. We must begin with Brazil’s history in order to understand the problem and how it came to exist. During the year 1500, Brazil was “discovered” by the Portuguese. The Portuguese saw the indigenous people as “savages” because they did not look or dress like Europeans. Hence, the idea that indigenous people are “savages” help influence the Portuguese that indigenous people need to be controlled and become more civilized. During the 16th century the Portuguese used “black” slaves to work in plantations to increase trading in Europe. After the year 1850 slave trade was abolished, but the Portuguese continued to bring slaves from Africa, illegally. Edward Eric Telles states, “Roughly three hundred years later, when the slave trade ended in 1850, 3.6 million African Americans had been brought to Brazil as slaves, ... ... middle of paper ... ...he chance of gaining knowledge and growing because they are in a school environment in which they cannot move up to the next grade. Due to this, Afro-Brazilians have to strive in order to make it to the work force because the majority jobs in Brazil do not hire people who have little too no education. Of course that is not the only reason why jobs do not hire Afro-Brazilians, skin color also plays a major factor. Working in poor quality jobs people of African descent have to survive on little money and most necessities that are needed to survive are expensive forcing Afro-Brazilians to work two or more jobs. Parents of a child at times are unable to provide for the child, leaving the child without the basic necessities. The majority of families and individuals of African descent in Brazil are living in poverty due to the lack of benefits they are able to receive.

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