In Brazil a persons color is in the eye of the beholder while in America a person with any African ancestry is legally defined as black. In “Brazil: A Racial Paradise” an episode of Black in Latin America, Professor Gates asked different people in Brazil what color he was and he received varying answers. He was described as morena, cafuso, mulato, and black. In Brazil there are over 100 categories that people use to describe skin color and it’s completely based on an individual’s perception. They don’t focus on trivial made up concepts like race.
Obviously there are historical explanations for these differences but in 2024 matters such as race shouldn’t still have such a large impact on our society in America. Although Brazil doesn’t really utilize the concept of race there are problematic attitudes towards blackness. These attitudes are internal, within the black community, and external. For example, many black women in Brazil have a negative attitude towards their natural hair and prefer straightened hair. Even in countries where race isn't a big concept racism still exists. Here's a video example of the difference in color/race perception in Brazil:
Hi Iyana.
After reading the article and watching the video I was amazed at the various words used to describe color in Brazil. All the people associate as black but clearly identify by the shade of their skin color. That is the biggest picture in my head now that represents a melting pot! Interesting point to make concerning the women and their problem or lack of confidence in natural hair. That has been a running issue for years even here in the United States. Natural has black women hair is a huge topic. Some love it and others are afraid of it. So much that some jobs require that you not wear your hair natural and even some church…
Hello Iyana,
I really enjoyed the video you posted. It was easier to understand the many colors of Brazil by hearing the actual Brazilian people speak about their color and what it means to them and others there. It is the same even within our culture in America. The skin color can be a barrier to open doors if you are dark skinned, and we tend to sometimes call each other negative names based on skin color. Why is that even within our own culture skin color is an issue?
I enjoyed this read, but I disagree. I believe in the similarity between America and Brazil. I think the view of both American Blacks and Brazilian Blacks are the same. White people are depicted everywhere. Their media in Brazil. Their salons. Their representation is of white people with straight hair and its embraced everywhere. Despite Brazil being filled with so many Black people, the effort to keep them there was very low.