Three personal stories that show Brazil is not completely beyond racismPosted in Articles, Autobiography, Brazil, Caribbean/Latin America, Media Archive, Social Science on 2015-08-05 02:08Z by Steven |
Three personal stories that show Brazil is not completely beyond racism
The Globe and Mail
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2015-07-31
Stephanie Nolen, Latin America Correspondent
Brazilâs national mythology is built on the idea of a democracia racial â a country whose population is uniquely mixed and has moved beyond racism.
The lived experience of its citizens, especially the majority who are black or mixed-race, tells a different story. Three residents of Bahia, known as the countryâs âblackestâ state, share their personal stories with The Globe and Mailâs Stephanie Nolen.
âItâs not easy to start working when youâre 12â
Cleusa de Jesus Santos was one of eight children whose father left when she was small. Her mother, illiterate and living in a slum, had no way to feed them all. âA friend of my mumâs said, âThere is a person who needs a girl, just to watch her son, to keep him company.ââ
So Ms. Santos was sent. âBut when I got there, the reality was completely different: They said they were going to put me in school and so on, and they didnât. I didnât have vacation. I couldnât see my family.â…
Read the entire article here.