What I love about my home country is that joy, that sense of freedom and friendship and laid back way of living.
After living for more than 10 years in the United States of America, I have learned many things and what intrigues me the most is the way people from both countries face racial issues.
I hate racism and discrimination of any kind but to think a place would be completely free from it, it's to be delusional. But I love how American Blacks have fought for their freedom and for rights...I wish my countrymen and women would do the same but we are learning.
The thing about Brazil is, we embrace everyone regardless of color, or anything. Yes, the US of America is also a melting pot but to me it seems people suffer more here for being "different" than they would suffer in Brazil. Brazilians in general suffer discrimination for being poor and black, and since most poor people are of darker color, they get hit the hardest.
People with money are welcome everywhere in Brazil, regardless of color or ethnic group since Brazil's racism is hidden, very hypocritically. Brazil's racism is selfish, and greedy! And those who are victims haven't learned to scream for their rights yet.
But Brazilians are learning to fight together for their rights... slowly but they are even though they are still crawling their way there compared to where the US is in regards to that.
We have a first Black candidate that may come to be our first Black President as well, Joaquim Barbosa.
The Brazilian population is very diverse, a mix of many races and ethnic groups but the majority of the population is of Black and mixed citizens. Census
The national census has shown that the majority of the population, 50.7% of a total 190,732,694 people, is black or mixed race. The 2010 census revealed that most of the black population is concentrated in the north and northeast of the country, and that it has the highest rate of illiteracy among the over-15 age group (between 24.7% and 27.1%).
So why are Brazilians still racist?
What hurts Brazil the most is dishonesty and corruption from the Government. If we could get our country to be as politically organized as other well developed countries are, we would be on our way to being close to the perfect place on earth.
In Brazil, the racism issue is mostly not the color of one's skin, like it seems to me it is in the US. Brazil has suffered the influence of the Europeans for years and unfortunately the bad habits are still there.
Today Brazil is celebrating its Black Awareness Day, ("Dia da Consciência Negra" in Portuguese). And while there are those criticizing and disliking the fact that Black Brazilians are celebrating this day, there is that feelings that Brazilians in general do celebrate it...and not only the Black ones.
And this is why, even though I despise racism, it's still better to be Brazilian when it comes to it.
