Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Let me give some examples of this "fusion", and the influences of many different cultures to form the Brazilian culture...
Brazilians love beer, and Brazil have many breweries and many traditional beer brands, some of them more than a century old. Brazil makes really good beer.
Who taught that to Brazilians? The German immigrants. The Germans taught us how to make good beer. The first Brazilian breweries were started by German immigrants. And now, beer is important part of the Brazilian culture, and we know how to make really good beer.
Why Brazil has the best pizza in the world? (Yes, we have!! No matter what you say!! ) Because the Italian immigrants taught us how to make pizza. Pizza is a "national passion" in Brazil, and it was the Italians who gave this contribution to our culture. And now our pizza is better than that of Italy!
And what about the Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the Brazilian martial art that is famous all around the world? The Brazilian jiu-jitsu was the creation of a Japanese immigrant, Mitsuyo Maeda, also known as "Conde Koma". That was a contribution of the Japanese immigrants to our culture.
Those above are just few examples of the contributions of the German, Italian and Japanese immigrants to the great "fusion" that is the Brazilian culture.
Those contributions of the Germans, Italians and Japanese were added to a Brazilian culture that was already a big fusion before their arrival, a fusion of the Portuguese culture, the African culture, and the native indigenous culture.
We have countless African and native indigenous influences in our cuisine, music and language.
The Portuguese influence is tremendous, starting by our language and our religion.
And we can not forget the influences of the Arab immigrants. Brazilians love sfihas!
All that forms the "melting pot" that is the BRAZILIAN CULTURE, that is not "African-Brazilian culture" or "Italian-Brazilian culture", is not the culture of "a group".
It's the culture of ALL Brazilians.
We all learn, since early age, to love all aspects of our culture, regardless of origin, regardless of where each aspect comes from.
There are many black Brazilians training jiu-jitsu, and many Japanese-Brazilians training capoeira.
There are Brazilians with Italian ancestry enjoying delicious "tapioca" of indigenous origin, and Brazilians with German ancestry enjoying sfihas and kibbes of Arab origin.
We don't divide ourselves according to our "ancestry". We were born in Brazil, and we are BRAZILIANS. Our culture is ONE, the fusion of many influences from all continents.
I would like to point that expressions like "African-Brazilian", "Italian-Brazilian", "German-Brazilian", only make sense in English.
Because in Brazil, in Portuguese language, nobody uses those expressions in the everyday life.
Everyone has just one identity in Brazil: BRAZILIAN.
What's ironic about the whole thing is that even though Brazilians of African descent aren't as identity driven about race as African Americans are, you have to admit that they are way more culturally connected to African culture than Black Americans could ever dream of.
What's ironic about the whole thing is that even though Brazilians of African descent aren't as identity driven about race as African Americans are, you have to admit that they are way more culturally connected to African culture than Black Americans could ever dream of.
Yep!
ALL Brazilians, including the "white" Brazilians, are more culturally connected to African culture than Black Americans could ever dream of!
Seriously!
Most African Americans have not the same connection to African culture that most white Brazilians have!
The typical white Brazilian who lives in Rio de Janeiro state, or in Minas Gerais state, or any state of the Northeast of Brazil, has a strong connection to African culture, through music, dance, cuisine, language, folklore...
How many African Americans have ever experienced the African vibe of "maracatu"?
In this picture bellow of a Brazilian maracatu group, I see some white Brazilians and even a Japanese Brazilian (the guy with the straw hat):
even if they did have african descent and there's a lot of them, what difference does it make when many people there are very 'color struck,' they favor lighter skinned, lighter eyes over the dark skinned Brazilians anyways. They hold the lighter skinned, mixed race looking blacks out to 'represent' what their country has to offer. I've known a few dark skinned people that thought they were going to get treated fairly there because of their population of blacks, they would've been better off over here.
Officially there are a little over 13 million afro-brazillians in brazil (6.9%) compared to the 42 million african-americans in the US (13.6%).
Now i was under the impression brazil was the country in the americas with the most people of african decent? and it would make sense since brazil actually received the largest import of african slaves almost ten times the number of slaves from africa than the us did.
Can someone clear up this confusion for me?
Those are the official statistics. However, one thing you have to understand is this. Black is Brazil is defined differently than being Black in the USA. In the USA, if you have one drop of African ancestry, then you are considered Black. In Brazil, the one drop rule doesn't exist. This means alot of people who would be considered Black in the USA would be considered Mulatto in Brazil, or, if you look White enough, you're considered White.
even if they did have african descent and there's a lot of them, what difference does it make when many people there are very 'color struck,' they favor lighter skinned, lighter eyes over the dark skinned Brazilians anyways. They hold the lighter skinned, mixed race looking blacks out to 'represent' what their country has to offer. I've known a few dark skinned people that thought they were going to get treated fairly there because of their population of blacks, they would've been better off over here.
That's ridiculous.
Of course there are many racist individuals in Brazil, specially in the Southeast and South regions, but the huge majority of Brazilians are not racist.
Of course there are many racist individuals in Brazil, specially in the Southeast and South regions, but the huge majority of Brazilians are not racist.
I didn't say the entire country was racist, did I? It's not ridiculous. The first part of what you said is exactly what I was saying in the first place. If that's not your experience or things you have heard from people then that's your buisness. I don't care.
Brazilians love beer, and Brazil have many breweries and many traditional beer brands, some of them more than a century old. Brazil makes really good beer.
I am sorry to hurt your "orgulho brasileiro" but if there is one thing Brazilians know jack about, that would be beer!
Brazilian beer is bland, lacking in taste and complexity- mostly watery, tasteless, third-rate lagers.
I have traveled all over Europe because I have been a beer enthusiast for a long time- most third rate European lagers are better than the best Brazilian lagers
If you want to drink real beer, try something like a Franziskaner Hefeweisse(Germany) a Pilsner Urquell(Czech Republic) or a Hoegaarden(Belgium)- these are real beers!
Most Brazilian beers are third-rate, low quality, beer flavored water!!
Let me give some examples of this "fusion", and the influences of many different cultures to form the Brazilian culture...
Brazilians love beer, and Brazil have many breweries and many traditional beer brands, some of them more than a century old. Brazil makes really good beer.
Who taught that to Brazilians? The German immigrants. The Germans taught us how to make good beer. The first Brazilian breweries were started by German immigrants. And now, beer is important part of the Brazilian culture, and we know how to make really good beer.
Why Brazil has the best pizza in the world? (Yes, we have!! No matter what you say!! ) Because the Italian immigrants taught us how to make pizza. Pizza is a "national passion" in Brazil, and it was the Italians who gave this contribution to our culture. And now our pizza is better than that of Italy!
And what about the Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the Brazilian martial art that is famous all around the world? The Brazilian jiu-jitsu was the creation of a Japanese immigrant, Mitsuyo Maeda, also known as "Conde Koma". That was a contribution of the Japanese immigrants to our culture.
Those above are just few examples of the contributions of the German, Italian and Japanese immigrants to the great "fusion" that is the Brazilian culture.
Those contributions of the Germans, Italians and Japanese were added to a Brazilian culture that was already a big fusion before their arrival, a fusion of the Portuguese culture, the African culture, and the native indigenous culture.
We have countless African and native indigenous influences in our cuisine, music and language.
The Portuguese influence is tremendous, starting by our language and our religion.
And we can not forget the influences of the Arab immigrants. Brazilians love sfihas!
All that forms the "melting pot" that is the BRAZILIAN CULTURE, that is not "African-Brazilian culture" or "Italian-Brazilian culture", is not the culture of "a group".
It's the culture of ALL Brazilians.
We all learn, since early age, to love all aspects of our culture, regardless of origin, regardless of where each aspect comes from.
There are many black Brazilians training jiu-jitsu, and many Japanese-Brazilians training capoeira.
There are Brazilians with Italian ancestry enjoying delicious "tapioca" of indigenous origin, and Brazilians with German ancestry enjoying sfihas and kibbes of Arab origin.
We don't divide ourselves according to our "ancestry". We were born in Brazil, and we are BRAZILIANS. Our culture is ONE, the fusion of many influences from all continents.
Brazil sounds very similar to the Caribbean (where I live). Everybody subscribes to a main culture without even consciously realising that it is a melting pot culture. There's no concept of a "white" thing or an "Indian" thing or a "black" thing for eg.
Americans generally (from what I have seen) find this concept extremely difficult to comprehend.
Brazil sounds very similar to the Caribbean (where I live). Everybody subscribes to a main culture without even consciously realising that it is a melting pot culture. There's no concept of a "white" thing or an "Indian" thing or a "black" thing for eg.
Americans generally (from what I have seen) find this concept extremely difficult to comprehend.
Brazil is more like the Caribbean than the USA is. That can be said. Brazil has been more open to racial mixing than the USA ever was. From what I've learned, Brazil's national vision is that of a multiracial state, where the blending of African, Europe, and Native American traditions and peoples have created the Brazil known today.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) Because the Italian immigrants taught us how to make pizza. Pizza is a "national passion" in Brazil, and it was the Italians who gave this contribution to our culture. And now our pizza is better than that of Italy! 
I am sorry to hurt your "orgulho brasileiro" but if there is one thing Brazilians know jack about, that would be beer! 