The Myth Of Racial Democracy In Brazil

Racial democracy within Brazil is a myth validated by the inequality in economic and social status of non-white Brazilians, and their attempt to conform to ideas of white standards. The first half of this essay will define racial democracy, while the second half will analyze why racial democracy is a fictitious proposition within Brazil through examining the economic disparity between racial groups, social relations, and the apparent desire & pressure place on non-whites to adapt to a white standard.

To commence, racial democracy is a concept that asserts that there is no discrimination or prejudice against non-whites. Racial democracy is characterized by a belief that all individuals are treated and considered to be equal with equal opportunities,

Within Brazil, many officials boast of the nation’s racial democracy as an integral component of their country’s policies and mandates. Consequently, the government has been supported by individuals of colour in fields of entertainment, such as sports, that have spoken out about Brazil’s ability to accomplish racial democracy.

However, the equality and access to equal opportunity of all individuals, regardless of race, is not necessarily a true representation of the socio-economic structure of Brazil. The inequality and lack of economic opportunity is a situation more familiar to non-white individuals who populate a larger portion of the poorest proportions of society, in comparison to their white counter-parts. In order to get an idea of the economic poverty of these non-white individuals are the Mata

The hierarchy enforces a desire to be “whiter”, and the need for conformity to pre-established white norms that characterize their success within society. Non-white individuals do not refer to themselves as black, but instead call themselves brown. With the racial tag of being brown, rather than black, non-white individuals, are able to be closer to the top of the racial hierarchy that would provide them with perceived financial success, opportunity, and representation within areas of “government, administration, [or] business” that they view white Brazilians experience. If there is a difference in the opportunities and experiences of individuals of colour, which is so great that one group feels disadvantaged by the colour of their skin and attempts to lighten themselves through racial tags, racial democracy cannot be factually occurring because there is a prejudice against darker skin