I am not Black! I am Negro!

94 Pages·2007·0.41 MB·English

I am not Black! I am Negro!
Racism and Racial Identities in Brazil
Ida Aabel Kristiansen

Dissertation for the Masters Degree
Department of Social Antropology

UNIVERSITY OF OSLO

May 2007
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SUMMARY
Why are there no overt racial conflicts and little interest in political mobilisation along racial
lines in Brazil? This question was the outset of this dissertation. Many social scientists argue
that the myth of racial democracy has rendered the black population unconscious about racism
and racial discrimination. This in turn is taken to be the reason for why the Black Brazilian
Movement has not been able to mobilise politically along racial lines. I, on the other hand,
argue that lack of consciousness alone can not count for the absence lack of racial conflicts
and political mobilisation. This dissertation is based on fieldwork in Salvador, Brazil from
January 2005 to June 2005. My data suggests that there is no lack of consciousness regarding
racism among Afro-Brazilians in their 20s and 30s in Salvador. So, if there is no lack of
consciousness what is it that prevents these people from participating in political mobilisation
along racial lines? This dissertation seeks to find some answers to this question. By presenting
their views their views on racism, their ways of resistance and their attitudes towards Afro-
Brazilian culture and negritude (blackness), I hope to shed some light on why these young
Afro-Brazilians do not feel compelled to join the Black Movement.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I want to thank my informants in Salvador. Their patience and willingness to talk
about sensitive issues have been priceless. Thank you! I will thank my academic supervisor
for helping me find my way through a sometimes chaotic fieldwork, and for guidance and
comments throughout this process. I would also like to thank Ainhoa, Lina, Sissel, Leo,
Thomas and Geir for fruitful discussions and comments on the drafts that eventually make up
this dissertation. I owe a special thanks to my mother who has encouraged me all the way
through this process, and for believing in me even when the light at the end of the tunnel
seemed endlessly far away. Last, but not least, thanks to family and friends for listening to my
anecdotes from my fieldwork in Brazil.
Oslo, Mai 2007
Ida Aabel Kristiansen
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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
.....................................................................................................1
Region: Latin America and Brazil..........................................................................................1
Latin America.....................................................................................................................1
Brazil..................................................................................................................................2
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND ANALYTICAL TOOLS.......................................3
Class...................................................................................................................................5
Race....................................................................................................................................6
Identity politics: race and ethnicity....................................................................................7
Black identities in Salvador................................................................................................9
Racism in Brazil:..............................................................................................................10
METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES..........................................................................................10
MULTI-SITED AND URBAN FIELDWORK...............................................................10
Urban anthropology..........................................................................................................11
Methods Applied..................................................................................................................12
Access...............................................................................................................................12
Movimento Negro (the Black Movement).......................................................................13
Data gathered....................................................................................................................15
Anonymity and informants...............................................................................................17
2. CONTEXT
...................................................................................................................19
Race relations in Post-abolition Brazil.............................................................................19
The first period of race relations: 1888-1930s.....................................................................19
Second period of race relations: 1930s-1970s......................................................................22
Third period of race relations: 1980s-today.........................................................................23
Critic of the myth of racial democracy and contemporary deabtes......................................24
Debate concerning the effectiveness of myths of origin......................................................25
3. NEGRO IDENTITY
...............................................................................................27
I am not Pardo or Preto. I am Negro!...................................................................................27
Ethnic or racial identity?......................................................................................................31
The racial classification system and the history of Negro ...................................................35
A typical Tuesday in the cradle of afro-Brazilian culture....................................................39
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Capoeira:..........................................................................................................................41
Baianas or mulheres de Acarajé (Acarajé women):.........................................................41
Bahian Cuisine:................................................................................................................42
Music:...............................................................................................................................43
Candomblé:......................................................................................................................43
4. PREFERENCE FOR WHITE
........................................................................46
Boa aparencia (good appearance)........................................................................................46
Job market............................................................................................................................49
Automatic assumption regarding skin colour and economical status..................................52
Police violence.....................................................................................................................54
5. BLACK SPACES
...................................................................................................62
IMPLICIT BLACK SPACES..............................................................................................63
The stairs of Geronimo.....................................................................................................63
EXPLICIT BLACK SPACES..............................................................................................66
Blocos Afro (Afro Carnival associations)........................................................................66
Ilê Aiyê: A casa dos negros (the house of negros)...........................................................67
Black superiority: ancient Egypt......................................................................................70
System of the quotas as a political goal...........................................................................73
DISCREPANCY..................................................................................................................77
6. CONCLUSIVE REMARKS
.............................................................................79

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1. INTRODUCTION
Why are there no overt racial conflicts and little interest in political mobilisation along racial
lines in Brazil? This is the key question that researchers on racial relations in Brazil seek to
answer (Sansone 2003). Many social scientists draw the conclusion that the myth of racial
democracy has rendered the black population with a false consciousness (or without
consciousness) as to their marginalised position in the Brazilian society. I agree that the myth
has been, and still is, a powerful ideological weapon. On the other hand, I do question the
conclusion drawn by many social scientists where the myth of racial democracy is so socially
effective that it alone is responsible for the absence of racial conflict (Skidmore 1993 in
Sansone 2003, Winddance Twine 1998, Hanchard 1994). Through this dissertation I will
present data, that on the contrary to what is concluded by many social scientists, indicates that
among the afro-Brazilian population in Salvador there is no lack of consciousness concerning
racism and racial discrimination. So, if lack of consciousness is not the sole reason for the
absence of racial conflict and political mobilisation, what could it be? I sought to find some
answers to this question by focusing on afro-Brazilians in their late 20s and early 30s from the
lower economical classes in Salvador. By presenting their views on racism, their ways of
resistance and their attitudes toward afro-Brazilian culture and negritude (blackness), I hope
to shed some light on why these people do not feel compelled to join the black movement in
their political mobilisation along racial lines. I will apply the framework of Roberto DaMatta
where mediation between poles is seen as fundamental to an understanding of what he calls
the socio-logic of Brazil. His framework will give a better insight into the paradox of why
there are no overt racial conflicts despite the everyday reality of racism.
Region: Latin America and Brazil
Latin America
Latin America as a region is characterised by both similarity and diversity. The countries in
the region were all colonised by the Spanish and the Portuguese, and are on several levels
linguistically and culturally homogenous. On the other hand, there are great variations
between the countries in relation to composition of population, ecology and different
economic development (Archetti and Stølen 1994). The region is further characterised by
great social inequality, where the majority of the population is found living in poverty. The
dominating religion is Catholicism, although the local practices are a lot more open to
syncretism than the European Catholicism (Archetti and Stølen 1994). Anthropological
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