An excerpt from
Democracy and Race in Brazil

Professor Emilio Jose de Castro e Silva, Director of the Office of International Affairs at Universidade Federal de Bahia

February 12, 2003, Blackistone Room, Anne Arundel Hall
(As transcribed by Joseph Rieu, Student Researcher, Center for the Study of Democracy)

"As far as racism is concerned, in Brazil, there is a creed, a belief that there is racial equality, that we live with racial democracy. In practice, there has never been racial democracy. What is different with the historical racial situation in America is that in Brazil there has never been elite support for racial democracy. What divides the Brazilian races is the mindset, especially in political elites, that other races are not equal to you, and it is only this mindset that continues racism in Brazil.

We have never had affirmative action, this is a crucial difference with America. One of the things that distinguishes Brazilian racism is that nobody cares what your job is, nobody cares what your personal character is, if one is of a particular race, this will prevent them from obtaining certain properties and certain social status. The racial elites have trouble seeing the racial 'minority,' Afro-Brazilians, and its people as people."