Immigration, Ethnicity, and National Identity in Brazil, 1808 to the Present

New Approaches to the Americas

by Jeffrey Lesser

Immigration, Ethnicity, and National Identity in Brazil, 1808 to the Present examines the immigration to Brazil of millions of Europeans, Asians and Middle Easterners beginning in the nineteenth century. Jeffrey Lesser analyzes how these newcomers and their descendants adapted to their new country and how national identity was formed as they became Brazilians along with their children and grandchildren. Lesser argues that immigration cannot be divorced from broader patterns of Brazilian race relations, as most immigrants settled in the decades surrounding the final abolition of slavery in 1888 and their experiences were deeply conditioned by ideas of race and ethnicity formed long before their arrival. This broad exploration of the relationships between immigration, ethnicity and nation allows for analysis of one of the most vexing areas of Brazilian study: identity.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Latin American History, Brazil

ebook

First published November 30, 2012

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

While I found this extremely informative on both the idea and practice of immigration in Brazil, I feel like so much more could have been done.

Afro-Brazilians were really only mentioned in relation to other groups, women were given even less and there was no attempt to provide even one indigenous perspective on immigration.

It also felt like the author did the majority of his research on pre-1945 immigration considering how easily he glossed over post-1945 Brazil in one chapter.

But like I said before, despite my critiques, this book was extremely informative in what it set out to do and I don't regret taking the class I had to read it for, I just feel that it could have done more.

[Andrew Selee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of the role of immigration in making national identity in Brazil

An excellent analysis of the intersections between immigration, race, and national identity in Brazil, with details around specific nationalities, and also very well written.

[Lara Nishimura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like it. Strongly recommend 👌

[Rafael Yamano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livro bom, contando a história de diversas correntes de migração para o Brasil e a reação, tanto dos imigrantes quanto dos nativos, a eles.

Destaque para a tentativa de imigração de afro-americanos no começo do século XX e como o Itamaraty, junto com outros órgãos do governo, barraram isso. A Constituição de 1890 proibia a entrada de nativos da África e da Ásia, devido à teoria racista de embranquecimento da população, mas os governantes brasileiros não pensaram que negros poderiam vir de outros países americanos para o Brasil. O contraste disso com o recebimento caloroso do imperador D. Pedro II para os confederados americanos que perderam a guerra civil e queriam a manutenção de um estilo de vida com escravidão nessas terras é gritante.

Uma pena que o livro dedica muito pouco tempo às correntes migratórias mais recentes, de chineses, coreanos, bolivianos e angolanos.