Upward mobility, with few exceptions, is not part of the fabric of our society. Many descendants of slaves continue to serve Brazil's white upper classes as domestic workers, often working long hours without fair compensation or benefits. We didn't have institutionalized segregation as seen in the Jim Crow era, but Brazil's class system is clearly divided. Watch Video: Meet our new public affairs and engagement editor
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It can be any shade in between, such as the colloquial "café com leite" (coffee with milk) or "sarará," a person with African facial features, fair skin and fair but curly hair.
Racism is also more complicated because race in Brazil isn't just defined as black or white. Brazil's racial disparities are even deeper, and racism is rampant even though Brazil has the most people of African descent outside Africa. White privilege is not an American invention. came to the forefront after President Trump's election, I thought more deeply about how white privilege applies to me even though I'm not American. I'll never know whether I would have been treated differently or if I'd have advanced in my career if I were brown or black (I hope I would). I admit in the back of my mind being white was a relief when navigating circles where I felt like an outsider. I used to be self conscious about my accent and sounding less intelligent, especially when interviewing high-ranking politicians such as governors and members of Congress (I've since learned to embrace it as part of me). But I never worried whether the color of my skin or my facial features could make that worse. Nor did I ever fully understand what my best friend, who's African-American, experienced when we played on a majority-white volleyball team at the majority-white University of Kansas. I've heard Brazilian and Latino friends complain about racial profiling, especially by law enforcement. More: Police targeting of blacks is a myth | Opinion More: Police bias and propaganda are real | Opinion More: White supremacy not the main threat to black Americans | Opinion As a journalist covering politics that happened often. I never thought twice about approaching people on the street to ask for an interview. I've always felt comfortable attending events where the majority of people were white or where there were no minorities. Yet as I began to hear stories of other immigrants facing discrimination, I had to come to terms with my own white privilege.ĭiscrimination never was something I worried about. I love America and its values and I'm proud to live here. I came here legally and stayed thanks to people who believed in my talent. I'm also a model immigrant. I have a college degree. It's been fun to see people's surprised faces when I say I was born and raised in Brazil. I can pass for a "white chick" until my slight accent comes out. I've defied many stereotypes of Latin Americans in the 11 years I've lived in the U.S. Watch Video: Debate: Should NFL players be allowed to take the knee during National Anthem?
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