Written Reflection on Cultural Competence

Culture is rampant among those that speak the Portuguese language. Any thorough discussion of
regions in Brazil or cities of Portugal is likely to include the specific dialects, recreation, history, music,
and art that is specific to that area; thus, narrowing down to two cultural artifacts was complicated. I
selected an essay about the poem Felicidade, written by Jorge de Sena, and a brief report written
about the life of Padre Antnio Viera.

My selection regarding Felicidade was easy. The poem was written by Jorge de Sena, who is
arguably the most accomplished poet in both Brazilian and Portuguese history. His work reflects the
time in which he wrotea period of political tumult and social introspection. His pieces title and
theme, happiness, embody a principle for which many Portuguese citizens were searching. Brazilians
are also stereotyped as being perpetually happy and friendly yet, at the time, many Brazilians were
impoverished and uncertain about their countrys future.

Padre Antnio Viera is a Brazilian and Portuguese icon. He was a diplomat, speaker, Jesuit priest,
and abolitionist. He spent much of his life influencing the political sector in favor of radical ideas such
as abolition and concession of equality to native Brazilians. His speeches were innovative and gripping
for their time. He managed to change Brazilian theater and literature. His ideas, although too extreme
for his lifetime, were eventually adopted by Brazil and Portugal, ultimately changing the course of
history.

I feel that BYU has given me a number of opportunities to flourish in my cultural understanding of
Portuguese-speaking areas, particularly Brazil. Ive learned extensively about Portuguese and Brazilian
literature, including works by Jorge de Sena, Machado de Assis, and Cames. Ive taken courses on
Brazilian and Portuguese history, and Ive seen how these countries were shaped by their political,
economic and social development. As part of these courses, Ive seen a number of films regarding
Brazilian and Portuguese theater, politics and daily life. Through clubs and events on campus, Ive been
able to learn more about African-Brazilians, Carnaval, and Brazilian Jiujitsu.

I intend to continue developing my cultural understanding of Portuguese and Brazilian culture,

and I hope to share these experiences with my friends and family. Ive been incorporating Brazilian
media into my daily life, including popular Brazilian music, television and film. My current favorite
artist is Charlie Brown Jr., a Brazilian rock musician with a gravely voice and musical tone; my favorite
TV series is Narcos, which stars Wagner Moura, a Brazilian actor; and my favorite Brazilian film is
Operaes Especiais, a police drama set in Rio de Janeiro. Here in Utah there are a number of
opportunities to experience Brazilian culture: restaurants such as Aubergine, Lucys, Tucanos and
others offer a close substitute to Brazilian cuisine and cultural atmosphere. The annual Brazilian
festival is also an excellent way to feel a sense of Brazil here in the US. I also intend to visit Brazil
regularly and to soak in the regional cultures of the north, the northeast and the south.