AFFI RMI NG A DI VI DE

THE ECONOMI S T, J ANUARY 2 8

T H
2 01 2
Racism in Brazil
Purpose of Article
Explores the issue of racial inequality and
discrimination against blacks in Brazil

Takes a stand in the controversy associated with
introducing US-style affirmative-action policies to
remedy racism in Brazil

Proposes a different formula as a solution
Background
Racism in
Brazil
Racial
inequality
Racial
discrimination
Background
Racial inequality statistics
Workplace: Average income of whites is more than twice that of brown
or black Brazilians. Only one of the 38 members of the cabinet is black.
Education: Only 6.3% of black 18- to 24-year-olds were in higher
education in 2006 compared to 19.2% of whites.
Quality of life: More than half of the residents of Rio de Janeiros
favelas are black compared to 7% in the citys richer districts.
Background
Racial discrimination first-hand accounts by
Brazilians


But when your daughter goes out with a
black, things change. If black and white
youths with equal qualifications apply to
be a shop assitant in a Rio mall, the
white will get the job.
As a black man, when I
go for a job I start at a
disadvantage.
All the managers
are white and the
cleaners are black.
Background
History of slavery
4.9 million African slaves were shipped to Brazil between 16
th
and 19
th

century.
Brazil was the last
country in the
Americas to abolish
slavery in 1888.


Background
Activists argue that slaverys legacy of injustice and
inequality can only be reversed by US-style
affirmative-action policies that confer advantages to
blacks.

Background
Currently 3 cases of affirmative-action policies in court
1. Since 2002, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ) has reserved
20% of its places for black students who pass the entrance exam.
2. A federal programme ProUni was set up in 2004 to give poor
children scholarships to private universities, with a racial clause tied
to blacks.
3. Since 2001, over 70 public universities have implemented schemes
with a racial component, including racial admissions quotas and
points-based systems that factor race in.
Issues
Racism in Brazilian society is distinctly different
from that in US.






Thus US-style affirmative-action policies may not
work in Brazil.
Brazil US
History of slavery Racial mixing was legal
More free blacks
No civic rights movement
Racial mixing was illegal
Fewer free blacks
Civic rights movement
Racial composition
of population
Spectrum of skin colour Dichotomy
Forms of & attitudes
towards racism
Veiled
Shamefaced
Open
Institutional
Issues
US-style affirmative-action policies in terms of
racial quotas and special grants in university
admissions and job opportunities for blacks has
both benefits and drawbacks.


Writers Stand
American-style policies might not be the way to
combat Brazils specific forms of racism.
Proposed solutions: a combination of stronger legal
action against discrimination and quotas for social
class in higher education to compensate for weak
public schools


Implications
of affirmative-action racial policies
Benefits
Improves standard of living of black Brazilians
The percentage of blacks aged 18 to 24 who made it to higher education
doubled from 2001 to 2006.

Promotes racial and societal equality
The poorest social classes in Brazil are heavily represented by blacks, and
many blacks are among the poorest social classes.
Improving the social standing of blacks will aid in narrowing the gap
between social classes in Brazil.
Implications
of affirmative-action racial policies
Drawbacks
Affirmative-action policies are a form of racism.
Forces categorisation of Brazilians into distinct racial groups
Destroys idea of Brazils racial rainbow as national asset

Creates racial resentment
Drawbacks
Undermines meritocracy
due to race rather than regardless of race
Rich blacks depriving poor whites of places in university

Fundamental flaw in policy-making
Given racial context of Brazil, how do you even determine who is
black and who to give these advantages to?
Implications
of affirmative-action racial policies
My thoughts
on affirmative-action racial policies
Often justified as countering the effects of a history of
discrimination
Arise from guilt and a desire for atonement
Based on retribution

Ironically contradict the very purpose of abolishing
discrimination and promoting equality for all
Undermine meritocracy
Increase negative feelings towards the group it benefits as those that
lose out perceive the winners as depriving them of opportunities
and getting there not by their own talents but by unfair help.
May induce a vicious cycle
Implications
of stronger legal action against discrimination
Writers point of view
Brazil has had anti-discrimination legislation since the
1950s.
1988 constitution criminalised racial abuse and racism
crimes.
But there have been relatively few prosecutions
The writer is calling for stronger legal action to persecute
racial discrimination.
Implications
of stronger legal action against discrimination
My point of view
Difficult to enforce laws against racism
Veiled and shamefaced nature of racism in Brazil
No clear-cut definition of racism
Racism in the judiciary
Judges and prosecuters already think the current penalties are too harsh.

Laws do not solve the root cause of racism.
Only deters Brazilians from showing racism outwardly, but does not
remove their innate prejudice towards black Brazilians.
Implications
of social quotas in higher education
Quotas should be implemented for social and not
racial class.
Circumvents problems of affirmative-action racial policies
Balances opportunities between rich and poor
Increase social equality
Because the lower social tiers are highly represented by blacks, this
will in turn promote racial equality over time.
Implications
of social quotas in higher education
Problems
Social quotas undermine meritocracy to some extent.
Social quotas alone are inadequate in ensuring equal
education opportunities for all tiers of society.
Unable to afford certain courses or programmes in university
Lack access to quality education unable to pass admission tests
Implications
of social quotas in higher education
No system is perfect and not everyone can win.
I believe that the benefits to the lower social classes
(and to the Brazilian society overall) outweigh the
disadvantages to the higher social classes.
Social quotas can be complemented with other
measures to aid the lower social classes, and
gradually phased out.
Implications
of social quotas in higher education
What about quotas in job opportunities?
The writer remains neutral on this point.
My personal take:
Neither social nor racial quotas should be introduced in the workplace.
Undermines meritocracy to an even larger extent than in the context of
higher education
Creates social stratification and resentment between social classes
May spark conflicts in times of high unemployment rate
Solutions
to inadequacies of social quotas
Supplement social quotas in higher education with
measures aimed at students from poorer social
classes
Financial aid schemes
Scholarships and grants
Revamp education system in Brazil
Increase quality of pre-university education
Change mindsets of the poor towards education
Solutions
to unequal job opportunities
Leveling the playing field in the education scene will
equip more blacks with the skills and qualifications
necessary for a wider range of jobs.
help equalise job opportunities between races to some extent
Pass law requiring potential employees to omit their race
and photo when submitting job applications
Tackle racial discrimination in the workplace and in
society (*root cause of job inequality)
Solutions
to racial discrimination
Quotas in universities will ensure more
intermingling between Brazilians of different skin
colours.
Government must take a more proactive stand to
promote racial harmony.
Harness the power of the media and popular culture (already
happening)
Script racial issues into education curriculum
Reflections
how this relates to Singapore
Singapore has had more impetus for tackling
racism problems than Brazil.

Singapore Brazil
No history of slavery History of slavery
1960s racial riots No civic rights movement
Brazil has lessons to learn from Singapore.
Re-structuring of its education system and schemes to aid
students from poorer social classes
Measures to promote racial harmony
Reflections
how this relates to Singapore
Singapore also has lessons to learn from Brazil.
In a multi-racial society like ours, mixing between races
may lead to a spectrum of skin colours as in Brazil, and
current measures may have to be revised in the face of
increasingly blurred distinctions between races (the stating
of race on ones I/C, for instance).
Racism can be (and often is) innate and concealed.

Reflections
how this relates to Singapore
References
http://www.economist.com/node/16748962http://articl
es
cnn.com/2010-07-21/world/brazil.racism_1_brazilians-
racial-hatred-president-luiz-inacio-lula?_s=PM:WORLD
http://culturesocietypraxis.org/index.php/csp/article/vi
ewFile/88/68
http://org.elon.edu/brazilmagazine/2005/article10.htm
http://brazilchronicle.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/brazil
ians-think-race-intefere-on-quality-of-life-but-not-
everyone-is-concerned-over-equality/
Thank you!
Q & A