Group Maintenance and Ethnic Commitment

Brazil is a country with a peculiar nationalism. A small ruling elite, mainly, although not exclusively, of Portuguese descent, has long ruled the nation in its own interests, exploiting the great mass of the population and creating an intense dual class system. Only recently, with the growth of the middle sectors in the south and southeast, is the pattern changing. The mass of the Brazilian population, working and middle classes, has developed a thorough mistrust of its government and public institutions at all levels. The state has never done much for the great majority of the people, so few of them expect much of it. To a Brazilian, “good government” is almost an oxymoron. By contrast, Brazilians have great faith in their culture and cultural institutions, a faith that gives the country formidable organic strength. A Brazilian is a Brazilian and will not be anything else. Although Brazilians throughout the political spectrum condemn their own politics and institutions as worthless, they remain deeply loyal to their culture and their parentela, family, friends, and community.

They thus have a deep ethnocultural identity. Years of slavery and of ethnic mixture in a tropical environment have created a rich, multiracial culture that is respected by all strata of Brazilian society. Even the traditional aristocracy has gradually accepted many of these popular beliefs, and the Afro-Portuguese culture that developed is now taught in the schools and promoted by the media. In Canada the Brazilian community shows the same characteristics very clearly. The deep class division is reflected, especially in Toronto, and mistrust of authority is widespread. At the same time, Brazilians in Canada demonstrate a strong sense of cultural identity. The evolution of different Carnival celebrations reveals this fact clearly. The music and symbols are largely the same, although the audiences are different.

Brazil is also a country of great regional differences, and these are reflected in the Brazilian-Canadian population. As was noted, the majority of the immigrants of the 1980s came from the state of Minas Gerais, while most other immigrants were from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the south. This pattern has led to some conflict, although it is probably due to class rather than regional difference. Regional variation is used to rationalize basic class conflicts, as is the case in Brazil. However, a general “Brazilian-ness” tends to override such variation, all other things being equal. The same complex patterns occur with regard to physical differences such as skin colour and hair, which are generally ignored. There are few Afro-Brazilians in Canada, but those who have come tend not to be from the impoverished sectors and seem to be well accepted, at least by their compatriots.

Language is also a factor in community identity. Although Brazilians associate with the Portuguese in Toronto and have received a great deal of support from them, their own identity remains sharp, possibly stronger than that of the Portuguese themselves. Brazilians recognize each other as the same people, with a common historical identity, but solidarity is more problematic. Class and regional differentiation tend to fragment the community. What unites all Brazilians are certain national institutions such as Carnival, music, or soccer, though even here class distinctions are visible.

Thus, despite strong cultural identity, there seems to be little unity among Brazilians in Canada. Organizations are apparently more interested in promoting class and business interests than cultural ones. Brazilians have at times allied with the Portuguese community to agitate for changes to immigration regulations and for political support, but there has been little in the way of political mobilization. Significant commitment to ethnic maintenance is limited. The elite group, which has considerable influence and could have an impact on local politics, is largely assimilated into the Canadian establishment, itself increasingly international. The less affluent, if they remain in the country, seem content to seek material success and reluctantly allow their children to enter the surrounding society.