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10 Tidelike Diasporas in Brazil
- University of Nevada Press
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170 10 Tidelike Diasporas in Brazil From Slavery to Orkut javier bustamante The diaspora phenomenon has become a component of globalization. It is a complex, systemic, and nontemporary phenomenon that is not localized geographically speaking but rather worldwide. Given its complexity , and the different forms it may take, we speak not of one diaspora but rather of several diasporas, and digital diaspora is perhaps one of the most interesting of them. Brazilian diasporas are not unidirectional movements; rather, they are dynamic and multidirectional flows. According to de Lucas (2003)—following the thought of Mauss—diaspora is a complex social phenomenon that involves multiple relationships (work, legal, technological , cultural, political, economic, and so on). Consequently, it cannot be reduced only to its cultural, political, or economic aspects. For that reason diasporas and migrations should be looked at in a new way without falling into the trap of stereotypes that fit our own interests depending on the role we play in those processes. Due to its continental size and the racial diversity that has characterized the country since it came into being, Brazil is an extraordinary social laboratory that allows us to study how diasporic flows, over time, shape a country. Practically half of Brazil’s population is of full or partial African descent, and some of the most distinguished Brazilian anthropologists, like Ribeiro (1995), t i d e l i k e d i a s p o r a s i n b r a z i l 171 stress that Brazil was born from a mixture of races. In the 1960s French sociologist Bastide (1979)already described Brazil as the world’s largest racial democracy because it was the destination of multiple diasporic movements that regarded it as the promised land. As we will see, three hundred years of slavery—a forced diaspora—deeply marked the country’s demographic features. After the slave trade, the different waves of migration added new features to the country’s identity. The incorporation of cultural features of different ethnic groups did not come about in an atmosphere without tensions. Until not long ago, some cultural expressions from an African or native background like candomblé or umbanda were discriminated against. Capoeira, a blend of African martial arts and dance, was also persecuted during many generations. Until the mid-twentieth century, samba, which is now one of the most characteristic elements of Brazilian culture abroad, was prohibited by the authorities as it was regarded as the music of the poor people (de los Santos 2001). This ethnic and cultural heterogeneity is highlighted by one of the fathers of its independence, José Bonifácio (1973),as one of the main problems that existed even before the birth of Brazil as a country. However, in the end, it has become one of the country’s main intangible assets. This ethnic and cultural blend has become a strategic resource in an increasingly globalized world. Brazil has now balanced its diasporic flows. Instead of being a destination for diasporic flows, there is now a large Brazilian diaspora overseas that invests heavily in the country and exports its cultural industry, especially its music. Internal diasporas are also reshaping the country. Brazilians overseas adopt forms of solidarity and communication with their home communities through the paradigmatic means of digital diaspora. The extensive use of social networks, especially Orkut, shows us how the concept of diaspora is evolving, and how the standards for communication and types of social relationships are changing within communities abroad. This tidelike movement of Brazilian diasporas is this chapter’s leitmotif. the history of brazil as a history of diaspora First Identity: Destination for the Diaspora of Slavery The words of García Fajardo (2002) aptly emphasize the relationship among slavery, diaspora, and migrations when he ironically states that immigrants are very polite people who return the visits that Europeans made for five hundred years. They already know the way; all they need to do is retrace the steps of the conquerors, missionaries, and colonizers who occupied and [34.236.152.203] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 10:58 GMT) 172 d i a s p o r a s i n t h e n e w m e d i a a g e cultivated their land, uprooted their traditions, and subjugated or enslaved them using as an excuse the three mythical c’s invoked by King Leopold II of Belgium and adopted by the 1885Berlin Conference: “civilization, Christianity , and commerce.” Between the sixteenth and nineteenth...