Truths, lies and facts about Brazil
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1. Brazil is not a poor country or a third world.
2. It's not all Brazilians who like carnival. (Photo of Men on brazilian carnival)
3. Health and access to higher education are priorities here.
4. Has the world's second biggest LGBT pride
5. We are not Latin (Lusos because we descended from Portuguese)
6. We love hygiene
7. We are open and friendly to peoples of the world
8. The main religion is Catholic
9. Brazil is the second most sought by Japanese
10. Sex-change surgery is free
11. 20% of Rio de Janeiro men are gay
12. We do not speak Spanish, but Portuguese.
13. Yes, who invented the plane was a Brazilian named "Santos Dummont"
14. The coffee you drink came from our country!
15. "Globo" is a Brazilian channel and the second largest emissary in the world!
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Okay time to debunk some myths.
1. Brazil is not a poor country but it has A LOT of poor people. Poverty is everywhere, 1/4 of the population lives on social assistance, the average wage is about 700 dollars per month and the middle class accounts to about 15 million people. Keep in mind that's a country of 205 million people.
2. Absolutely right, nobody cares about carnival in the southern states or in the mid-west but ultimately carnival is part of national culture and somewhat appreciated overseas.
3. Public healthcare is awful in Brazil, everyone with $ buys private insurance… The gov't has to hire Cuban doctors to work in rural areas and people constantly die waiting for emergency services in public hospitals. Brazilian universities are free but produce very little scientific content that's relevant to the world.
4. Brazil the second largest LGBT pride in the world... and also one of the highest rate of hate crimes against LGBT people. Violent crime in general is rampant. I left the country in 2012 after getting mugged several times, my house broken into few times and eventually kidnapped. Every single one of my family members fell victim to violent crime. My cousin was shot to death in the middle of the night after a break in. The crime situation is total insanity but Brazilians keep pretending it's not a big deal.
5. Brazilians are not latino and Hispanic but we are Latin, just like Italians, Argentines, Portuguese, French Canadians, etc.
6. Yeah, that's why there's a shit basket in every washroom because people still haven't learned to throw used toilet paper in the toilet or are simply clueless about modern piping.
7. It's definitely a warm culture but people can be full of themselves.
9. Brazil was the main destination for many Japanese immigrants in the 20th century but that was before the country fell into cultural and moral decline.
10. It's not free, it's paid by everyone through taxes, which are INSANELY HIGH. The only thing you can do in Brazil without paying taxes is to breathe. There are taxes on everything. Tax rate for basic needs like coffee and toilet paper is 40%, "luxury" items like electronics is 50-60%. Add another 35% if the item is not made in Brazil or Argentina.
13. Why are Brazilians still obsessed with Dummont? Few people care outside of Brazil but it's a big deal in the country.
15. Globo is not relevant internationally at all.
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Thanks, that was interesting. I have always been fascinated by Brazillian culture, partly because it is so heterogeneous. But I am pretty sure like the rest of the world, there is a class system based on skin color. Any comments?
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Okay time to debunk some myths. …
Almost all data is outdated. You are definitely a fan of Brazil. Come visit us! Hahaha
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Thanks, that was interesting. I have always been fascinated by Brazillian culture, partly because it is so heterogeneous. But I am pretty sure like the rest of the world, there is a class system based on skin color. Any comments?
In Brazil 40% of people are brown or black. 60% white. The rate of racism in Brazil is very low because of this mix. The government also invests in TV ads against racism, homophobia or any kind of prejudice. Of course, just like in other countries, it does not always work.
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ah entendi vc é brasileiro q mora no canada, ir morar no canada nao vai te fazer deixar de ser brasileiro querido! bjs e muita luz nessa negatividade!
