XVII Congress of the Brazilian Studies Association

The experiences and consequences of race relations between Brazilians and Americans in the Second World War

• In Event: Circulation of Ideas Between Brazil and the United States II

Abstract

The objective of this work is to understand the race relations practices of Brazilians and Americans in the 1940s, taking as a basis the Brazilian and American army units that fought in the Italian Campaign in the Second World War. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the only combat division in this war that was racially integrated, without racial or national separations. Fighting at the side of the BEF in Tuscany were several divisions of the American army. One of these was a racially segregated Division, the 92nd Division ("Buffalo Division"), composed of black soldiers and junior officers and commanded by white senior officers. Contact between soldiers from the two countries highlighted differences in racial relations, on both the combat front and home front; on the American side, there was some surprise regarding this characteristic of Brazilian troops, both among white troops and in segregated divisions, while on the Brazilian side, this contrast reinforced a positive identity, feeding a preexisting myth of racial democracy.
Considering the fight for racial equality, the participation of African-Americans and African-Brazilians in the war produced different consequences after the conflict ended. African-Americans, who fought under the slogan of “Double V” (victory against fascism on the external front, and against racism internally), expanded their fight for civil rights, with war veterans becoming engaged in the movement. In Brazil, in turn, the experience of having the only racially integrated army did not produce concrete consequences in the post-war period. On the contrary, the veiled forms of racism practiced in the country were maintained, a “cordial” racism.

Author

• Francisco Ferraz, Universidade Estadual de Londrina