Experiencing Good Times and Bad Times: Racism, Rising Consumerism, and Increasing Incomes among Afro-Brazilians

• In Event: Race, Ethnicity and Political Culture(s) in Latin America

Abstract

In this paper I use a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between increasing incomes and consumer goods and perceptions of discrimination. While most Brazilians acknowledge discrimination in society, are Afro-Brazilians more likely to report personal experiences of discrimination as income has risen over time? In-depth interviews in the cities of Salvador, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro reveal that many Afro-Brazilians acknowledge that Brazil’s economic boom has allowed for more consumerism yet some still complain about less opportunities for the poor or for Afro-Brazilians. Are educated Afro-Brazilians more likely to claim they have experienced discrimination? As incomes rise, do perceptions of racial discrimination increase over time? My hypothesis is that as incomes rise, more Afro-Brazilians will perceive racial discrimination than simply attributing discrimination to class.

Author

• Gladys L Mitchell-Walthour, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee