Overview
As a result of Portuguese colonialism from the 16th century onwards, Brazil is a now multicultural country with ethnically diverse population comprising White 47.7%, Mulatto 43.1%, Black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, and Indigenous people 0.4% (CIA Factbook 2021). For much of the twentieth century, Brazil has often self-identified as a racial democracy where the three racial groups coexist harmoniously (Arocena 2008) despite ongoing systemic racial discrimination (Telles 2004, 2010). Unlike some other settler societies, Brazil has pursued racial assimilation as a policy during/since the Portuguese colonial period, which led to the emergence of a significant mulatto (mixed-race) population. Yet authors like Telles (2006) explain the mulatto population arised from the gendered dimension of colonialism: only Portuguese men were sent to the Brazilian colony effectively manufacturing this assimilation through marriage with non-white (Afro and/or Indigenous) women. Despite the high level of racial integration, the issue of racism and racial discrimination especially towards Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous peoples have been officially acknowledged in the country and racism was declared as a crime in the constitution; in addition, since the 2000s, policies and legislations have been passed to mitigate racial discrimination (Arocena 2008). Indigenous people face ongoing illegal land encroachments caused by extractive practices, for example from 2010-2020 illegal mining grew five-fold in First Nations areas (Conceição et al 2021; Map Biomas 2021[MOU1] ).
Over the last decades, Brazil has witnessed several waves of migration; in the early 20th century this was mostly from European migrants to up the number of white people in the country (see Telles 2006). In the last few decades, however, the state has adopted a “comprehensive approach” to integration and combating racism. The country has undergone major reforms, mostly introduced in 2017 including a new migration law, which provided immigrants with unconditional path to residential permeant and more freedoms in the labour market. Immigrants are also granted equal access to education services and the ability to participate in the country’s political activity by joining political parties (MIPEX 2021).
Intercultural Dialogue Index (ICDI) Score
| Component | Score |
| Legislative Dimension | 0.53 |
| Multiculturalism | 0.40 |
| Anti-Discrimination | 0.67 |
| Structural Dimension | 0.39 |
| Social Contact | 0.22 |
| Fractionalisation | 0.62 |
| Inequality | 0.43 |
| Access to communication | 0.22 |
| Cohesion and Stability | 0.46 |
| Opportunities Dimension | 0.68 |
| Attitudes | 0.85 |
| Inclusion | 0.53 |
| Freedoms and Rights | 0.66 |
| ICDI Score | 0.53 |
Summary
Brazil has achieved an overall ICDI score of 0.53. A score above 0.8 in the component of intercultural attitudes signals an above average global social tolerance index. A score above 0.6 in the component of anti-discrimination signals that there is a presence of anti-discrimination acts and policies in the country. Similarly, a score of 0.66 in the component of freedoms and rights indicates a moderate degree of press freedom and freedom of movement. In contrast, scores of 0.22 in the components of social contact and access to communication suggest low levels of cultural participation and a decreasing number of Indigenous and immigrant living languages.
Current situation and outlook
Brazil’s average scores in its legislative dimension is impacted by a lower score in the component of multi-culturalism. This can be strengthened by promoting multicultural and/or diversity acts and policies and promoting migrant integration measures. Additionally, the country can improve its structural dimension by increasing the platforms for social contact amongst the different communities in the country, facilitating increased access to communication. Brazil can enhance its opportunities dimension by encouraging intergroup relations and strengthening advocating for discrimination against ethnic minorities. Such measures will also help prevent fragmentation and division between the different communities.