It is a populous country, yet there are few major Brazilian communities in the United States. Only parts of Massachusetts, Queens, and Newark, New Jersey come to mind. The U.S. Census estimates about 250,000 Brazilians living in the United States, which is many fewer than come from El Salvador, namely about two million. Why is there such a difference? The Brazilian number may well be an undercount but unofficial estimates still lie well below those of El Salvador.
1. Could it be that Brazil is too much fun to leave? Or too much fun to generate the norms of upward mobility which encourage poorer people to leave for greater ambition? If you live on the beach in northeastern Brazil, what exactly do you aspire to?
2. Do inhabitants of large, populous countries face larger cultural costs in leaving and adjusting their perspective?
3. Has Brazil had so much construction (including Brasilia), in its fairly wealthy sectors, that internal migration is a good enough substitute for external migration?
4. Brazil has a particular history of viewing the United States as a rival; El Salvador does not.
5. It seems that most Brazilian emigrants are ashamed to admit that they are emigrating to the United States, instead they claim they are simply “passing through,” or something similar.
What other points are relevant? Here is a study (pdf) of Brazilian migrants to Massachusetts.
Brazil also does not attract many (recent) migrants, even though in some sectors the economic opportunities are strong. It could be that external migrants have to compete too strongly with internal migrants from the poorer regions of Brazil.
Leonardo Monasterio restates the initial question in Portuguese.
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BTW, the difference between the brothers Wright and S. Dummont is that the former used a ramp to take off, whereas the latter did not. Three years later from the Brothers, SD took off his plane from the ground with no help from a ramp. Also, the former documented themselves their first take offs, whereas the latter’s activities were documented by an official French club. SD was a romantic genius and did not make patents of his many inventions, but were well and officially documented. So the question of who invented the plane is polemic. In any case, the first plane to take off without any help whatsoever (like a ramp) was that devised by SD.
Well, the United States did support the Coup d´Etat in Brazil and the rise of the military dictatorship. I feel I´m in a priviledge position to talk since my dad is American and my mom is Brazilian and I´ve live in both.
When they say that the best thing about Brazil are the Brazilians they really mean it. Everyone I know of my generation (keep in mind, I´m in my 20s) from Brazil who is in the US wants to go back and make their country a better place. There is a strong since of empowering their country that cross races and political parties. They are less divided, I feel. And being through school in Brazil and in the United States, I´ve might add they have some pretty serious studying schedule in high school, but not as many extra curricular activities (no cheerleaders). And although there is bullying, it´s not as intense as in the US, where we start diving ourselves (for protection as well) in groups and that´s it. I think that´s the word, division. They think more as a collective, and a nation. We (I am American in the end of the day) think about individual progress. And since Lula there was this wave of optimism and hope for the Brazilians in comparison we are pictured to the Brazilians as this land of Republicans, intolerance, shooters and serial killers.
The poorer want to model their elite and the elite always favored the European model. The education system is based on the French, they used to have French as their default second language and so on. America is for the noveau riche (new rich).
Also the Brazilians are really good at picking up languages, the Spanish speaking have a stronger accent that they. So, I don´t think that is the root cause. The Chinese have a horrible time learning English and that doesn´t prevent them from emigrating.
The warmth and openness that would don´t find anywhere else. It´s amazing. You will feel like you belong. I was in Rio a while back and I was asking my friends how they could live in such violent city. I was in Ipanema and my friends show me the beach and say: we have that, we have that (pointing to Christ, the redeemer), we have friends, we have our families, we have football (soccer) and we have our health. Life is not perfect, but you have to make the most of it. There are no sure things in this life, except that every year, there is Carnaval and I wouldn´t want to be in anywhere else. And after that I stop worrying. That sums up a lot Brazilians for me.
BTW, the difference between the brothers Wright and S. Dummont is that the former used a ramp to take off, whereas the latter did not. Three years later after the Brothers, SD took off his plane from the ground with no help from a ramp. Also, the former documented themselves, whereas the latter’s activities were documented by an official French club. SD was a romantic genius and did not make patents of his many inventions, although they were officially documented. So the question of who invented the plane is polemic mainly because of these 2 points (ramp, no ramp; personal vs official documentation).
No offense to the Brazilian commentators of this post, but I don’t buy the sentimental explanations (nearly every immigrant group in the US feels a deep love and pride of their ancestral homeland).
Of course, I’m NOT saying that Brazilians should NOT have pride in their country. Brazil is awesome. I think the reasons are more materialistic.
You’ve clearly never talked to a group of Russian expats, they tend to spend the time talking about what a shithole Russia is and how they hope to never go back.
Sorry for my duplicated post. It seemed that my previous comment had gone to the limbo, but then it now appeared. Please remove this and my duplicated post, if appropriate. Thanks.
How many Argentinians and Chileans are living in the United States? Brazil is not the same thing as the mesoamerican countries. That are next door to the US and are significantly poorer than Brazil, so the incentives to move are greater. Brazilian economic opportunities are certainly better than any mesoamerican country
Also the robust economic growth of Brazil in the last years, combined with the fact that the United States is stagnated for 10 years and don’t appear to be improving, don’t exactly paint a picture where moving there illegally is a good decision. Wages for unskilled labor in the US are of course significantly greater (10-15 dollars an hour versus 4-5 dollars an hour in Brazil). However, considering the expanding demand for skilled labor, I expect more Americans living in Brazil than Brazilians living in the US in the not so distant future.
While the difference in per capita income between some Brazilian regions is greater than the difference in per capita income between Mexico and the united states. The poorest state has a per capita income 5 times smaller (Piauí) than the wealthiest state (São Paulo), while Mexico’s per capita income is 3 times smaller than the US’s. The difference in terms of life expectancy between the Brazilian states are also greater than between Mexico and the United States (3 years), compared to 8 years for the difference between Santa Catarina to Alagoas.
As result internal migration in Brazil is as great as migration between mesoamerica and the united states. Tens of millions have migrated from the northeast region to the southern regions from 1950′s onwards.
Southerners have even prejudice towards immigrants from the northeast region and the region itself. People with that particular regional accent tend to be less respected.
Also, it should be noticed that Brazil is not near the United States, in physical terms the distance between Brazil and the USA is comparable to Europe and the USA or Brazil and Europe. And the bulk of the Brazilian population lives in the southern part of the country.
Chile, Uruguay and Argentina, and other south american countries also don’t send many immigrants to the United States. For Brazilians, Uruguayans, Argentinians and Chileans the costs of immigrating to Europe are roughly the same, and many . There are also the Japanese Brazilians that have immigrated to Japan.
The southern tip of South America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and the southern regions of Brazil) is also more developed than the rest of Latin America. Santiago and Buenos Aires don’t look worse than American or European cities. The benefits of immigrating to the “first world” are not great for the peoples of this part of the Americas, yes, wages per hour are a bit better, but it is not like the difference between El Salvador and the US.
I did some research on the Brazilian population in Framingham while in college (I am from the next town over, Ashland). While there is still a strong Brazilian population in Framingham, many have decided to move back to Brazil because of the lack of new opportunities and the strain on their families and culture. Also, a recent article from Boston.com about the abuse of Brazilian workers if anyone is interested. http://articles.boston.com/2010-12-05/ae/29297543_1_upper-crust-pizza-brazilians
There are significant Brazilian (many or mostly illegal) immigrants in Danbury, CT and some parts of Massachusetts.
I’m Brazilian and I’m genuinely curious about why in US some people think (judging by the comments) that we lack strong work ethics. Could someone elaborate on that? I don’t feel offended at all, so please feel free to express your opinion without any fear that you will hurt my feelings…
I employ laborers (gardeners, stone masons and housekeepers) at my place in Brazil. They are fabulous. The gardener takes care of the entire grounds of 0.23 hectare in only 3 days per month for $30 per day. The stone masons work up to 10 hours per day for $40 in concrete, stone and brick, and some at 67 years of age! The housekeeper cleans the house one day a week and prepares for us a week’s worth of casseroles, veggies and salad at the same time, all for $30 per day.
But I know Brazilians who “work” for the state or federal government, earn well, and retire at 55 (if a woman) at almost full pay, all the while enjoying rich benefits for them and their dependents (relatives of any degree). That’s great for them, but no way to run a country, as folks in Madison, WI and Ohio are demonstrating.
But Brazilians know how to work less and live more. I have managed to live that way in Amerika by concentrating on gaming our socialist system, working only an average of 18 weeks annually and maxing out unemployment “benefits” for 45 years. So the good life can be had in the USSA, too. Or could. When Obamacare comes into force, you will be taxed just for existing! Indeed, every enterprising young Amerikan nowadays, especially the childfree, single, young Black man (so heavily taxed in the USSA for the White female married breeders) should start studying Brazilian Portuguese!
The Brazilian work ethic is fine by me, but I will say that I have never met a Brazilian who can return a borrowed tool, unless broken or dull, or who can sharpen any tool or fix any high-tech gadget. I’ve never seen a Brazilian read a book on a beach, bus or train, either.
Are there currently significant numbers of American immigrants living in Brazil? Maybe we should be heading there.
1. We, Brazilians, don’t see the United States (and any other country) as a rival. We don’t have rivals! What a crazy idea! We see everyone as a friend. We love your country and your people.
2. We are not lazy. Of course there are some lazy people here, as in all other countries, including the US (I met many lazy North Americans already! But I don’t consider North Americans, in general, lazy people).
3. “Brazil is too much fun to leave”. Many foreigners think that Brazil is all about fun. We are not just jungle, carnival and football like many of you think. Of course we have a lot of fun, but we also work hard. Otherwise our economy would not be growing so fast.
4. I believe that Brazilians don’t like to leave our country because it is a great country to live. We have good job opportunities, nice places, nice people, fun, etc. Maybe that’s why so many foreigners want to move to Brazil.
5. If we consider 3 million Brazilians living abroad out of 190 million, it is not that much.
6. Developed countries have much better universities. I believe this is one of the reasons why Brazilians spend some time abroad.
7. I completely agree with what Fabio Franco said in relation to “human warmth”. I have lived abroad already and had the same feeling. It is not about fun, it is about “human warmth”. As Fabio said, “Americans will never understand this, unless they go to Brazil and live there for a while”.
8. Like North Americans, we are very proud of our country.
Well, this has been a remarkably fact-free exercise in speculation! The data quoted in the original post seems only to support the thesis that Brazilians don’t emigrate *to the USA* in numbers as great as nationals of closer-by nations. I see no evidence put forward to suggest that Brazilians tend not to emigrate to other countries–that could well be, but no evidence has yet been put forward. Coming from a Brazilian family (my mother’s) that saw four of twelve siblings emigrate to other countries, I remain skeptical…
Jesus Christ why is there an influx of Sailer readers on this one post?
Don’t get me wrong, Steve has some very interesting points, but the cult of personality as well as extreme bias shown by some of his reader base is just annoying.
As a Brazilian I have a list of problems that difficult that:
- Language and lack of good and cheap language schools. To learn english here you spend monthly about R$200, considering that the Minimal Salary is about R$ 500 monthly…
- To us is difficult even to take a Tourist Visa for US, Legal immigration is almost impossible…
- It’s very expensive to do both the legal and ilegal immigration, and as I said, the minimal salary here is a lot less the you spend monthly to pay our bills, and the most part of the people here earn this.
Well, I can list here a lot of reasons, but I think that are the main points.
Have you met Brazillian women?? Why would anyone want to leave?
Rigid labour laws make social life much better. Flexible laws like in the US or the UK put much more stress on the worker. Rigid ones kind of force people to be nice to each other, since it is so expensive to fire so people know they will have to live together.
Before the crash, Americans boosted that the US had half of the French unemployment rate. But anyway, 92% of the French were working if they wnated to, while 96% of Americans were in the same situation. But the 92% of France lived much better than the 96% of America
Brazil has French-style labour laws. Rigid labour laws are highly correlated with a better social life, ceteris paribus.
Pompano Beach, FL, Austin, TX (which also has a great Carnaval celebration) have significant Brazilian populations.
In the 1980′s many of the Brazilian immigrants – especially in New York – were middle class, well educated mainly, from Minas Gerais fleeing a bad economy. When things improved many returned and many continue to return.
Maybe they are building something too, in South America. They have their own manifest destiny….
In addition, Brazilian immigrants have transformed Mt. Vernon, NY.
Most opportunities in the U.S. are in areas where people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, bad weather and a mild depression in winter. A Brazilian will feel something wrong in the air, will feel something wrong with themselves and start to plan a return to Brazil asap. Back in Brazil they will spread the word of U.S. being a place to visit, or to stay for a short time but not to live. This discourages new immigrants. The other factors pointed out by others are also valid.
Nobody seems to have mentioned mentioned that in the U.S. there is no good vacation for employees — 2 to 3 weeks in most cases. In Brazil there are 30 days plus plenty of holidays to enjoy the good weather.
I think the whole premise of this post and thread of comments are wrong – Portugal is full of Brazilians. Comparing my personal expericen with american movies (not a good comparision, i admit), Brazilians in Portugal seems so common as Mexicans in US.
Pompano Beach, Fl is a Brazilian/Portugese hotspot.
I’m a natural-born American native of Paraguay who spends 3 months a year at my home in Rio. I’m in Texas now, dying to get back there.
Brazilians have every reason to prefer Brazil and they justifiably succumb to a deadly attack of saudades once they leave. They have a better work ethic. They are pacifists. They are less materialistic and take more time for fun. They have a life full of great slang, parties, flirting and family, much of which would be compromises if they lived in the USSA. Throughout Brazil, they can drink beer anywhere on a state or federally protected park or beach, something they can’t do in California or Florida, for chrissake. If they did go to Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon, they would see nobody of color there–whether Brazilian, Mexican, Amerindian or Black! They would feel as if they had just entered a White country club for retirees!
There are few damnBaptists and knee-jerk environmentalists there, not to mention cops, following them around, checking for sin. You can drink a beer 24/7 anywhere in the country except while driving. You can approach any woman there, of whatever age, right there in the park or on the street, and start up a conversation. Even if she’s eight-years old! Try that in Amerika and they call the cops.
Contrast that with Florida, please. I just spent a decade one month driving 11,000 km with two Brazilian friends through 19 US states, spending lots of time in Florida. Their favorite thing was Walmart. No surprise: you can drive for hours up the coast on A1A and you will meet nobody and see nobody walking on the street. Woe to you if you need to ask directions or would like to get out of your car and have a beer or a caipirinha on one of the numerous beaches! Where I live in Brazil, the moment I walk out my door and throughout my walk in the city, I greet hundreds of neighbors and other folks. Here in Texas, my neighbors get into their cars in the garage and drive around for hours without speaking with anyone but check-out clerks!
In Amerika, you will see plenty of cops, however, out there to see that you do not smoke, drink, have sex in the wrong position or carry maconha! Amerika is a fascist country compared with Brazil. In spite of the crime in Brazil, you breathe a breath of the fresh air of liberty once you step out on Copacabana beach, something you cannot feel in the USSA.
In Amerika, you are forced to spend most of your time in your house, since you pay $5000 per year property taxes whether you are suffering there or enjoying yourself overseas! You pay significant car title and insurance fees for the whole year whether you are suffering there or visiting Paris. You will have paid lifelong premiums for Medicare (or Obamacare) that are worthless to you whether in Paris or Copacabana!
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Brazil is indeed the land of the future and I hope to hell Amerika is the land of the past.
“Brazil is indeed the land of the future and I hope to hell Amerika is the land of the past.”
Within 15 years America, BY DESIGN, will become a Majority 3rd World heritage CESSPOOL.
This is now Post-American America
Some commenters pointed something that occurred to me as well: there are countries other than US with big communities. In fact, it looks like we Brazilians prefer to emigrate to Europe, which makes sense for some reasons: it is easier to emigrate to there, there are countries whose languages are easier to learn for a Portuguese speaker, the labor laws are more rigid and protective etc. There is a respectable community in Japan as well, formed mostly by descendants of the wide Japanese community in Brazil.
In fact, there is this strange sense in Brazil that going to the United States rather than to Europe, either emigrating or as a tourist, is something cheesy which only impressed upstarts want to do. I bet it is not a just perception but seems to be quite common.
I think you’re comparing apples to oranges here when it comes to using El Salvador as your benchmark. There was a civil war in El Salvador for 12 years which resulted in a “lost generation” and more than 25% of the country’s population emigrating elsewhere. Most country’s numbers would look skewed in comparison.
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