Why is Brazil's racial democracy an illusion? Also, compare the differences in Brazilian and American race relations

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Brazil was seen by some as a "racial democracy" and even a "racial paradise." Indeed, historically the term "race" is rare in Brazil; the term "color" is far more common. Historian Carl Degler (1971) identified the mulatto escape hatch as the key to the differences in Brazilian and American race relations. In Brazil, the mulatto or moreno (brown) is recognized as a group separate from either brancos (Whites) or prêtos (Blacks), whereas in the United States, mulattos are classed with Blacks. Yet this escape hatch is an illusion because mulattoes fare only marginally better economically than Black Brazilians or Afro Brazilians or Afro-descendants. In addition, mulattoes do not escape through mobility into the income and status enjoyed by White Brazilians. Labor market analyses demonstrate that Blacks with the highest levels of education and occupation experience the most discrimination in terms of jobs, mobility, and income. In addition, they face a glass ceiling that limits their upward mobility.

Today, the use of dozens of terms to describe oneself along the color gradient is obvious in Brazil because, unlike in the United States, people of mixed ancestry are viewed as an identifiable social group.