Brazil and the USA: Similarities in Urban Development

Image
  Introduction My dissertation focused on the Brazilian production and reception of representations of the United States as a growing model of modern society in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Based on the analysis of parliamentary debates, newspaper articles, diplomatic correspondence, books, students' journals, and textual and pictorial advertisements in newspapers, among other historical documents, my findings indicate that the United States emerged as a new axis of reflection on the meaning of modernity for Brazilians well before the historical break traditionally chosen by historians as a landmark in the development of the United States as a modern world. By doing so, a gap in historiography has been identified: there has been no comprehensive examination of the United States' influence in Brazil previous to that historical watershed, as well as prior to Brazil's first republican regime's open relationship with the US government. My findings also challen
Post a Comment

Cultural Connections: Brazil and the USA

 

The Second World War and the Changing North American Focus


In the lead-up to World War II, the United States government was acutely aware of the necessity for some form of cultural exchange with Brazil. Vargas' regime, which transitioned to fascism and radical nationalism in the mid-1930s, acquired weapons from Germany after being rejected by the United States. However, Brazilian elites felt a stronger cultural connection to the Allies, and the country possessed significant natural resources that could be traded with the allied nations at highly advantageous prices. In 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States addressed the Brazilian Congress. Roosevelt addresses the shift in American policies regarding topics such as the United States' relationship with Cuba, the symbiotic relationship Roosevelt aimed to establish with Brazil through his "Good Neighbor" policy, America's aspiration for Brazil to modernize, and Brazilian nationalism. It has been an immense honor for me to become acquainted with your President. I have had the opportunity to meet some of his family in the past, and I am optimistic that we will be able to welcome President Vargas as a visitor to the United States in the near future.

Could I briefly discuss communications? I have consistently believed that the future relationships of the Americas will be significantly impacted by the introduction of the airplane and faster steamship service. This is due to the fact that science will facilitate the development of a deeper understanding between us, and individuals who are well acquainted can form friendships. Therefore, I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of additional information regarding Brazil in the United States in the near future (Garcia). The peaceful visit of Roosevelt to Brazil signified a shift in American foreign policy, which had been beset by the recent violence in Cuba. However, America's recent shift toward diplomacy was not solely motivated by altruism. The leaders of Brazil pursued a more robust relationship in response to the increasing threat posed by Nazi Germany and the country's previously ambiguous foreign policy. In order to ensure Brazil's assistance in the war effort, Roosevelt sought to enhance relations with its southern neighbor. After the United States' response to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and Germany's failed invasion of Russia, Brazil would not actively offer its support until 1942, when the odds were clearly in favor of the Allies. Brazil's entry, regardless of its tardiness, was a cause for celebration in the United States, as evidenced by this newsreel:

Cultural Exchange in the Postwar Era

The United States recognized an opportunity to advance its economic interests in Brazil as it established an alliance with the country during the conflict. One method of accomplishing this was to increase Brazilians' exposure to American culture, a project that was already underway at the onset of the conflict. 85% of the films that were screened in Brazil between 1928 and 1937 were produced in Hollywood. However, in the years following the conflict, the United States government endeavored to establish more robust cultural connections by presenting Brazilian representations to an American audience. Nelson Rockefeller, a multimillionaire, assumed responsibility for a new office that sought to recruit filmmakers and studios to produce films that featured Brazilian features and were intended for a Brazilian audience.José (Zé) Carioca, the samba-dancing, cigar-smoking parakeet, is depicted in a scene from the film Saludos Amigos.In Saludos Amigos, Walt Disney developed a new character that was a caricature of Brazilian life. The character was a samba-dancing, cigar-smoking parrot named José–Zé to Brazilian audiences–Carioca. He served as Donald Duck's sidekick during the American duck's journey to Latin America, where he encountered Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking friends. Zé Carioca's success in Brazil served as an inspiration for his own spin-off animations. Americans were evidently captivated by specific aspects of Brazilian culture; however, the culture they were observing was exoticized, influenced by Hollywood, and frequently confounded with that of Brazil's neighbors. In a 1942 article published in the Washington Post, journalist Katharine Brush discussed this type of misrepresentation:

I am averse to engaging in debates with the movies, the magazine article writers, and the Messrs. Shubert; however, I am concerned that the time has arrived. Given that the Brazilians are our allies in this war, I believe it is imperative that someone assert that (1) Brazil is not solely a scenic destination, (2) Carnival Week in Rio de Janeiro is not an annual event, and (3) Carmen Miranda is rarely resembled in appearance or attire. "Carmen Miranda, Samba, and the Exotic Brazil": The lush, deep music of Brazil Carmen Miranda, who is perhaps the most recognizable Brazilian star of the twentieth century, certainly embodied an exotic image in numerous of her most renowned performances. She was seen dancing with tropical fruits on her head or dressed entirely in white and adorned with gold and silver jewelry while singing "O que é que a baiana tem?" (What characteristics does a Bahian lady, or baiana, possess?) Nevertheless, Miranda was appropriating a culture that was not her own. She rose to fame as a singer and dancer to samba music, which incorporated African rhythms and symbols, despite her Portuguese heritage and fair complexion.

At the time, she represented a form of racial democracy that was not reflected in the opportunities available to Brazilians of various ethnicities


as she identified herself as from Bahia, a center of Afro-Brazilian culture. She was not the only one; the samba was being appropriated by a number of renowned performers at the time and became synonymous with Brazil as a whole. During his 1942 visit to Brazil, Orson Welles referred to samba as "the rich, deep, Brazilian music rolling down to Rio from the hills." This was a reflection of his conviction that the purest form of samba originated in the favelas located in the hills surrounding the city. Carmen Miranda was invited to the United States in 1939 as part of Roosevelt's "Good Neighbor" policy, which aimed to promote cultural exchange between the two countries, following a decade of success as a samba vocalist in Brazil. She began her career as a stage performer in New York and later relocated to Hollywood to pursue a career in film. She began to perform her songs in English and integrated the musical traditions of other nations, including Cuban rumba, into her act. Miranda was stereotyped as a Latin female of mixed race who was compliant, charming, and sexually available, according to numerous scholars. Simultaneously, she can be perceived as an astute observer of popular culture trends by creating a persona that resonated with her American audience and their desire for an exotic display.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brazil and the USA: Exploring Economic and Social Parallels

Image
  Steamship lines serve the United States. Brazil's early gravitation toward the orbit of US production. Introduction Although most historians of the British Empire have overlooked Britain's participation in Latin America, specialists from this region and others have produced a significant number of publications on the subject. Brazilianists' interest with Britain's role in comprehending Brazil's evolution during the nineteenth century is surely a case in point. However, empirical study on British influence in Latin America has generally focused on economic and business relationships rather than political or social issues. As described in the introduction of this thesis, this tendency holds true in the instance of Brazil.6 This chapter argues that Brazilian economic history has overlooked the economic relevance and cultural influence of the early US commercial presence in Brazil, focusing solely on British supremacy in the country. According to our sources, the Unit
Read more

What Do Brazil and the USA Have in Common?

Image
  José Silvestre Rebello, the Brazilian representative to the United States, began negotiations in New York in 1825 to purchase a steam vessel from the New York South America Steam Boat Association, which had recently been formed.  One of Rebello's primary responsibilities was to purchase riverboats suited for navigating the Amazon River. However, the strategies suggested in Rio de Janeiro contrasted with Amazonian interests. On that occasion, the governor of the Amazonian province of Pará refused to allow Rebello's efforts to procure a ship built for the service of Amazon waters to advance up the river.633 After that first attempt, it would be forty-one years before the Amazon fluvial system was opened up for global travel. Despite the failure of this early effort, American merchants remained the most actively engaged foreigners in striving to reduce the barriers to accessing the Amazon basin's riches. Matthew Fontaine Maury, a Virginia-born, self-educated physicist who se
Read more

Cultural Convergences Between Brazil and the USA

Image
  Steamship lines serve the United States. Brazil's early gravitation toward the orbit of US production. Introduction Although most historians of the British Empire have overlooked Britain's participation in Latin America, specialists from this region and others have produced a significant number of publications on the subject. Brazilianists' interest with Britain's role in comprehending Brazil's evolution during the nineteenth century is surely a case in point. However, empirical study on British influence in Latin America has generally focused on economic and business relationships rather than political or social issues. As described in the introduction of this thesis, this tendency holds true in the instance of Brazil. This chapter argues that Brazilian economic history has overlooked the economic relevance and cultural influence of the early US commercial presence in Brazil, focusing solely on British supremacy in the country. According to our sources, the Unite
Read more