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Afro-Brazilians

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African Union Afro-Brazilians Brazil



Notable Afro-Brazilians:

Ernesto Carneiro Ribeiro • Ronaldinho • Machado de Assis
Pelé • Daiane dos Santos • Lima Barreto
Cruz e Souza • Nilo Peçanha • Joaquim Benedito Barbosa Gomes

Benedita da Silva • Seu Jorge • Francisco Félix de Souza
Regions with significant populations
Brazil
Languages
Portuguese
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, non-religious, Kardekist, Umbanda, Candomblé
Related ethnic groups
African, Angolan, Yoruba, Ewe, Afro-Chilean, Afro-Argentine, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Ecuadorian, Afro-Latin American, Afro-Mexican, Afro-Peruvian, Afro-Trinidadian, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Jamaicans, Afro-Costa Rican, Afro-Uruguayan, African-American

Afro-Brazilian, or Black Brazilian, is the term used to racially categorize Brazilian citizens who self-reported to be of black or brown (Pardo) skin colors to the official IBGE census. As of 2005, 91 million Brazilians were included in the black and brown category.[2]

Brazil has the largest population of black origin outside of Africa[3] with, in 2007, 7.4% classyfing themselves as preto (black skin color) and 42.3% as pardo (brown color). The latter classification is broad and encompasses Brazilians of mixed ancestry, including mulattos and caboclos[1] making the total 49.5%. The largest concentration of Afro-Brazilians is in the state of Bahia where over 80% of the people are descendants of Africans.[4][5][6]

A large number of Brazilians have some African ancestry and Brazilian populations are remarkably heterogeneous. Due to intensive mixing with Europeans and Native Indians, Brazilians with African ancestors may or may not show any trace of black features[7].

History

Main article: History of Brazil

Brazil obtained 37% of all African slaves traded, and close to 4 million slaves were sent to this one country.[8] Starting around 1550, the Portuguese began to trade African slaves to work the sugar plantations once the native Tupi people deteriorated. During the colonial epoch, slavery was a mainstay of the Brazilian economy, especially in mining and sugar cane production.

The Clapham Sect, a group of Victorian Evangelical politicians, campaigned during most of the 19th century for England to use its influence and power to stop the traffic of slaves to Brazil. Besides moral qualms, Brazilian slavery hampered the development of markets for British products, which was a main concern of British government and civil society. This combination led to intensive pressure from the British government for Brazil to end this practice, which it did by steps over several decades. Slavery was legally ended May 13 by the Lei Áurea ("Golden Law") of 1888.

African disembarkments in Brazil, from 1500 to 1855[9]
Period 1500-1700 1701-1760 1761-1829 1830-1855
Numbers 510,000 958,000 1,720,000 618,000

Origins

The Africans brought to Brazil belonged to two major groups: the West African and the Bantu people.

The West African people (previously known as Sudanese, and without connection with Sudan) were sent in large scale to Bahia. They mostly belong to the Ga, Adangbe, Yoruba, Igbo, Fon, Ashanti, Ewe, Mandinka, and other West African groups native to Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria.

The Bantus were brought from Angola, Congo region and Mozambique and sent in large scale to Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and the Northeastern Brazil.

Estimated disembarkment of Africans in Brazil from 1781 to 1855[10]
Period Place of arrival
Total in Brazil South of
Bahia		 Bahia North of
Bahia
Total period 2.113.900 1.314.900 409.000 390.000
1781-1785 63.100 34.800 ... 28.300
1786-1790 97.800 44.800 20.300 32.700
1791-1795 125.000 47.600 34.300 43.100
1796-1800 108.700 45.100 36.200 27.400
1801-1805 117.900 50.100 36.300 31.500
1806-1810 123.500 58.300 39.100 26.100
1811-1815 139.400 78.700 36.400 24.300
1816-1820 188.300 95.700 34.300 58.300
1821-1825 181.200 120.100 23.700 37.400
1826-1830 250.200 176.100 47.900 26.200
1831-1835 93.700 57.800 16.700 19.200
1836-1840 240.600 202.800 15.800 22.000
1841-1845 120.900 90.800 21.100 9.000
1846-1850 257.500 208.900 45.000 3.600
1851-1855 6.100 3.300 1.900 900

Note: "South of Bahia" means, "from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul"; "North of Bahia" means, "from Sergipe to Amapá".

Main Afro-Brazilian communities

As of 2007, the Brazilian Metropolitan Area with the largest percentage of people reported as of African descent was Salvador, Bahia, with 1,869,550 Pardo (brown) people (53.8%) and 990,375 Black people (28.5%). The state of Bahia has also the largest percentage of Afro-Brazilians, with 62.9% of Brown and 15.7% of Blacks.[11] As of 2000, the towns with the highest percentage of blacks were: Riacho Frio (PI) with 61.71%, Pugmil (TO) with 41.33% and Pedrão (BA) with 39.32%. The towns with the highest percentage of Pardos (Brown) were: Nossa Senhora das Dores (SE) with 98.16%, Santo Inácio do Piauí (PI) with 96.90% and Boa Vista do Ramos (MA) with 92.40%.[12]

Genetic studies

Genetic origin of Brazilian population (Perc.% rounded values)
Line Origin Negros
(Black)[13]		 Brancos
(Caucasian)[14]
Maternal
(mtDNA)		 Sub-Saharan Africa 85% 28%
Europe 2.5% 39%
Native Brazilian 12.5% 33%
Paternal
(Y chromosome)		 Sub-Saharan Africa 48% 2%
Europe 50% 98%
Native Brazilian 1.6% 0%

A recent genetic study of Afro-Brazilians made for BBC Brasil analysed the DNA of self-reported Blacks from São Paulo.[15]

The research analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), that is present in all human beings and passed down with only minor mutations through the maternal line. The other is the Y chromosome, that is present only in males and passed down with only minor mutations through the paternal line. Both can show from what part of the world a matrilineal or patrilineal ancestor of a person came from, but one can have in mind that they are only a fraction of the human genome, and reading ancestry from Y chromosome and mtDNA only tells 1/23rd the story, since humans have 23 chromosome pairs in the cellular DNA.[16]

Analyzing the Afro-Brazilians' Y chromosome, which comes from male ancestors through paternal line, it was concluded that half (50%) of African-Brazilian population have at least one male ancestor who came from Europe, 48% from Africa and 1.6% who was a Native American. Analyzing their mitochondrial DNA, that comes from female ancestors though maternal line, 85% of them have at least a female ancestor who came from Africa, 12.5% who was Native American and 2.5% from Europe[13].

The high level of European ancestry in Black Brazilians through paternal line exists because, for much of Brazil's History, there were more Caucasian males than Caucasian females. So inter-racial relationships between Caucasian males and Sub-Saharan African or Native American females were widespread[17].

Caucasian Brazilians and
Caucasian Americans
with 10% or more of
Sub-Saharan African genes[14]
Region Perc.(%)
Brazil - Northern, Northeastern
and Southeastern regions		 75%
Brazil - Southern region 49%
United States 11%

The same genetic research concluded that 45% of Brazilians (77 million people) would have 90% or over Sub-Saharan African genes.Source needed Over 75% of Caucasians from North, Northeast and Southeast Brazil would have over 10% Sub-Saharan African genes, according to this particular study. Even Southern Brazil that received a large group of European immigration, 49% of the Caucasian population would have over 10% Sub-Saharan African genes, according to that study. A research showed that the average European American has approximately 10% to 12% non-White genetic material.[16]

Thus, according to those studies, 86% of Brazilians would have at least 10% of genes that came from Africa.

As an example, one thousand individuals from Porto Alegre city, Southern Brazil, and 760 from Natal city, Northeastern Brazil, were studied in relation to 12 and 8 genetic systems, respectively. The gathered data were used to estimate quantitatively the ethnic composition of individuals from these communities. More than half of the genes present in individuals classified as Black in Porto Alegre city are of European origin, while the Whites from this city have 8% of African alleles genes.

The estimated degree of admixture in persons identified as White or Mixed in Natal city is not much different. The ancestry of the total sample can be characterized as 58% White, 25% Black, and 17% Indian[18]

Famous African Brazilians

In 2007 BBC Brasil launched the project Raízes Afro-Brasileiras (African Brazilian Roots), in which they analyzed the genetic ancestry of nine famous Afro-Brazilians. Three tests were based on analysis of different parts of their DNA: an examination of paternal ancestry, maternal ancestry and the genomic ancestry, allowing to estimate the percentage of African, European and Amerindian genes in the composition of an individual.[19]

Of the 9 famous Afro-Brazilians analyzed, 3 of them had more European ancestry than African one, while the other 6 people had more African ancestry, with varying degrees of European and Amerindian admixture. The African admixture varied from 19.5% in actress Ildi Silva to 99.3% in singer Milton Nascimento. The European admixture varied from 0.4% in Nascimento to 70% in Silva. The Amerindian admixture from 0.3% in Nascimento to 25.4% in soccer player Obina.


  • Seu Jorge is: 85.1% African, 12.9% European and 2% Amerindian
    Seu Jorge is: 85.1% African, 12.9% European and 2% Amerindian
  • Daiane dos Santos is: 40.8% European, 39.7% African and 19.6% Amerindian
    Daiane dos Santos is: 40.8% European, 39.7% African and 19.6% Amerindian
  • Neguinho da Beija-Flor (left) is: 67.1% European, 31.5% African and 1.4% Amerindian
    Neguinho da Beija-Flor (left) is: 67.1% European, 31.5% African and 1.4% Amerindian
  • Djavan is: 65% African, 30.1% European and 4.9% Amerindian
    Djavan is: 65% African, 30.1% European and 4.9% Amerindian
  • Sandra de Sá is: 96.7% African, 2.1% European and 1.1% Amerindian
    Sandra de Sá is: 96.7% African, 2.1% European and 1.1% Amerindian
  • Obina is: 61.4% African, 25.4% Amerindian and 13.2% European
    Obina is: 61.4% African, 25.4% Amerindian and 13.2% European

Religion

Afro-Brazilian girls during a Candomblé ceremony.
Main articles: Religion in Brazil and African diasporic religions

Most Afro-Brazilians are Christians, mainly Catholics. Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda have many followers, mainly Afro-Brazilians. They are concentrated mainly in large urban centers such as Salvador de Bahia, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Brasília, São Luís. In addition to Candomblé which is closer to the original West African religions, there is also Umbanda which blends Catholic and Kardecist Spiritism beliefs with African beliefs. Candomblé, Batuque, Xango and Tambor de Mina were originally brought by black slaves shipped from Africa to Brazil.

These black slaves would summon their gods, called Orixas, Vodous or Inkices with chants and dances they had brought from Africa. These religions have been persecuted in the past, mainly due to Catholic influence. However, Brazilian government has legalized them. In current practice, Umbanda followers leave offerings of food, candles and flowers in public places for the spirits. The Candomblé terreiros are more hidden from general view, except in famous festivals such as Iemanjá Festival and the Waters of Oxalá in the Northeast.

From Bahia northwards there is also different practices such as Catimbo, Jurema with heavy, though not necessarily original, indigenous elements. All over the country, but mainly in the Amazon rainforest, there are remnanst of the original Indian population still practicing their original traditions.

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Brazil
Feijoada

The cuisine created by the Afro-Brazilians has a wide variety of foods. In the State of Bahia, an exquisite cuisine evolved when cooks improvised on African, American-Indian, and traditional Portuguese dishes using locally available ingredients. Typical dishes include Vatapá and Moqueca, both with seafood and dendê palm oil (Template:Lang-pt). This heavy oil extracted from the fruits of an African palm tree is one of the basic ingredients in Bahian or Afro-Brazilian cuisine, adding a wonderful flavor and bright orange color to foods. There is no equivalent substitute, but it is available in markets specializing in Brazilian or African imports.

Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil (for over 300 years). It is basically a mixture of black beans, pork and farofa (lighly roasted coarse cassava manioc flour). It started as a Portuguese dish that the African slaves built upon, made out of cheap ingredients: pork ears, feet and tail, beans and manioc flour. It has been adopted by all the other cultural regions, and there are hundreds of ways to make it.

Capoeira

Capoeira
Main article: Capoeira

Capoeira is a martial art developed initially by African slaves came especially from countries as Angola or Mozambique in Brazil, starting in the colonial period. It is marked by deft, tricky movements often played on the ground or completely inverted. It also has a strong acrobatic component in some versions and is always played with music. Recently, the art has been popularized by the addition of Capoeira performed in various computer games and movies, and Capoeira music has featured in modern pop music (see Capoeira in popular culture).

Music

Main article: Music of Brazil

The music created by Afro-Brazilians is a mixture of Portuguese, Amerindian, and African music, making a wide variety of styles. Brazil is well known for the rhythmic liveliness of its music as in its Samba dance music. This is largely because Brazilian slave owners allowed their slaves to continue their heritage of playing drums (unlike U.S. slave owners who feared use of the drum for communications).

Literature

Afro-Brazilian literature has existed in Brazil since the mid-19th century with the publication of Maria Firmina dos Reis's novel Ursula in 1859. Yet, Afro-Brazilian literature did not gain national prominence in Brazil until the 1970s with the revival of Black Consciousness politics known as the Movimento Negro.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "PNAD" (PDF) (in Portuguese). 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  2. ^ MAIOR POPULAÇÃO NEGRA DO PAÍS
  3. ^ Newint.org
  4. ^ Estados@
  5. ^ Edward Eric Telles (2004). "Racial Classification". Race in Another America: the significance of skin color in Brazil. Princeton University Press. pp. 81–84. ISBN 0691118663.
  6. ^ David I. Kertzer and Dominique Arel (2002). Census and Identity: The Politics of Race, Ethnicity, and Language in National Censuses. Cambridge University Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN 0521004276.
  7. ^ Estudos Avançados - Pode a genética definir quem deve se beneficiar das cotas universitárias e demais ações afirmativas?
  8. ^ Negros IBGE
  9. ^ IBGE - Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística
  10. ^ IBGE. Brasil: 500 anos de povoamento. Rio de janeiro: IBGE, 2000. Apêndice: Estatísticas de 500 anos de povoamento. p. 223 apud IBGE. Desembarques no Brasil (visitado em 23 de agosto de 2008)
  11. ^ IBGE 2008
  12. ^ Sistema IBGE 2000
  13. ^ a b Afrobras - DNA do negro
  14. ^ a b As pesquisas na Bahia sobre os afro-brasileiros
  15. ^ BBCBrasil.com - Notícias - Raízes Afro-brasileiras
  16. ^ a b DNAPrint Genomics Genealogy website
  17. ^ A mestiçagem é sinônimo de democracia racial?
  18. ^ HELENA, M; FRANCO, L. P.; WEIMER, Tania A.; SALZANO, F. M. Blood polymorphisms and racial admixture in two Brazilian populations. Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
  19. ^ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6284806.stm

Further reading

  • Ankerl, Guy. Coexisting Contemporary Civilizations: Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western. 2000, Geneva. INUPRESS, ISBN 2881550045. Pp.187-210.
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