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Mr. Gilden
International Relations
22 July 2016
With the sixth largest population and one of the fastest-growing economies in the world,
Brazil is poised to be a global dominant force in the near future. However, the emergence of
Brazil as an international powerhouse was in part due to the contribution of migrants to politics,
culture and the economy. Migrants have been an enormous and prominent influence of Brazil
from the arrival of Portuguese colonizers in the 15th century to the transcontinental immigrants
Brazils recent economic success can be traced back to the late 2000s, as it was one of the
first countries to begin to recover after 2008 Global Financial Crisis. The country began to
strengthen the workforce and economy after the crisis by investing in social programs. These
programs (i.e. Bolsa Family, the Brazilian Science Mobility Program, etc.) lifted tens of millions
of Brazilians out of poverty through educational and health programs. Currently, Brazil is
experiencing both economic growth and stability with a relatively low unemployment rate of
6.4%; however, the unemployment has begun to rise as almost a quarter of the countrys
Although Brazil is currently experiencing economic stability, its political scene has been
anything but stable. After finally gaining its independence after 300 years of Portuguese rule in
1822, Brazil went through varying forms of government until a military government instated
from 1935-1985. The military peacefully ceded power to the people, and Brazil became a federal
presidential republic (The World Factbook: Brazil). Brazils government has fallen into
controversy in the past year due to the impeachment trial of President Dilma Rousseff. Rousseff
was the CEO of Petrobas, a state-run oil company, during the time when dozens of senior
Brazilian businessmen and politicians were receiving multi-million dollar kickbacks from the
company. Combined with being accused of illegally borrowing money from state banks to reduce
the deficit and pay for social programs that ultimately led to her re-election in 2014, the
impeachment process officially began in late 2015 (McKirdy 2). Her Vice President, Michel
Temer, has been acting as Brazils president due to Brazils impeachment procedural laws (The
As well as political issues, Brazil also has numerous societal problems that will affect the
country in the long run. A shrinking workforce will result in a strong blow to Brazils economy
by 2025. Well-funded public pensions have almost entirely wiped out poverty among the elderly,
yet due to the growing elderly population the number of impoverished elderly Brazilians will
certainly rise. Limited opportunities for economic/social mobility for women, black and mixed
race people, and the indigenous community have contributed to the high crime rate in favelas,
slums in Brazilian cities. Brazil is also the second largest consumer of cocaine in the world, and
is a transit country for cartels sending drugs to Europe (The World Factbook: Brazil).
In the past few decades, Brazil has transitioned to a larger and more powerful role in
international affairs through strong economics, political agreements, and cultural significance.
Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup and will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the first ever
Olympics held in South America (The World Factbook: Brazil). The Brazilian government has
also been very vocal about global issues as it collectively opposed to the war in Iraq and
therefore frayed relationships with the countries that did support it. Nevertheless, there have been
serious international concerns regarding Brazils ability to provide safe facilities for the athletes
competing there as the Zika virus is still rampaging the country (Garrett 3).
Brazil has forged newfound relationships with Russia, India, China and South Africa by
joining the BRICS group, a coalition of emerging economies dedicated to supporting each other.
In fact, Brazils largest trading partner is its fellow BRICS member, China (Hanson 3). Although
it has established newfound alliances, Brazil also had a worsening partnership with the United
States. As well as the two countries disagreement over the Iraq War, the U.S.-Brazil
relationships is strained by the U.S. tariff on Brazilian ethanol. However, the United States may
want to reconsider their stance, as the discovery of new oil fields in Brazil in the past decade has
opened the door to potential international profit as well as forthcoming Brazilian prosperity
(Hanson 2).
The history of Brazil as well as its current position in international affairs has largely
been affected by its immigrant populations. Brazil is primarily a destination country, and its
immigrants have come in three large waves. The first wave of immigrants was in the 16 th century
when Portuguese colonizers and African slaves crossed over to the New World. Portuguese
colonization is why the official language of Brazil is Portuguese and more than 2/3 of the
population is Roman Catholic. The racial demographics of Brazil is also largely due to
Portuguese colonization, as 91% of the population is either white or mulatto (half-white and half-
black or Native American). Portuguese colonizers were primarily single men who forcibly
intermarried with both African and indigenous slaves (The World Factbook: Brazil). An
estimated 6 million African slaves were violently transported to work on sugar cane plantations.
The trans-Atlantic slave trade ended in Brazil in the 1850s, although the internal slave trade
existed for thirty more years after. Slavery was officially abolished in 1888, the last country in
The second wave of immigration was in the late 19 th/early 20th centuries when European
and Asian migrants came seeking economic opportunities and escape from political oppression.
During this time period, 1.9 million immigrants of European and Asian descent came to Brazil.
This massive influx of immigration was due to more restrictive immigration policies of typical
destination countries like the United States, Canada and Argentina. Nevertheless, immigrants
began to experience institutional discrimination beginning in the 1930s when President Getulio
Vargas tried to create a homogenous Brazilian identity. Laws were put in place that forced new
immigrants to learn Portuguese, forbade the teaching of any language class other than
Portuguese, prohibited the formation of immigrant political groups and the publication foreign-
The third wave of immigration has been from the 1980s to present day as undocumented
migrants from neighboring countries have arrived in the country. The majority these workers are
coming from Bolivia and Peru, as most of the Brazilian border is not well secured and therefore
easy for undocumented migrants to enter through them. The Brazilian government has prioritized
the incoming of immigrants who have at least a college degree. However, the immigrants coming
in are usually less skilled and less educated than what the government had planned, so Brazilian
workers organizations are pushing for new legal restrictions against migrants in the hopes of less
Brazil is a country filled with diverse citizens due to its complex and dynamic migration
history. The emergence of Brazil as an international force to be reckoned with reflects the
tribulations of its migrants. As immigrants to Brazil have had to gain the respect of their native
neighbors, Brazil has also struggled to gain the respect of the international communities. From
dealing with political scandals to handling major health crises, Brazil has proved that it has what
Amaral, Ernesto Friedrich, and Wilson Fusco. "Shaping Brazil: The Role of International
2016.
Garrett, Laurie, Cludio Henriques, and Sheri Fink. "Zika Virus Update." Council on Foreign
Hanson, Stephanie. "Brazil on the International Stage." Council on Foreign Relations. Council
McKirdy, Euan. "Impeaching Dilma Rousseff: What's Going On?" CNN. Cable News Network,
"The World Factbook: Brazil." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 11