I've read this post on my friend's blog and I couldnt hesitate but post it here. I defines the caracteristics of my culture, my people, my family, my heritage. I find it really ( whats the word...) challenging to live in America and live here everyday with the memories of a lifetime of my past in Brazil with my family. I grew up in Brazil and that made me who I am today: a mixture of culture, family values and the principles learned at the Church of Latter Day Saints. At first, I was very unwillingly to become part of the american/ utah culture. Many times I found myself: depressed, lonely, stressed, discouraged. But after realizing that those feelings were killing my soul, I decided I would play along and become part of this culture, so I could find joy again. I can't say that all those feelings have gone away, but I can say that I am trying my best to open my mind and learn from the differences.
Here is the post from my friend's blog, hope you all enjoy it. I will be posting the portuguese version on another post. You can find the original post
here.
"Last night for my portuguese class, I had to watch a two hour video about the
lives of various brazilians living in a huge apartment building in Copacabana
(rio de janeiro). The interviewer knocked on various doors, spent a few minutes
interviewing them and moved on to the next person. It was amazing how everyone
in that building had a completely different, unique story. Even though they
share the same building, they come from various places & have lived
completely different lives..Yet, somehow they all ended up in Copacabana,
sharing the same roof.
All of the stories were very touching and
inspiring. Every person had something to share, something to contribute to the
overall image...something ultimately to break the "cliche" that they felt they
were under. Even though sometimes it was painful for them to share their
experiences, they did anyways..
There are a few things that I learned
about brazilians in this documentary, and I'd like to share. Because..they are
my people. My half. So, it makes me feel that as I learn from them, I'm also
learning about myself. My nature. My family. My heritage.
Brazilians.
-They have a need for
company. Partnership. They have this need to be loved. I would not consider
them as independent as americans, whom are a lot of times fine being
alone..mostly because they are too busy to realize they are alone. Brazilians
crave companionship. They don't do well alone.
-A lot of times Brazilians
get married, stay married, but don't stay together. Meaning, they get "divorced"
without ever going through the trouble of legally getting divorced. I've seen
this in my own family. I always thought it was odd, but now I realize it's a
common thing.
-Brazilians are emotional people. Both men and women. I think
they have very tender, sensitive hearts. Even if they appear to be macho on the
outside. They feel deeply.
-They have a need to express themselves. They
love to talk. They are very open people who long to share their stories,
feelings, ideas, etc. Don't ever go to a Brazilians house without expecting to
stay there at least 2 hours because they will talk and talk and talk.
-They
are not afraid to speak the truth. They will share intimate details about their
lives, even with people they don't know well.
-They will do anything for
their family. Their family is their world. They support one another and help
one another. They want the best for each other and will do whatever it takes to
make each other happy. Even if that means they have to struggle and sacrifice.
They will do it for their family. It's also very common for multiple generations
to live under the same roof.
-Not all Brazilians love soccer. Not all
Brazilians living in Rio love the beach. Not all Brazilians love to samba.
Those are all cliches.
-Brazilians tend to have an image of America as "the
place to be." It's also interesting that many of them have connections to the
US. Somehow they know someone who lives in America- a family member,
friend, acquaintance, etc. Now, this isn't true for most Brazilians I think..but
from the video I watched many of them had worked and lived in the US or had
family members who had.
-Many Brazilians in Rio believe they live in a very
violent place. They claim to live in "post card" brazil but they want people to
realize how safety is a huge concern for them in their daily lives.
-Finally,
they want more out of life. They want success. They want peace. They also want
security. They desire to improve themselves by being educated and having a good
career. The problem is that many of them do not have the means to get out of
their current situation to have that opportunity.
In all, I'm really
proud of my background. I'm very proud of my half brazilian side. I'm also very
proud of my American side. I love my two countries. Sometimes I wonder if I
feel more brazilian or american. I grew up in a very brazilian household. I
spoke Portuguese before I spoke English. (although my portuguese has gone
downnnnnnhiiiiill hah) We listened to a lot of Roberto Carlos in our home. We
went to Brazil almost every summer. Mom pretty much only made Brazilian food.
Our home was very brazilian and that's how I grew up. I'm also a mirror image
of my mother who is Brazilian. Hmm.. I wonder." - Cindy Guillory
