Originally posted by cara0910 There are Brazilian flags all over Rio. I guess you've never been there.

To the city? No. To the state? Yes. I went to Niterói and saw no flags.

Originally posted by cara0910 You sure find a way to 'defeat' every one of my points. The fact is, there are very few recent immigrants in Brazil. If you have any doubt about that, check the numbers and compare them to the US and Europe.

Yes, I believe you. I'm not saying that's false.

Originally posted by cara0910 That's pretty clearly reflected in the culture. Even in cities, like Rio, people are a bit like yokels. It's ok. I just don't wanna socialize with yokels, so I left.

Well, if you don't want to socialize with them, how do you expect them to understand and accept you? Brazil is a social country, especially the state of Rio de Janeiro. If you don't socialize, you're out! I'm not a foreigner, but I'm not very social. Don't you think I pay a high price for that?

The thing is, I didn't have a choice but to be born here. You had the choice to come here.

Originally posted by cara0910 By the way, there are ethnic enclaves in the US too. We educated, tolerant people just find it interesting when someone speaks their language and flies their flag and eats their food. I guess that's not true in Brazil. You will be outcasted!

Again, this kind of thing happens because in the US, communities of immigrants are around to preserve their own culture. They feel really lost, so that's why they do that. So, people from different ethicies interact with each other, but they don't like to blend with each other.

Here, the difference is that you must blend somehow. If you don't, people will see you as trying to be superior. Again, there are several colonies of descendents of German people in my state. They're beautiful places, so let me get a house there – oh, wait, I can't. They won't sell one to me because I'm "not German."

Got the difference? People are afraid of something that already happened, so before they feel outcasted, they'll outcast you if they feel it's happening again.

Edited by Megabyte - 05 April 2012 at 02:44

@megabyte

Yes, it was my choice to go to Brazil, what a mistake! That's why I left. Btw, you can do the same. Plenty of other countries to pick from!

Originally posted by Megabyte Originally posted by jkennedy Brazilians seemed to have quite a few flags, and/or wearing the yellow/green clothing everywhere I went.   If they weren't wearing some team colours that is! Oh, I see what you mean! They probably weren't wearing those colors because they wanted to "fly the flag." They use those colors because it's the color of the national soccer team! Brazilians usually aren't nationalistic in the truest sense of the word, but oddly become quite so when "Brazil" and "soccer" mix. And don't touch teir teams. They are holier than their own religion! Just ask one if he'd die for his country. He'll probably say "no." Now ask him if he'd die for his soccer team, and see what answer you get! Parents even assign their own teams to their kids, and they are more likely to convert to another religion than to change their soccer team. By the way, I don't like soccer, and I'm not a fan of any team either.

Originally posted by jkennedy But in reality, it's the same with the US citizens who think mexicans are "stealing" their jobs.  It's just a constant stream of crap flowing at them, and eventually they believe it.