Facing up to the Failure of "Racial Democracy" in Brazil

Abstract

Background: What do the Brazilians who call themselves "prieto," "pardo" and "mestico" have in common? Despite a dizzying array of options when it comes to racial classification, all would be considered "black" by US standards. A DNA study by Brazilian scientists found that 80 percent of the population has at least some African ancestry, and fully half of the nation's 165 million inhabitants consider themselves to be of African descent. Brazil, the largest country in South America, is home to the largest black population outside of the African continent.