The paradox of mixing: identities, inequalities and perceptions of discrimination among Brazilian browns

Abstract

A key but understudied element of Brazilian race relations is the perspective of those who are identified as brown, the ethno-racial identification that has increased the most in the last Censuses. historically, Brazilian browns share with blacks a lower socioeconomic status, but systematically perceive less racial discrimination when compared to them. The focus on the perceptions showed by the browns allow us to analyze two key issues of Brazilian race relations, racial identification and the measurement of discrimination, from an original perspective. In order to follow this path, we rely on survey data as well as on in-depth interviews with people who are identified as brown according to Brazilian census categories, exploring their perceptions, strategies and definitions of racial and symbolic boundaries.

Browns; Racial identification; Discrimination; Racial inequality; Racial mixture