Anyway, Japanese immigration here in Brazil is kind of concentrated in a region. There are lots of Japanese immigrants in São Paulo and Paraná but not that much in Rio de Janeiro (where I live) and other regions. Actually, Chinese are probably in bigger number in Rio and they are still coming here. Brazil has a big history in immigration, much like the U.S, and most of us – these days – like immigrants. Even tough most immigrants don’t really assimilate that well here – my grandpas haven’t learned portuguese or lost their accent in 50 years – we don’t mind, at least in a appearance level. After all our culture is really rooted in these different people coming together here. But I would be naive to say that there is no prejudice against foreigners in Brazil. Especially with the ones from “poorer” countries. People here seem to adore Europeans and Americans as superior people that graces us with their knowledge. That explains why so many people are blinded with pride from their “mighty” german or italian heritage when they forget most of the people that came here weren’t that literate or rich for starters. They aren’t proud of their family hard work but of some abstract concept of superior culture that they inherited from their grandparents. As an example none of my grandpas even got into high school back in Europe.

However everybody here seems to love Mate ( I don’t, but my friends and girlfriend just adore it). If you ever drop by here, try drinking some in the beach, maybe it’s better than the one there!

Also, I don’t want to be nitpicky (I don’t think this word exists) but we don’t call it Yerba Mate. This is spanish for Erva, the portuguese word. Also, the verb Maté is spanish too. In Brazil we say Matei. But I have to give you a break, you are learning or already has learned Japanese which is probably as hard as it gets and Argentina and Paraguay have a big “Mate culture” and they both speak spanish.

Sorry if I lost myself from the post but I don’t always get to write about immigration which I love talking about. And I really really enjoyed your blog. I will surely read it from now on.

I’ll keep that in mind next time the US decides to make all the ethnic minorities of Des Moines, Iowa into slave labor. “Eh, just one city, can’t really call that persecution!”

Got it. Thanks for the info.

Japanese people were exploited by farmers in the beginning of the XX century, but Italians and other immigrants were also. They soon escaped the clutches of the coffee land owners and bought land, especially in the regions of Marilia and Mogi das Cruzes in Sao Paulo and also in Parana and became small farmers. There was no “persecution” not even during WWII. One can’t say that surveillance in ONE city during the war was persecution.

During all this time, even before and during WWII, Japanese were prospering in their small farms and providing almost all produce to the big cities. Only after 1970 ? No way.

The second generation of Japanese Brazilians went to universities and became doctors and engineers. Many married white people because they wanted, not because they were forced.
Your readers deserve to know that.

nailed it.

also, i got a free bottle of this stuff in tenjin. they are promoting it so heavily! but it came with a brochure that was pretty silly, i’ll show you if i kept it. it has pictures of ladies in bikinis winking at the camera and stuff…i found it slightly offensive, and as you said, the drink wasn’t so remarkable either!