Letters

Smut Peddler

In reference to your September 1999 issue, why do you waste your time and space in Brazzil to print such utter trash as "Nice Girls and Naughty Fun" and "Cheap, Cheap Sex"? You are publishing smut and it lowers the standard of what could have been a fine issue.

Why are you demeaning your subscribers in this manner, presenting obscene material? These articles and that type of photography forces me to apologize to friends who are receiving gift subscriptions, which I sent them.

If you would concentrate in printing the meaningful and clean up your act I bet that you'd win the Brazilian Consulate's subscription. I guarantee you'd win my respect too!

Ann Grasser Alberti
Daytona Beach, Florida

Thesis Material

This is a very good magazine. In English, but with a Brazilian heart. Next year I will be working on my M.A. thesis on the Brazilian community in the USA. I am sure that Brazzil will provide an excellent material for my work.

Also I would like to ask you a precious favor. Can you, please, send me addresses and phone numbers of other magazines or newspapers for Brazilian people in the US? They will help me in my work. I am sending a $9,00 check for three subscriptions, one for me and two as gift to my friends.

Rev. José Valdir Soares de Oliveira
Hanover Park, Illinois

All There

I'm continuing my subscription to Brazzil. I love that you present so many varied points of view. The outsider's view i.e. that of the Australian trying to live in Brazil is of special interest to me. It allows me to experience living in a foreign country vicariously

Joyce Keating
Baltimore, Maryland

Sinister Plot

Hey, what's up? I'm an expatriate fleeing from government officials who think I'm a US spy. Please! Help me! They're after me. All of them! But send me the magazine anyway. Even though I might not be there to read it...

Alana Amarosa
New York, NY

Paper, Please

Please start my subscription. I enjoy the pictures that accompany the articles and prefer hard copy to the Web.

Margo Milleret
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
University of New Mexico

Brazil Mix

I'm sorry to strongly disagree with your article in Brazzil ("Up and Coming," August 1999). It is really a pity that Americans still want to look at Brazil and see their own labels applied. Brazil is a different culture and the way you evaluate racism in the US cannot be applied to the Brazilian culture.

The reasons for the statistics you present are historical. Slave freedom in Brazil did not happen until 1888, and no compensation of any kind was ever given to them. Even on capitalist societies there is a necessary time for any group of people to leverage on a socio-economical situation.

If there is any discrimination in Brazil that is significant it is not towards the color of the skin but towards economic status. About the cultural "whitefication" that you mention, try verifying the south of the country where the very white people are called "alemão" (German). They don't like the label and all of them want to claim some sort of mixing in their genome.

The major difference between the US and Brazil is that Brazil does not strive to have a black community nor an Italian community nor any community. Brazilians strive to be one community. The tendency is towards the center not the extremes.

I was born in Brazil and lived there until I was 28 year old. I'm not Catholic and I'm not European white. I'm Semite. My skin tone is what Brazilians consider a goal, light enough not be black, dark enough not to be white. While in Brazil I've played capoeira as well as Japanese martial arts. I have assisted candomblé (African based religious ceremonies) more often than entered catholic churches.

My wife, who is Brazilian too, has on her family blacks, Europeans and Indians as you describe and the color of the skin of her relatives was never an issue towards our marriage. I'm not saying that there are no segregationist people in Brazil. Unfortunately there is this kind of scum anywhere in the world but to claim that this is institutionalized in the Brazilian culture is a huge misconception.

Renato Levy
Rockville, Maryland

Sorry, Try Again

I'm a 19 year-old Brazilian college student from São Paulo, and I am currently attending McGill University in Montreal, Canada. One of the writers featured in one of your issues is an acquaintance of mine, and as I have written a few short stories myself, I was wondering about publication in Brazzil.

I have also read that the stories featured in Brazzil must have something to do with Brazil, but that is not the case in any of the short stories I have written. Plus, none of them were ever written in Portuguese. I'm wondering if it is possible for me to submit anything given the conditions above.

Mariana Woisky
Montreal, Canada 

Personal

I would like to meet Brazilians on a more personal basis and level to learn more about the culture. Thanks. I am a 30-year-old black male in Los Angeles.

Bill Campbell
Los Angeles, California
anthony9808@yahoo.com

For a Song

Well, I was just surfing on the web and I found the Brazzil page... I just loved it! So I thought that maybe you could help me. I am looking for the lyrics of a Caetano's music, "Nine Out Of Ten" from his great album Transa. Would you help me please? I'm Brazilian and I love Brazilian music. And I loved the interview with André Abujamra from Karnak. He's great!

Clarissa Lisboa
Santos, São Paulo, Brazil

Xuxa Xearxing

Howdy. I know you folks are busy so I'll be brief. I'm looking where I might find a place that has posters or other merchandise that concerns Xuxa. I know this is not your forte, but any idea would be a great help. Thanks for your magazine sample. It was very good. Send me an address so I can mail you folk a mo for subscription.

Dave Dempsey
Via Internet

In Site Insight

In February I will be leaving for Brazil to do some environmental work and hence need to gain some insight in speaking Portuguese . I was wondering where I could find listening tapes to help me learn as much of the language as I can in the one month time period.

Via Internet

Romancing Pointers

I do hope that this helps me some in understanding things, I have just been asked into a relationship by a Brazilian woman, and I have always liked her since the beginning of the year, yet haven't had the courage to speak up, yet she did. The thing is that I am not sure what is and isn't typically acceptable to her, traditionally. Please, if possible, contact me via email, and give me hints also on what to expect/how much to put forth type stuff.

Christopher Hunt
Hoquiam, Washington
obsidian_cat@hotmail.com

Brazil Dreamer

This web site is excellent! I can't wait to get a copy of the magazine. It is my dream to one day live in Brazil.

Leslie Hunter
Pueblo, Colorado

Info Bureau

Can you please tell me what are the requirements for a tourist visa to Brazil? I have been trying to call the Brazilian Consulate in Chicago with no luck. I would appreciate if you could fax me the application and all the information I need to obtain a tourist visa to spend Carnaval in Brazil.

Rosa R. Peters
Director of Information Technology
Law School - University of Michigan
rpeters@umich.edu

For Keeps

Soubemos do material em que V. Sa. deu destaque à violência policial praticada na favela Naval, acompanhada de um texto sobre a história de Diadema. Nós, o Centro de Memória de Diadema, somos um setor da prefeitura municipal subordinado ao Departamento de Cultura, trabalhamos na recuperação e preservação da história local, disponibilizando o acervo ao público. Por isso pedimos a gentileza de nos enviar um exemplar da revista número 137 para o nosso acervo.

Mary F. Lopes
Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil

Back in Br

I'm a native Brazilian, but I've lived in the States my entire life. I'm going to revisit my native culture next year and I'm interested in learning all I can before the visit. Thanks!

Denise Primeau
Houston, Texas

Mendes in Concert

Could you please tell us the name of the agent of Sérgio Mendes in Europe or in Brazil? We produced a world-music festival in Portugal in June. We are big fans of Sérgio and we would like to see if we organize a concert with him in Portugal.

Fernanda
Vila do Conde, Portugal
E mundooo@mail.telepac.pt

Wheelchair Guide

I am interested in travel to Brazil for someone who uses a wheelchair. Here in the US, people with disabilities have come to expect ramped curbs and building entrances, accessible restrooms, public transportation, etc… But I haven't a clue what things are like in Brazil. I would very much appreciate any information anyone can provide on this subject. If you can help me, or know someone who can, please e-mail me at racpop@tenzing.org 

Roger Cornelius
Via Internet

Church and Nakedness

I read your magazine and I am interested in getting more information especially because you live in a Catholic country where they try to teach the Indians not to go naked. With best regards from Germany where it is very cold outside.

Peter
Hamburg, Germany

The Works

Em 23 de dezembro de 1999 chego à Californa para as festas de natal e ano novo, mais precisamente em San Diego. Por favor, se possível, me mandem alguma sugestões e dicas de eventos bacanas (brasileiros e outros) que estão acontecendo nesse período. Valeu! A revista de vocês é muito chocante! Vou assinar.

Von Cruz
New York, NY

No Vital Signs

Depois de viver quase 10 anos na área de Los Angeles e Orange County, eu me mudei para Sacramento, onde não vejo sinal de vida da comunidade brasileira. Desejaria saber se o lugar mais próximo para contactar brasileiros é em San Francisco ou se existe algum Web site que tenha uma lista de lugares brasileiros na região do norte da Califórnia.

Marcelo Dacosta
Rancho Cordova, California
mdacosta@ifreedom.com

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