They must be talking about me. I'm totally mixed race. Irish and German. Before you go and say that they are both white, I have to disagree with you. It's very eggshell and off-white thank you very much.
But in all seriousness, it's very Darwin. Psychologist at Cardiff University asked subjects to rate the attractiveness of facial photos of 1205 men and women who were black, white, or of any mix of races. The mixed races were far more popular.
"Darwin believed that crossbreeding (love when we are talked about like the animals we are) within a species leads to offspring that are genetically fitter than their parents. " - said the Briliant psychologist Michael B Lewis. Got to love a psychologist who's job is to ask 'do you think they are pretty? And them?'
Personally, I love this! I 100% agree! I guess I can kiss my KKK membership card goodbye. Oh wait, I did that when I married my Brazilian husband. Brazilians are the most mixed people in the world! They have a little native, African, European, onion, and garlic. A little bit of everything. And they are either horribly unattractive or very doable. Alright, that is a sweeping generalization, but isn't most of my blog and this study as well. But I think we can easily say that Brazilians are a good looking bunch.
In all honesty, I do think there is something behind it. Interbreeding too much was the downfall of the English. I mean, what else could explain those teeth! Joking, joking. Come on, totally joking... really, I swear.
Does crossbreeding really make us stronger? More attractive?
I have to say, I totally agree with the more attractive thing and crossbreeding sounds like a fun, calorie burning activity. What are your thoughts?
Here's the original article: Mixed race people perceived as more attractive
Rachel you are one hundred and fifty percent AMERICAN!! You are not mixed-race. You never really hear a Brazilian saying that they are Italian or Japanese or Lebanese just because one or two of their grandparents were immigrants. That's why Brazil's mix works so well...everyone identifies with a Brazilian identity. That doesn't mean you aren't gorgeous. But watch what you say about my teeth!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, and I've got a sexy mulatto boyfriend to prove it. It's interesting how nobody really identifies themselves as black or white here, its all "moreno", "mulato", "marrom bombom" <---no joke, "cor de jambo"...and the list goes on. I think I fit someone around "branco brilhante"
ReplyDeleteWhat? Americans aren't Americans we are Latino-Americans or Native-Americans or Italian-Americans. So I'm German-Irish American ;)
ReplyDeleteI totally subscribe to this theory. One of my most gorgeous girlfriends back home's mom is Japanese and her dad is German, and I've said it before and I'll say it again: they should make more of that. She's stunning...
ReplyDeleteBefore my daughter was born, many of my friends were curious to see what she would look like as a mixture of Korean and Italian genes.
ReplyDeleteThe children of my Laotian friend and his German wife are beautiful...I can never stop looking at the kids whenever I see them!
And my German friend and her Indian husband have quite a heartbreaker for a daughter.
Dear Tasha,
ReplyDeleteI have to completely and strongly disagree with you about Brazilians always calling themselves Brazilian and not Italian or German or whatever.
I lived in Sao Paulo from the time I was born until 1998, it is absolutely no different than Boston today, people NEVER said they were Brazilians, they DO still SAY I am Spanish/Portuguese, I am Italian/Japanese, I am Portuguese with a dash of African and Native etc...many German, Lithuanian, Lebanese, Japanese, Greek, Hungarian...
So much so that the Spanish ( descendants ) are known for a certain soccer team, Corinthians, the Italians rooted for Palmeiras and so forth.
You find 3rd and 4th generation Lithuanians concentrated in the Bairro Vila Zelinda ( East Side ), Italians ( Bexiga, Mooca), Germans ( Santo Amaro ) Danish ( Chacara Flora ), Japanese ( Liberdade ) and I could write a book about it...in details, seriously.
The ethnicity's in Sao Paulo are very distinctive and each community struggles to preserve their identity and cultural characteristics, they hold traditional festivals and cultural events with typical foods like "Nossa Senhora D'Chiropita" in Bexiga as a popular example.
The first thing people will ask you in Sao Paulo is "What's your last name?" people want to identify you somehow with themselves or someone they know, last names are very important so people can understand where you are from and who you are.
Many Paulistas will know exactly what part of the city you are from just by hearing your last name.
So, the European Paulistanos today are somewhat easy going about marrying Paulistas from different origins with some few exceptions.
It is known by Paulistanos that Japanese and Lithuanians for example will avoid at all costs marrying someone OUTSIDE of their own groups, the Japanese because they are very conservative, very traditional and the Lithuanians fell threaten because they are minorities in the city and want to preserve their ways.
Sao Paulo has very traditional Country Clubs such as the Syrian/Lebanese Club, Pinheiros ( Italians ), Hebraica ( Jews ) and many others...that were initiated by certain communities of immigrants and still preserve much of their original characteristics up to this day.
Club Pinheiros for example used to be called Club Italia, but they had to change their name in the 40's because Brazil was against Italy during the war...today, a membership at Club Pinheiros will easily run you 150K Dollars, yes, dollars, not Reais, plus you can only purchase the membership if you are invited by another existing member.
Italians and Portuguese are famous for dating and marrying African Brazilian girls, they love a mulata, it is a known fact.
100 years ago in Brazil, interracial marriage was almost a crime and rarely ever happened, racism was openly tolerated and supported by the constitution, people of darker skin were simply forbidden to immigrate to Brazil.
50 years ago, interracial marriages were still rare but started happening more often, principally in the North and Northeast.
Nowadays, it is pretty normal, just like in the US, people of different races will marry each other with little trouble from society, racism still exists, but it's much more subtle.
Maybe in some parts of Brazil, people don't know or don't care where they are from and they gave you the idea that they mix easy because they call themselves Brazilians etc, but that is something I never heard in my 30 plus years in contact with Brazil.
To be continued...
...cont.
ReplyDeleteBrazilians in the North and Northeast mix easily for the simple fact that there are big numbers of all races all around.
Brazilians of the South don't mix as much for the simple fact that there are less different races around them.
As you move down South from Sao Paulo there is less and less interracial marriages for the simple fact that most of the population are of European origin, so you have your garden variety Italian/ Greek / Lithuanian/ German/Spanish/Scottish/Danish/Polish/ Russian/ Ukrainian/Hungarian and let's not forget the new elected president BULGARIAN mixes.
Rachel's point is totally truth, not only people of mixed races are supposed to have stronger immune systems and stronger overall health but most do look great, fact.
My Paulista husband of 14 years is Italian/Portuguese/Polish with a dash of African and Native American ( Brazilian Native American) and he is smoking hot...fact :)
Just for the record, I was born in Sao Paulo, my grandparents are Italian/German/English/Spanish, my Italian grandmother was born in Chicago before her Italian father got a great job offer at the Brazilian branch of Ford Motor Company in Sao Paulo and that part of the family left Chicago in 1948, My Spanish grandparents were actually French Jews who immigrated to Spain before Brazil escaping religious persecution in Europe.
Long story short, I don't see myself as a Brazilian first, I am a Paulista first. I identify strongly with Italians. In Sao Paulo, I grew up in a very Italian neighborhood, the kids in my kindergarten class spoke Italian at home as a first language and they had a hard time learning colors and numbers in Portuguese.
I had a German grandmother living with my parents and learned a lot from the German culture and a little of the language from her and a Jewish grandfather who taught me the horrors of the Holocaust.
We had Russian neighbors who had escaped communism in Russia and had started a new life in Brazil in the early 40's.
I could go on and on, but I think you must have gotten my point by now, where, when I read what you wrote I was petrified with such a distorted notion that Brazilians call themselves Brazilians and that is why we mix so much??? What? NO, sorry, simply not truth.
My main goal was to clarify a distorted notion of this specific point on Brazilians, race and race mixing.
Ray
Well, do I have to say that I'm totally mixed race ? hahaha
ReplyDeleteWell, I find my daughter especially pretty because she is even more mixed than me...everybody in Dublin always ask where she is from...and me...
But I have to disagree about brazilian being a good looking, I don't think so...the most have no money to take care of themselves...and today is much more about become pretty than born with beauty...
You know Ka, I always point out a few movie stars and inform him that their attractiveness is production and care, not natural. It's true. There's a taking care aspect.
ReplyDeleteMy boys are mixed, although one came out looking Brazilian and one looking totally American. I think they are so handsome. That and the black beans are making them tall ;)
Thanks Ray - I always enjoy your chapters on Brazil and race.
ReplyDeleteMixed race here (Lebanese and English/Irish/German) but was raised "American" without much "old country" traditions (except the sfihas, kibbe and stuffed grape leaves).
Anyway - Rachel, I spotted a bit of humor you tucked in between the lines. You are better than you know! Here is the quote from your post: "...Brazilians are a good looking bunch.
In all honesty, I do think there is something behind it." Behind it -- bunda -- get it? For some, this is the key to their attraction. =8^)
Carry on.
Being a mixed brazilian I have to add my point of view...
ReplyDeleteRay´s comment is very true, but also valid only for some parts of Brasil. São Paulo being the most extreme place of our country where people actually take their background very seriously, kinda like NY in that sense.
It has a historical reason, and its much similar to NY, with the immigration being very sudden and in huge ammounts which caused them not to mix so well and keep their neiborhoods a piece of their homeland.
If i am not mistaken, war caused this massive immigration... and other cities like Curitiba, Porto Alegre and smaller ones like Blumenau, still keep a bigger influence on their origins as well...
But we can´t say that most brazilians are like that, we in Rio, have no division or ancestral influence (unless your parents or sometimes grandparents were both direct immigrants)... I have all sorts of blood influence, with parents from the northeast, so pretty much all my friends...
my point being, lots of us (wont use the word most) are so mixed that we really can´t call ourselves anything other than carioca or brazilian, and São Paulo is more an exception than a rule when it comes to Brasil´s standarts on that point.
Facinating comments - be referring to them when I get to do Brazil for my project especially Ray and DJ.
ReplyDeleteAnd what work would that be Ben?
ReplyDeleteOh come on Ben you can direct-quote me on "they should more of that" if you want... I don't mind at all. ;)
ReplyDeleteRachel I sent you an email about passports.
Well my mom is from Ireland and my dad is half african-american and half native-american and I think I'm kinda cute :-)
ReplyDeleteReally can't wait to see what my children with my French-Swedish-Italian husband are going to look like!
Bet your kids are all kind of adorable Rachel!
I'll take it upon myself to speak for Espirito Santo. (I've been here two months so I'm totally qualified.)
ReplyDeleteWith lots of Italian immigration throughout the state race matters. Or at least skin color matters. Whiter is preferred, and Italians marry other Italians.
Just a few months after coming to Brazil I attended the wedding of my brother-in-law to a girl, Bea, from Bahia. My Father-in-law, the son of Italian immigrants to ES, told my husband that he was concerned because Bea's kind of people really don't have strong family values. Not like my husband's choice of wives. Apparently in the eyes of my FIL, my people are all about the family. Keep in my mind I had just recently met my FIL and spoke no Portuguese. Now, between Bea and myself, any guesses as to which one of us is very white and which one of us darker?
As for mixed races being more attractive, the modeling industry loves women of mixed race background. Yup, German and Italian with a sprinkling of Russian. Here's an article from the NYT about how 70% of Brazil's model come from 3 states in the south, particularly Rio Grande do Sul.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/world/americas/08models.html
Personally, I want my own children to have my hair texture and eye color and my husband's hair color and complexion. How close are we to designer baby drive-thrus?