Give Brazilians US Visas

It's not a secret that Brazilians become shopaholics the moment they set foot in the US. They get there and put our status as consumers to shame!

There is a very logical reason as to why. Stuff in Brazil is expensive. The stuff in Brazil that is from the US is doubly expensive. We're talking a lot of Reasis here people.

So when Brazilians go to the US they do not let that shopping opportunity slip though their finger tips. On the contrary, they take full advantage and come home with truck plane loads. Time Magazine even published an article talking exactly about that.

The article in a whole discusses how much actual cash Brazilians drop abroad and how much money the US is losing by being a bit overly scrutinous (the understatement of the year.)

I already broke it down the the US in a blog post entitled: Brazilians: A part of Obama's Stimulus package? Honestly, It just makes sense. Brazilians love to travel and love to buy electronics, not to mention Gap clothes, purses, Puma, shoes, and skin care items. Let's not even go into luggage and baby gear.

The thing is, Brazilians are doing well down here. Hell, if they aren't, they can't afford the airfare to go up there anyway. I know I can't! And if someone does manage to scrape together the money, give them a freaking shot at living there illegally. Hey, they can have Mr. Rant's spot.

My point is, I don't think everyone in the world is crying themselves to sleep because they don't live in the US. I do think that some 15 year old Brazilians who can't go to Disney World for vacation are. It must be hard for a family in Minas Gerais to pay for the tickets, hotel, and food for the whole family to go to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro just to get their Visas. This with the chance of them getting denied plus the cost of the trip abroad makes going to the US more of a pipe dream as opposed to an actual plan.

Hell, the US won't even let people change planes there unless they have a Visa! That is just madness! Have you ever tried to escape customs? I'm afraid of them and I am American. I really doubt people who have a continuing flight to Canada are going to bust out a window in the International terminal and make a run for it.

I think it's time for the US to give other countries the respect they deserve. Start out slow and let Brazil and Chile into the club. If they mingle well with the other "Visa-free Cool Countries," let in Argentina. Go from there. Let's expand our commercial dating circle.

United States of America, if you do this, you will find that Brazilian Tourists rock. They are outgoing, they are excited, and they will take over Best Buy!

Mr. Rant and the US Broke Up

I'm no immigration lawyer but I have had my fair share of time working with the US department of immigration. By work I mean trying to get papers for my husband.

In all fairness, they did give him his Green Card. Guess what, the card was actually green. Go figure. Doing it abroad didn't take nearly all the hoop jumping that getting my Brazilian resident card did. On the contrary, he had it in about 3 months.

So while we were quite a bit poorer after the whole thing, we thought we were set. We thought so anyway. Turns out you have to set foot on American soil every 6 months if you want to keep it. Sadly, the US government doesn't cover the bill of flying from Rio de Janeiro to US soil twice a year. But I did discover that you can enter after 11 months once, twice if the second customs agent is forgiving.

That's what happened to us. Being who we are, and with all our respect for bureaucracy, we pushed the envelope... and we got called into secondary. Thankfully that was just because Immigration departments around the world all have the same standards for organization and they couldn't figure out which was our latest US address. But we were informed that while they were going to let us in, my death glare and bitching must have intimidated them, Mr. Rant would be turned around and sent home if we waited this long again. Oh, and he would be without his Green Card.

We ultimately decided that it was time for Mr. Rant and the US to break up. They could have some ex-sex in the form of the Tourist Visa but nothing more. The US is far too needy. It expected way too much from this relationship. I mean, Permanent resident is a lot, what more could you ask for?

Oh yeah, spontaneous finger printing in California because he wasn't actually a Permanent Resident but a Temporary Permanent Resident. Anyone else see the contradiction in terms there? Not to mention the fact that they could not do it in the consulate and that Residency is for people who are actually residents.

That one right there just pissed me off. I'm an American. Hell, I didn't even leave the country until I was 18 years old. Doesn't my country celebrate that kind of thing? So give my husband his papers.  I'm allowed to marry who I want to... oh wait. But in this case, I can marry him, I just may not be able to bring him home to Mom. I suppose, depending on the Mother-in-law, some spouses may not be too upset by that.

In the end, I guess we all have our immigration stories. The US is famous for just that. What are yours?

Brazil in New York City

The Hubs and I decided to take a little break from small town America and go up to BIG town New York to visit his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins.

I have to say, the moment we entered into their New York apartment, we departed the US of A and entered Brazil, if not by geography, then in heart.

For starters, it was like 90 degrees in there.  I felt like I was in one of those habitats at the zoo. It may be 25 degrees outside, but the people of this habitat only flourish at 85 or above.  Somehow, I do not find that surprising when it comes to Brazilians living in cold climates.

Not only was the place hot, it was full of people.  I don't think Brazilians are allowed to have personal space.  They will freak out and run into the first crowded plaza.  But it was no problem.  Everyone was anywhere and everywhere and was happy to be there. So NOT American, at least the country I know.

Then there was the food. There was no grazing, to my spare tire's dismay.  There were meals, 3 and a half to be exact. The half being a Brazilian snack session called a 'lanche,' which has enough snack food to be considered a meal in some cultures.  Seriously, Brazilians can eat.

And they can cook.  I forgot, in my two minutes in the US, how much I love Brazilian food. My husband's Uncle is like a Tasmanian devil in the kitchen, swirling and twirling at speeds invisible to the naked eye.  He made amazing creations in the kitchen.  A shrimp would offer himself up to be cooked by this man.

But don't be fooled.  You can't live in my country and not have a little something sneak in. You may not learn the language.  You could only shop at shops of your native lands.  You could even refuse to buy our footwear.  But you can't avoid everything.

The American in that home was the simplest form of American,  yet one of the most highly debated.  The television. Oh yes, 3 tvs in the house. One in each bedroom and one in the kitchen.  And 2 were on almost all the time. The one in the kitchen blared each and every time someone was in that room. It may have been Brazilian soap operas, but it was still being shown in an oh so American way.

So what did I learn? I saw a lot of me in this. I had a mini, baby, very adorable, expat chip on my shoulder. You know because I am so well adapted.  Bullshit!  I'm such an American living in Brazil that it's ridiculous.  No adaptation required because I have created my mini-America right there in my house.

"Sorry, The national language in the house of Rachel is American. You are going to have to speak your Brazilian outside in the hallway."

On a serious note, I must say that as much as we Americans miss the conveniences of our country, I think expats to our country may have it harder.  We complain about Brazilian bureaucracy, but at least they are open to immigrants.  Americans seem to have their panties all bunched up their nether regions when the subject comes up.  Have we really forgotten where we came from and what we have fought for?  Are we becoming exactly what our ancestors ran away from?

Food for thought American friends and readers.  Where are we going with all this and what are we really accomplishing?