The Legacy of Portuguese Miscegenation: Race, Social Stratification, and Brazil's Path to Development Compared to the United States

The colonization practices of Portugal, particularly its early and continuous encouragement of miscegenation, have profoundly shaped Brazil's social and racial landscape. This resulted in a racially mixed society with intricate social hierarchies where race, skin color, and socioeconomic status are deeply interwoven. Unlike the United States, which enforced strict racial boundaries through anti-miscegenation laws and a rigid binary classification of race, Brazil developed a more fluid and complex system of racial identification. This article delves into how Portuguese miscegenation influenced Brazil's racial identity and the formation of its elite, examines societal reactions to racial mixing, and contrasts these dynamics with those of the United States. By analyzing historical contexts, incorporating census data, and reviewing contemporary studies, the discussion highlights the systemic marginalization of Afro-Brazilians—who make up over half of the country's population—and how this exclusion impedes national development. The article argues that systemic racism is a critical barrier to Brazil's progress, potentially more detrimental than economic inequality and corruption, and emphasizes that integrating Afro-Brazilians is imperative for the nation to realize its full potential.