Not Standing out in Brazil

[ladislav]

The main thing that I like about being an expat in Brazil is that I dont stand out. On the streets, when I walk, I am just another person, another Brazilian to them. Unlike in Asia, I am not a gaijin, a farang, a gweilo, a Kano, etc. I am not even a Gringo unless I talk, But then, if my Portuguese is kind of fast, I am not a Gringo as well.

I am just a man, not a foreign man.

There is no hospitality to me, but also, I am not treated as a guest. I am only a guest legally speaking, not socially. In Brazil, people assume that any person is a Brazilian first and foremost.

My Portuguese is not fluent yet, but they do not freak out when they hear my accent. Most are just indifferent to me. Just like in the US, they ve had tens of millions of immigrants over the past few centuries.

Unlike in Asia, I do not get praised, with people clapping and shouting with joy when they hear me speak Japanese, Thai, etc. Big deal, this is Brazil, and you should speak Portuguese here. Just like in the USA, you should speak English, duh!

Brazil is not 100 percent good at accommodating immigrants, though. They have laws that naturalized people cannot be diplomats, for example and or hold similar office. However, they are still pretty good at integrating people, and they consider naturalized citizens as just another type of Brazilians. Unlike the US where naturalized citizens are part of the so called foreign born population.

The only problem in Brazil is that it is so hard to make any money here. Better bring your own money.

BYOM is the motto all over Latin America.

Bring your own darn money when you come here. And you will be happy here.