A tradução deste artigo se encontra logo após a versão em inglês.
Every Sept. 7 — a national holiday honoring Brazil’s independence from the Portuguese empire — most Brazilian cities host patriotic, civil, and military parades.
The most distinguished parade, which the president presides over, is on the Esplanade of the Ministries in Brasília, Brazil’s national capital. In each state capital, the respective governors attend their parades.
Brazilian Day is also celebrated in Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Angola, all of which have large Brazilian populations. In 1984 the founder of the Brazilian American Cultural Center (BACC Travel), João De Matos, created the Brazilian Day festival so Brazilians living in the United States could also celebrate Brazil’s independence. The festival has been growing in size and popularity ever since. The first celebration was in New York on West 46th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) in New York City — an area designated as “Little Brazil, Manhattan” by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and it’s now celebrated each year on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Other U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, now have festivals as well.
Brazilian Day has since become the biggest and most well-known Brazilian attraction outside of Brazil. Brazilians who live in Massachusetts towns such as Lowell, Framingham, Milford, Somerville, and Everett travel to New York to celebrate. Brazilian businesses in some of these areas organize bus tours and reserve hotels for Brazilians interested in participating in the events. Because of the size of the event, it has since moved its location to 6th Avenue, between 42nd and 46th Streets.
Aside from renowned Brazilian bands and singers that come to perform at Brazilian Day, illustrious actors from Rede Globo (the biggest network in Brazil) come to be part of the festival as presenters. Brazilians and Americans can also indulge in delicacies from all the states in Brazil — Acarajé, Coxinha, Farofa, Paçoca, Pamonha, Pastel, and many others. The rhythms of Brazil are all around: Bands play instruments typical to Brazil, such as the berimbau (a single-stringed percussion instrument) and pandeiro (a tambourine-like instrument), and people dance the samba, a well-known Brazilian dance. Brazilians living in Brazil watch the festivities that Globo broadcasts.
This Sept. 7, which marked the 193rd year of independence from Portugal, Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s current (and first woman) president, rode in the open in the presidential Rolls-Royce in Brasilia. During the parade, people protested against her, and against former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Since July 16 of this year, an inflatable character balloon — similar in size to those seen in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade — depicting former President Lula in a black-and-white-striped prison inmate uniform, has been making appearances in many of the protests. The balloon is 49 feet tall and weighs 1,102 pounds when inflated. Protesters have also created a similar balloon for current President Dilma Rousseff, (which cost the equivalent of $3,500), depicting Rousseff dressed in a red suit and with her nose resembling Pinocchio’s, alluding to the lies from both presidencies. This has created much controversy, especially among those who defend the government; as a result, some protesters have been arrested for creating a public disorder.
Shout-outs of the week
Congratulations to Brenda De Oliveira, who snagged third place in the Martha’s Vineyard Museum Island Faces portrait competition. “It was a cool experience to be in a contest with people I knew,” she told the Times. Brenda, who lives in Edgartown, has worked as an intern at the Museum. “When I first heard about the contest, I knew I wanted to enter. It’s always fun for me to be a part of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. The staff is like family now. After two exhibits I helped curate, this contest has been something new for me.”
This past Sunday, Antonio Chiabai, in his role as a mobile mechanic, saved the day. I woke up to a car that wouldn’t start and, after speaking with AAA, panicked because due to the holiday weekend, I wouldn’t be able to get the situation resolved before Tuesday. I previously met Antonio at one of my students’ homes, and he had mentioned in passing he was a mechanic. I called him and he drove to my house. Within 10 minutes he had resolved my automotive issue. While he was fixing the car, he mentioned to me that his green-card process took 14 years. At one point in time, he lost hope, and almost abandoned everything until this past April, when he received his green card. “I kept my green card in my pocket for a week, and I couldn’t believe it was real. It took some time to believe that it had finally arrived,” said Antonio. He will be traveling to Brazil this December for the first time in 21 years.
Should you ever find yourself in my situation, I highly recommend his services. Besides being a mechanic, Antonio also specializes in landscaping, mowing, gardening, pruning, and brick/cobblestone work.
Antonio Chiabai: 508-560-2198; chiabai10@hotmail.com.
Portuguese translation – Tradução em português
Como é comemorado o Dia da Independência no Brasil?
Parabéns a Brenda de Oliveira, que ficou com o terceiro lugar na competição de Retratos de Rosto do Museu de Martha’s Vineyard. “Foi uma experiência legal competir com pessoas que eu conhecia”, disse ela ao Times. Brenda, que vive em Edgartown, trabalhou como estagiária no Museu. “Quando ouvi pela primeira vez falarem sobre o concurso, eu sabia que queria participar. É sempre divertido para mim fazer parte de eventos do Museu de Martha’s Vineyard. A equipe é como uma família agora. Depois de duas exposições que eu ajudei como curadora, este concurso foi algo novo para mim”.
Antonio Chiabai: 508-317-5558; chiabai10@hotmail.com.
