I am often asked about Brazil and what people are usually curious about is the fact that Brazil is a multicultural country. The question being asked resonates on the fact that Canada is an extremely multicultural country. However, I believe that happens in a very different sense.
Canada's 'multiculturality' lies on the number of people from different countries and with the most various origins coming to live in this land. It is fascinating to see how these varied people from the most varied countries interact with each other within the same piece of land. If I take a bus on a Saturday afternoon in downtown Vancouver I will be able to listen to at least 3 languages being spoken at the same time. As the numbers show, asian languages are those more common. Despite of the fact that French is the second language of Canada, I could probably say French is easily outnumbered by Chinese/Mandarin, and Cantonese. Within this same bus I mentioned, I can listen to Punjabi, Arabic, Farsi, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and even our own Portuguese.
Another way that this 'multiculturality' shows its face is in the areas and markets where a certain ethnic groups have their activities. There are Chinese markets, Latin markets, Arabic markets, African hair salons, Indian spices stores and so on.
The case I am trying to make is that the multicultural Brazil we know of is very different from what I just accounted for Canada. One of the things that my friends (non-brazilians) here struggle with is finding a way to differentiate brazilians from within a crowd. And they are very right in that struggle. I myself sometimes have the same problem. The only difference is that I know the brazilian preferences in clothing, style, and perhaps body shape. And sometimes I can only know for sure when I hear some Portuguese being spoken.
For one thing, Brazil is indeed an extremely multicultural country, but somehow this has been melted within one language and one culture. Here in Canada, your face or your colour reveal who you are and what your cultural background is. But in Brazil, there are people from very different origins sharing the same language and the same customs and cultural background. There are japanese brazilians, black brazilian, blond blue-eyed brazilian, indian brazilians and so on, and all of them share only one language and one culture.
Through conversations with friends (canadians and non-canadians), it seems that cultures have dissolved in Brazil. Thus, turning it into a melting pot where cultures are flushed away and languages are forgotten. Of course, I cannot generalize and speak for the whole country, this assumption lies in my own observation and contrast of cultures.
Anyway, some canadians might say that Canada is a pretty young country and that what happened to Brazil could actually happen to them. On the other hand, some say that it would not happen due to the policies of the country. Canada is utterly proud of its 'multiculturality' and is willing to keep its most fascinating characteristic.
I do not have any idea of what might happen to Canada in the future, but if I had to guess, I would say that perhaps within a few centuries, the same might just happen. Our history has showed us that the immigrants that came to Brazil long time ago remain only in the memories of the third and fourth generations that no longer share language and culture.
