Race appears to be an easy concept to grasp when mentioned in other countries. However, it is more complex in Brazil to define race after the government introduced some physical features that define the concept. The implication is that skin color is not the only aspect of physical differences used in conceptualizing race. The challenge is that it is difficult for people to determine their color, yet race has some implications for reparations. Although the intent of the Brazilian government to reduce racism was noble, the stratified classification is creating more identity challenges and making it hard to implement some programs.
The initiative that the Brazilian undertook was to redefine the criteria for identifying race. The features used in defining race include the texture of the hair, the skin tone, and the size and shape of the mouth and nose. As the people in the podcast speak, Attila mentions that he resembles both Andy Garcia and Usher. Hence, he reasons that his skin is comparable to Garcia’s, whereas his nose and mouth are to Usher. Yet, based on their color, one is too light, and the other is dark such that if it were in the United States, the two would be far from each other on the color wheel. The rationale is that, unlike Brazilians, the Americans use skin color as the only thing to observe in defining race.
I think the initiative of the Brazilian government will effectively end racism but will fail in its reparation endeavor. Notably, it is difficult for people to determine their race because a white person may have a wider nose and wide nose attributed to blacks. Consequently, naming people as blacks or whites is not possible because many people display some characteristics of blacks. However, the endeavor will fail in repatriations, such as the move to give preference to blacks during recruitment in government jobs. Some people like Atalia may insist that they are black because of their nose and lips yet their skin tone is light. Therefore, the government has solved one problem by creating a more significant issue on race.