Adventures of a Gringa

Q&A with Tereza Lee

Despite the fact that U.S. immigration reform is seemingly becoming more of an uphill battle in an increasingly polarized country, support for the DREAM Act--a law which would give immigrants brought to the United States in their youth a path to residency--is on the rise. Though the DREAM Act bill was narrowly defeated in the Senate in December 2010, it was reintroduced last year, and immigration reform advocates still hold out hope that it could pass.

I've written about several Brazilians at the heart of the DREAM Act, including Felipe Matos, one of the United States' top immigration reform activists, and Polyana de Oliveira, a Brazilian who moved back to her country of birth after running out of time for the DREAM Act to pass. But what I recently discovered is that the very person who inspired the DREAM Act is in fact Brazilian by birth.

Senator Rick Durbin of Illinois was one of the senators who wrote and introduced the DREAM Act back in 2001, inspired by Tereza Lee. Tereza was born in São Paulo to Korean parents, and lived in Brazil until she was 2, when the family moved to Chicago. Lee became a talented pianist and was accepted into some of the top music schools in the country. But since she was undocumented, she was ineligible for financial aid. One of her music teachers decided to search for a solution, and called Durbin's office to see if he could help. Soon, the DREAM Act was born.

 

Part of the reason it took so long for the bill to be considered in Congress was that it was due to be discussed on September 12, 2001; Tereza herself was supposed to fly to Washington for the hearing. Fortunately, Tereza was lucky. She had the fortune to be able to study at the Manhattan School of Music, where she is currently pursuing a doctorate. Now age 29, she married an American and gained residency. But she's still a vocal part of the DREAM Act movement, advocating for others like her.

 

I spoke to Tereza briefly about her family's journey from Korea to Brazil to the U.S., as well as her role in immigration reform.

What brought your parents to Brazil?  What brought them later to the United States?

My parents had lost everything--their belongings, homes, and land--during the Korean War and subsequent struggles. They became part of a massive wave of Korean immigration to North and South America. They first moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I was born, and started a small clothing business. Although they were, initially, relatively successful, they decided to move to the U.S. to start over again after almost all of their savings was stolen via identity theft. My mother sold her wedding ring in order to buy visas and plane tickets for us, and we moved to Chicago when I was two.  

Once you became a resident, where was the first place you traveled abroad?  Have you been back to Brazil or to Korea?

I've not been back to Brazil, and have unfortunately never been to Korea, but I have been able to visit Germany, France, Italy, and Japan.

Before I even boarded an airplane, though, I really experienced a feeling of vertigo when I received my permanent resident document which allowed me to travel. Although I was, of course, beyond thrilled to finally have documentation, and be one step closer to American citizenship, at the same time it struck me as incredibly bizarre and unsettling that this small, flimsy piece of paper could have such power over my life.  

What's your involvement like with the DREAM movement at present?

I am constantly trying to keep up to date on all the latest news on the DREAM Act. I stay in touch with other DREAMers as much as I can, and have become friends with many of them. I also volunteer occasionally at rallies and events--there are so many here in New York.

Do you think the DREAM Act has a chance of passing anytime in the near future?

Absolutely! Both houses of Congress voted to pass the DREAM Act in 2010, and with only a few more votes to override a filibuster in the Senate, it would have been made law then. I'm no expert on politics, but I know the upcoming election will be very significant for the DREAM Act. On the other hand, my guess is that it's not likely to happen before the election.

What advice would you give to other DREAMers?

Stay positive, both in your own lives and in your communications with others. Being caught between the cracks of the immigration system for years can be enormously frustrating and debilitating, and many DREAMers I've talked to have battled severe depression. I also know, though, that DREAMers know how to survive amid great obstacles and constant fear, and it never ceases to amaze me how many DREAMers have persevered and become valedictorians, star athletes, and leaders in their communities. When we bring our message to the public, anger won't work. We need to focus on the benefits that America will receive from allowing all of these talented people to contribute, and then, once the DREAM Act passes, go out and prove it!

Brazilians Return: Interview Series

Brazilians living abroad are returning to Brazil in record numbers, in part because of Brazil's strong economy, and in part because of a lack of jobs in Europe and the U.S. Some are seeking entreprenurial opportunities, or taking advantage of Brazil's growing tech space. In this series, I'll interview Brazilians who were living abroad and decided to return home. If you or someone you know would be interested in being profiled in this series, email me at riogringaconsult at gmail dot com.

So far, the Brazilians I've spoken to have returned to be closer to their families and also for jobs. They're thrilled to be back at home and have found great opportunities, though many complained about high prices and adjusting to life back in Brazil.

***

Andrea N. lived in New York for ten years, after moving there in 2001. She married her American boyfriend in 2002, and lived in Prospect Heights and the Upper West Side. She had a variety of interesting jobs, from interning at a TV production company, to waitressing, to working as a movie extra, to freelance translating and editing, to doing narration work in English and Portuguese, and working as a production assistant at the TV & Media Department at the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. After her job at the zoo, she worked at Columbia University for seven years, working as a development coordinator for Global Initiatives in the fundraising department. While working at Columbia, she also took several elective courses, including Spanish and news writing.

But in the end, she decided to move back to her hometown of Santos, in São Paulo, since her parents were getting older and had health problems. Her parents are better now, but she's happy to be closer to them. She moved with her husband and dog last October, and is currently doing freelance translation, editing, and narration work, as well as teaching English. She loves being near the beach, where she walks her dog every day, and being with family and friends. She also enjoys the weather and eating healthier, since she no longer eats processed food and eats lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. But the move wasn't easy; it was an expensive and bureaucratic process, and she had to bring her dog in the cargo compartment since she's so large, and she sent her belongings in shipping containers. She noticed a change in Brazil since she's been back. "The US has been having such tough times, economically and politically, and though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how, there’s a pervasive sense that we should be doing much better. In Brazil, where the economy is strong, the middle class is growing, and poverty is on the decline, there’s just a much more optimistic mood in the air," she said.

***

Cássia Martins is a Carioca who worked in finance in the U.S. and returned to Rio de Janeiro to follow her dreams as a writer. Born in Petrópolis, she moved to the U.S. when she was a teenager. She got her B.A. in Economics from Boston University, and worked in business for five years before getting her MBA at the University of Pennsylvania. She lived in a number of cities, including Boston, Chicago, Stamford, Philadelphia, Boca Raton, and Miami. After finishing her graduate degree, she decided to return to her hometown of Rio de Janeiro. She spent a year in Brazil, where she wrote her first book, called Born in Rio. After that, she decided to move back to Miami, so she could be closer to her family and promote her book.

But living in Rio was an inspiration. "Besides writing a story about a woman’s quest to uncover her roots, I was really aiming at capturing the culture and energy of Brazil as the plot unfolds," she said. "The beauty and nature of Brazil never seizes to dazzle me, people are friendly, and the Rio lifestyle is a very easy going one." She said that she enjoyed the emphasis on relationships she found in Rio, as opposed to a focus on work and business back in the U.S.  "In the U.S. the first question people usually ask me when they first meet me is 'Where do you work? What did you study?' In Brazil I would often hear 'Where is your boyfriend? How come you are not married?'" she told me. Though she worried about safety and high prices in Rio, one of the other interesting things about going home was seeing the changes taking in place in the city; she says she hears more English in Rio than in Miami, and that she met many foreigners in Brazil for work, not for tourism.

***

Adriana R. is one of the trailblazers. She lived in the U.S. for four years, spending a year as an exchange student in San Angelo, Texas, and another three years in Ithaca, New York studying hotel management and working at a hotel. Thirteen years ago, she decided to return to Brazil to be closer to family and friends. Now, she owns her own ecotourism agency, which specializes in trips to Fernando de Noronha, for foreigners who don't speak Portuguese. She loves being close to her loved ones, though she also had a hard time adjusting to "bureaucracy, inefficiency, lack of respect for consumers, slow pace of our law system, and higher prices now that the economy is booming." She commented on some of the challenges she's faced: "It just feels more difficult. Everything here takes longer. It is not always nicer or better, in fact, most of the time, it is just of lower quality and when not, it is extremely expensive. Everything is just so bureaucratic, and therefore we need paperwork for everything."

***

Tatiana Perreira lived in Japan for 12 years, and also spent 3 months in Perth, Australia. After she graduated from high school in Brazil, she wanted to be closer to her mother, who moved to Japan after getting divorced. Once she got to Japan, Tatiana started working at a car parts factory, and spent five years working at factories, like many Brazilians do in Japan. She returned to Brazil for a year in 2003, to visit family, study English, and buy a house with her mom. She went back to Japan in 2004, working at factories and saving money. She managed to save enough to study in Australia, which she loved. "Living in Australia was for few years a dream, until I dated an Australian guy who broke my heart so I never really felt like going back there anymore - I still think it's a great country, though," she said. She then returned to Japan, working at factories until 2007, which she got a job as a telemarketer at an international phone company, where she worked for four years.

Her definitive move back to Brazil came for a few reasons. Her sister was getting married, and she and her mom wanted to go to the wedding. She also missed her family and friends, after being away from them for eight years. While she and her mom were planning their return, the 2011 earthquake hit Fukushima. Even though it was 300 kilometers away, her mother felt it and was "freaked out." Tatiana moved back in April 2011, helping her sister plan her wedding. She then went to San Francisco to meet her American boyfriend's family; they'd been dating in Japan, since he's in the military and was stationed in Okinawa. They just recently got married in South Carolina, and are planning a wedding ceremony in Brazil after he gets back from a second deployment in Afghanistan for 7 months. After he finishes his service next year, they may go to the US, or her husband may move to Brazil, where he'd like to start a business.

In Brazil, Tatiana had a hard time finding a job, since she doesn't have a college degree. She started teaching English, and discovered that she really enjoyed it, despite the meager salary. She also dreams of going back to school. She loves being close to her family, which is "priceless," and also feeling at home. "Being able to speak my own language and express myself anytime, anywhere and everywhere I want makes a difference," she said. She doesn't speak fluent Japanese, so she sometimes had a hard time in Japan. She also didn't like the health care system in Japan, and now feels more secure about medical issues in Brazil. She's still getting used to São Paulo, especially the traffic. Even though she's happy back in Brazil, she misses life in Japan. "I could go anywhere easily by train, bus or even by bike. I used to have money to buy whatever I wanted: clothes, shoes, make up, travel -- I've been to 10 countries," she explained. She had friends from all over the world, and admits she was well known in the "Tokyo party community." In Brazil, she has to take precautions with things like jewelry and cell phones because of security. She also finds that everything is much more expensive, since the prices are higher and she's making less money than she did in Japan, even from when she worked at the factories. Still, she says, it's the first time in her life she's had a job she likes, where she's happy to wake up to go to work in the morning.

***

Valerie R. lived in Astoria, New York for ten years, the heart of the New York Brazilian community. She worked as a secretary, and went to Parsons to study interior design. She dated a Brazilian, who she lived with for nine years. After her boyfriend finished college, he decided to return to Brazil, and she also went, a year later. She's been back in São Paulo for a year and a half, working as an executive assistant to an executive at an American company. She was happy to see her family, though she misses New York. "I still haven't gotten used to it here; sometimes I still can't believe I'm back," she said. She also tends to compare the two cities a lot. But her professional life in São Paulo is better than it was in New York, and she sees her family all the time.

***

Julie, a Paulista, lived in Saint Louis, Missouri for six months. She had grown tired of her life and job at home, and decided to quit her job and sell her car to move to the U.S. She wanted to learn English, and picked Missouri because she thought there wouldn't be any Brazilians, so she'd be forced to learn English faster. But she ended up finding Brazilians, making friends with one who'd lived there for a decade. She studied at the University of Missoui, learning English as a second language and meeting people from all over the world. She also worked as a nanny, which she enjoyed to be able to work with kids and learn about American family life. She decided to move back to Brazil since she was on a student visa, and she didn't want to overstay and live undocumented after she finished her program. She returned to Brazil a little over a year ago, and now works at ABB, an international technology company, as an import/export analyst. She's also had a bit of trouble adapting, having to start over and "familiarize herself with disorganization." In São Paulo, she works a lot, and she misses having time to travel and have free time like she did while she was studying abroad.

***

Aline T. lived in Sacramento, California for almost seven years. She worked as an au pair, and then went back to school. She lived with the same host family the whole time she was in the U.S.After she graduated, she had trouble finding a job during the economic crisis and didn't want to babysit, and decided to move back home. She had other friends who had returned home from living abroad and were doing well, so she was more confident about her decision. Now, she's been back for a year and a half. She's finishing her BA, since she had a hard time validating her American college degree. Now that she's back in Brazil, she's had an easier time finding a job because of her fluent English, and has been able to work at several large companies.

Aline likes being closer to her family, and also the "sense of belonging" she gets from voting, paying taxes, and contributing to her retirement account. "Before I was just living in the U.S., but I was not an American," she said. The hardest part about coming back was adapting to a different way of life; she had lived in the suburbs in California, and went back to the city of São Paulo, where she hasn't gotten used to the traffic, the crowds, or the jeitinho. Now that she's working and studying, she has more responsibilities. "Now I can start thinking about buying a car, saving for a house and retirement; before I just needed to save for my next trip or gadget," she explained. She's also excited about Brazil's growing role. "Because of the World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016, there are some great expectations in the country and it has been nice to experience all these changes that it is happening now in the country," she said.

Visa Changes Afoot

Since I last wrote about visas in December, things are changing. On the U.S. side, the pro-tourism lobby had some success with pushing for changes to increase the number of Brazilian tourists. In Brazil, immigration changes are reportedly on the way, as the government seeks to increase professional immigrants, particularly from Europe, and cut down on the number of undocumented immigrants from Haiti and South Asia.

Last Thursday, President Obama announced a number of changes to U.S. tourist visa policy, specifically to benefit high-spending Brazilian and Chinese tourists. Here are the changes that pertain to Brazilians:

• Increase non-immigrant visas in Brazil by 40% this year. That includes the plan already in place to add 50 consular employees in Brazil in 2012, and to emit 1.8 million tourist visas in 2013.
• Speed up the amount of time visa applicants wait for an interview. In Brazil, the goal is to interview 80% of non-immigrant visa applicants within 3 weeks of their application.
• In what is perhaps the biggest change for Brazilians, the State Department will implement a pilot program that will waive the required interview for "low-risk" non-immigrant visa applicants, including "younger or older first-time applicants," and those renewing expired visas. The program is expected to affect tens of thousands of Brazilians and to open up more spots for visa interviewees.
• Consider nominating Brazil to participate in the Visa Waiver Program. This talk has been going on for quite awhile, but now it seems to be getting a little more traction. In order to be considered for the program, Brazil must have a visa rejection rate of 3 percent or less; it's currently 5 percent. Though this will be a lengthy process, the same tourist lobby is pushing hard for the government to really consider Brazil for the visa waiver program.

In Brazil, it is immigration visa policy that's come to the fore. After an increasing amount of Haitians arriving in the Amazon (and even immigrants from the Middle East and South Asia) and a spate of media coverage, the Brazilian government announced that it would close its borders to undocumented migrants. It had been giving out visas and work authorization to the several thousand Haitian migrants that arrived in Acre state. In doing so, it also announced a limited legal immigration program for Haitians, in which the Brazilian consulate in Port-au-Prince will issue 100 visas a month.

The other big news is about proposed changes for skilled professionals looking to move to Brazil. The federal government is putting together a commission to study new visa policies that would benefit foreign professionals, particularly Spaniards and Portuguese, who represent the highest number of skilled professionals moving to Brazil. With the crisis in Europe and Brazil's economy still humming along, the government increased the number of work authorizations by at least 32 percent last year, from January to September, issuing nearly 51,400 work visas. The commission will explore ways to simplify and speed up the visa process, in a bid not only to fill the gap of skilled professionals in the Brazilian workforce, but also, according to Globo, attempt a "new cycle of European immigration to Brazil." Not only is the current process difficult and bureaucratic, but it's also very slow, so often immigrants or temporary workers will simply enter on a tourist visa while they await their papers. As Greg Michener points out, for some there are even more hurdles after getting work papers: validating college degrees, or in his case, his Ph.D, are very painful processes. In short, the changes to help facilitate immigration for skilled professionals have yet to come, but the topic is now on the government's agenda.

Brazilian Expats Series

This week, I'm beginning a series on Brazilians who lived abroad and decided to move back to Brazil. (I'll also cover the latest in visa news from both Brazil and the U.S. in a separate post). If you're a Brazilian who returned home after living abroad who's interested in telling your story, please let me know! Leave a comment or email me directly at riogringaconsult at gmail dot com.

Exiled In the Homeland

Poly grew up like many typical American girls. She loved Disney movies, took dance classes and played sports, enjoyed her dad's Italian home cooking, and spent Sundays at church with her family. She excelled in school, and even won a scholarship to a prestigious private high school, where she was active in volunteerism. After graduating, she went on to study at a college in New England, where she became president of the Board of Multi-Cultural Student Affairs.

But in other ways, she grew up in a world apart. Her mother made typical mineira dishes, including frango com quiabo, pão de queijo, and feijão tropeiro; Poly's favorites were salpicão and canjiquinha. Her parents only spoke Portuguese at home, knowing that Poly and her brother would learn English in school. Her family rented VHS tapes of Brazilian soap operas and popular TV shows like Faustão and Silvio Santos. She took Brazilian dance lessons and played with other Brazilian kids, since her parents were active in the local Brazilian community.

Not only did Poly live between two cultures, but also in two realms - the public, seemingly normal life, and the other private life, that involved a carefully guarded secret. She grew up undocumented, without a Social Security number, a driver's license, or even a visa. Until her fateful return to Brazil in 2008, she had never left the United States, despite studying International Relations in college with a longing to see the world. She was unable to work legally, and would have been unable to go to college were it not for a miraculous bureaucratic omission by the university she attended. Her parents have not been back to Brazil in twenty-three years, and have not seen their close family since then. Poly's brother was born in the US, and is the only member of the family who grew up as a citizen and had been to Brazil to visit family. Poly, who was forced to leave the US, is now unable to return. She has not seen her parents in nearly four years.

It all began when Poly's mother learned she was pregnant. She and Poly's father lived in Governador Valadares, a city in Minas Gerais that has historically had the largest number of residents living in the United States (read an interesting article about it here). Poly's father was out of work, and there were no job prospects. At the time, Poly's uncle was living in the United States, so Poly's father decided that to try his luck there. In the next few years, thousands of fellow citizens of Valadares would follow in his footsteps. Poly's dad flew to New York on a tourist visa, and got work in construction. After about a year and a half, he returned to Brazil and discovered that job prospects were still slim. So he figured out a way to return to the US, bringing his whole family this time to Connecticut. Poly was two years old, and she and her mother came through Mexico illegally. Poly believes they crossed the border in a car, though every time she asks her mother about it, she pretends not to remember. Poly doesn't remember immigrating, and grew up only knowing life in the US.

Poly's biggest test came when she was applying to college, and it was the first time she considered moving to Brazil. Without a social security number, she couldn't apply for financial aid, and her options for colleges to apply to were limited. She told very few people about her immigration status, and slowly came out to friends. Eventually, she confessed to her high school guidance counselor, who helped her apply to schools as an international student. Though she was able to get scholarships to a number of schools, Providence College offered her a full ride, and off she went. There were so few international students there, Poly says, that admissions and financial aid seemingly never communicated with each other, and Poly never had to produce a visa.

Meanwhile, Poly's parents were finally able to obtain their work authorization. Poly's father had applied for a green card years earlier with no success through his employer, and although the law wasn't applicable anymore, he was grandfathered in through the same process, but with a different company. But since her parents received their work authorization two weeks after Poly's 21st birthday, she was no longer a dependent, and would no longer be able to get immigration documents through her parents. In other words, she was still stuck. She was in college, but still unable to do many of the things her friends and fellow students could. "It was frustrating because I knew I was capable of all of this, and all that separated me from everyone else was a piece of paper," Poly told me.

While Poly was successful in college, she still struggled with her status. She was scared to explain why she couldn't take certain trips or apply to internships, fearful of some sort of reprisal. Her junior year, she was selected to be an orientation leader, and had to decline due to her immigration status. "It was especially hard because I thought the director would think less of me as a leader," Poly said. "Overall though, it was a relief to be able to talk to people about it."

Her senior year of college, Poly was recruited by Teach for America, think tanks, and top corporations. But every time they got down to the question, "Are you authorized to work in the US?" Poly was forced to tell the truth. She recalls a final round interview with a high-profile news organization, when it seemed she was going to get an offer. But the interviewer asked the big question and immediately wrote Poly off. Faced with waiting tables or cleaning houses, Poly was frustrated. She'd always been committed to social justice and development and had always wanted to be involved in helping others. "It does make me sad to think that I did spend my entire life focused on wanting to make a difference in the US, and wasn't really granted that opportunity," she lamented. 

Undaunted, Poly decided to try her luck. She took an unpaid internship with the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, DC, and and worked freelance for a friend's digital advertising company to make ends meet. During her time at her internship, she spoke to a variety of businesspeople in Brazil, who told her how things were changing and urged her to move back. Poly had been waiting for years on changes in federal legislation, for bills like the DREAM Act to allow young people like her to become permanent residents, and therefore to be able to study and work in the US. But after years of broken promises and failures, Poly grew despondent, and began to seriously consider moving to Brazil, even though it had always been her last option, a Plan C of sorts. Poly explained her rationale: "For me it was a question of 'Do I want to build a career and do something I can love?' or 'Do I want to live in the shadows, but still make good money, whether it be cleaning, serving, babysitting, etc.' I've never been one to want things but rather, be somebody. And having grown up 'American,' without fully ever being American, made me value citizenship and embrace my nationality much more than my peers."

So after she finished her internship, she returned to Connecticut and told her parents about her decision. They were upset, but understood her perspective. Poly bought her ticket a few months in advance, and called her aunt in São Paulo three weeks before she was due to arrive. At 22, it was the first time Poly was leaving the US, and was the first time she would return to the country of her birth.

Her aunt and uncle took her in, and Poly lived with them for six months while she got on her feet in São Paulo. There, she had a different problem than in the US - plenty of places wanted to hire her, but told her she was overqualified or that they couldn't afford to pay her. She began teaching English at a school, and also began teaching private classes. One of her students mentioned her company was a hiring an SEO assistant fluent in English with on-the-job training, and asked if she'd be interested. Thus Poly began a successful career in online marketing, and worked at the advertising agency for two years. After that, she moved on to do SEO for a popular jobs website, and recently began doing SEO consulting. (She also has another very exciting project on the way, but she can't discuss it publicly yet). In addition to her new career, Poly began blogging when she moved back to Brazil, and with the blog found some of her closest friends. She even inspired others to move back to Brazil, which Poly counts as a personal achievement.

In São Paulo, Poly has flourished. Besides her career, she also is studying for an MBA, and may do a short term study abroad for her program. She recently traveled to Europe for the first time with a friend, and has taken advantage of cheap airfare to travel all over Brazil, including Brasília, the Northeast, and Santa Catarina. She has new friends in São Paulo, as well as Brazilian friends who used to live in the US and Americans living abroad. With this diverse group of friends, Poly says they really understand her experience.

 While living in the US, Poly had been very politically involved. She went to every Mayday parade, immigration marches, and didn't miss an opportunity to write about immigration issues. She even appealed to her senator before deciding to leave the US, though he told her that he unfortunately couldn't help her. In São Paulo, Poly found herself growing more distant from the reform movement, though she had friends back in the US who were still very active. Plus, her parents continued to wait on the green card applications. "I think when I left the US, I felt towards the US a lot of frustration, discouragement, and sometimes even hate. Today, I guess I am more indifferent to it all. I've been able to adapt, have come to love living in Brazil, and could never imagine moving back to the US, so I really just don't care much anymore. Sometimes I feel a little disappointed because it almost feels as if I 'gave up' on the changing immigration law cause, which I was really active in, but I suppose it was a lost cause after all, at least for the past few years," Poly told me.

Though she loved her life in Brazil, Poly wanted to go back to the US to see her family and friends. Her brother was graduating from high school and her friend was getting married, so Poly decided to go and apply for a tourist visa. At the consulate, she found more disappointment. She was told she could only apply for a tourist visa in 2018 (a decade after she left the US), but could apply for immigrant status at any time, either through her family, work sponsorship, or marriage. Since her parents were still waiting for their green cards and the other two prospects were not viable, Poly had no way to return.

But a few weeks ago, Poly received exciting news. Her parents finally received their green cards, and they will return to Brazil for the first time in nearly two and a half decades this December to reunite with Poly and their families. Poly is ecstatic about the reunion, and about her parents' victory that took years. Still, she has no plans to return to the US, at least definitively.

When I asked her what advice she'd give to Brazilians in her situation, she said, "If the US doesn’t want you there, screw them and come to Brazil. If it worked for me, it can work for you...I think more than anything, the US is missing people with a diverse mindset, who are qualified, ambitious, hardworking and honest young people. But today, I really just want to tell everyone to come to Brazil and make up for the lack of qualified labor we're missing out on here so the US could feel how much we actually do make a positive difference when we're in the classroom and the work force!"

Read more about Poly's journey at Disseram Que Eu Voltei Americanizada.

                                                                            ***************************

I've been friends with Poly for a few years now, and couldn't believe I hadn't told her story yet. But I think it comes at a good time, when more and more people are beginning to see that legislation and the work of our legislators can actually have a life or death impact on people, and can definitively change people's lives. California passed its own version of the DREAM Act this week, which will allow students in Poly's situation to apply for funding to attend public universities. Rhode Island passed a similar version of the DREAM Act in late September. Also, in a funny coincidence, friend of the blog Felipe Matos is spearheading a nationwide coming out day for undocumented immigrants today.

The national version of the DREAM Act bill, which would grant residency to eligible immigrants, was reintroduced in the Senate in May, and was defeated by Republicans. President Obama has expressed his support for the bill, but has so far been unable to make inroads into any sort of concrete immigration reform.

Haitians in the Amazon Coverage

I first wrote about the Haitians of the Amazon in February, after Globo and several news outlets wrote about them. Now, it's finally been picked up by the English-language media. Interestingly, the article also mentions immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Liberia, and Tanzania arriving in the Amazon. It's possible that the region, which traditionally has been a gateway for drug smuggling and illegal trade, may be becoming an entry point for undocumented immigrants from developing countries.

Haiti's quake refugees brave sea and uncertainty for new life in Amazon, The Guardian

"After a gruelling, month-long journey via the Dominican Republic, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and sometimes Colombia, Haitian migrants arrive at remote border towns like Iñapari and wait for the chance to cross into the Brazilian Amazon. Once there many try to find construction jobs on Amazonian infrastructure projects, such as the Santo Antonio and Jirau hydroelectric dams. "I chose Brazil, and many Haitians choose Brazil, because in 2014 there will be a World Cup," said Esdras Hector, who left Haiti on 11 March and made it to the Brazilian Amazon on 15 April after a four-week pilgrimage by plane, bus and on foot."

Read more here

Article via The Good Blood

Brazil Dreaming

Sometimes, people who don't know very much about Brazil ask me questions or say things that are pretty ridiculous, but I patiently discuss the topic to them. But I don't have much patience for similar comments coming from major publications or public figures. This week, I happened upon a few articles that fell into this category.

SA 2010 was easier than Brazil: FIFA man - Times Live

"FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke yesterday admitted that he had more fun planning the 2010 World Cup than he is in getting Brazil ready for the football showpiece in 2014."

I'm not sure if this was a direct quote or the journalist's interpretation, but either way...really? Is "fun" listed in the job requirements for organizing one of the world's biggest international events?

Race against time in Rio, Financial Times

"With only one of the eight immigration desks open during peak arrival time, landing at Rio de Janeiro’s busy international airport is the opposite of efficient."

When I first saw the title, I thought the article would be about preparations for the Olympics, or Obama's visit, or infrastructure construction, or something worth racing toward. But the writer goes on to say it took her five hours to get from Galeão to Fasano in Ipanema, which took out precious time from her one free day in Rio - which she spent to shop at Shopping Leblon and Fashion Mall, two of the most expensive shopping centers in the city. Rio's airport does have a lot of problems, but I guess I would feel more sympathy if she had something even mildly important to do. She has a valid point, which is definitely worth discussing, but in the context of the article...not so much.

Boom econômico atrai americanos em busca de 'sonho brasileiro' - BBC Brasil

[Economic boom attracts Americans in search of the 'Brazilian dream']

The journalist did some good reporting, and wrote another two articles about Americans in Brazil, but the first one was the one that got the most publicity. It doesn't paint an entirely accurate picture, though the facts are there. According to the Brazilian Department of Labor, 7,550 Americans applied for work visas in 2010, a 35 percent increase from 2009. Some of the reasons for the influx are an availability of jobs, very competitive salary packages, multinationals opening Brazil offices and Brazil multinationals acquiring foreign companies, and a booming energy industry.

But the implication - that Americans are abandoning the US in hopes of making it in Brazil - is a bit different from the facts the article actually provides. A visa lawyer interviewed for the article said that the majority of her clients request visas for 90 days to a year, or two years, which is in line with the article's other findings. Americans coming to Brazil on work visas aren't necessarily looking to settle in Brazil - a large percentage have been transferred from a multinational where they were already employed. A lucky few may be starting completely new jobs after being recruited - but that means that the company couldn't (or decided not to) employ a Brazilian instead. These types of expats are likely expecting to return home to the States or be transferred to another foreign office after their contract is up, if they have one.

In the other articles, it's easy to see the difference between American transfers and Americans really looking to settle in Brazil. For one of the stories, the author talked to a couple who moved to São Paulo after the husband's company moved its headquarters, although he received a better offer from another company when he got there. The job switch is evidence that there's plenty of opportunity for foreigners, but he still represents the work visa group who are sent to Brazil, rather than looking to emigrate. This type of transfer expat has existed in Brazil for awhile, but the numbers have just gone up as more companies expand to Brazil. The last story, in the meantime, really represents Americans looking to move to Brazil in search of opportunity with the desire to stay. After marrying a Brazilian, a chef from Missouri decided to move to São Paulo so he and his wife could be closer to her family and since there seemed to be opportunities available at Outback, where he had been working in the US but had lots of openings in Brazil.

Like I've discussed before, when it comes to foreigners in Brazil, there are distinct groups of expats, and while Brazil's economy has certainly opened many doors, it's overly simplistic to claim that Americans are jumping ship and flocking to Brazil to stay for good. Americans moving to Brazil to stay, the ones who really need jobs or want new opportunities, are unlikely to be coming in on work visas - for those numbers, it makes sense to look at binational couples with the foreign spouse coming in on a permanent resident visa, or even Americans coming in on a temporary visa. The number of Americans in search of the Brazilian dream is a bit harder to calculate, but it's likely you'll find that a large percentage of them have already found a Brazilian partner, one they met either at home or while temporarily living in Brazil. They're the ones likely to take a leap of faith, to make the move to a new country, or to stay and establish themselves in a place they've grown to love.