First published in 1999. This work examines the processes by which Brazilian nationalists forged and propagated an all-inclusive national identity, which attempted to promote racial harmony in the first four decades of the twentieth century. Specific emphasis is given to the rising patriotic feelings under the administration of President Getulio Vargas, which culminated in the creation of Estado Novo in 1937. Vargas’ generation succeeded in encouraging Brazilians to identify with ‘the nation’ above other possible communities, such as radical, ethnic or regional ones. In the process, nationalists created enduring national myths and symbols which successfully marginalised racial consciousness for the rest of the twentieth century.

This innovative volume traces Brazil's singular character, exploring both the remarkable richness and cohesion of the national culture and the contradictions and tensions that have developed over time. What shared experiences give its citizens their sense of being Brazilian? What memories bind them together? What metaphors and stereotypes of identity have emerged? Which groups are privileged over others in idealized representations of the nation? The contributors--a multidisciplinary group of U.S. and Brazilian scholars--offer a fresh look at questions that have been asked since the early nineteenth century and that continue to drive nationalist discourse today. Their chapters explore Brazilian identity through an innovative framework that brings in seldom-considered aspects of art, music, and visual images, offering a compelling analysis of how nationalism functions as a social, political, and cultural construction in Latin America. Contributions by: Cristina Antunes, Dain Borges, Val ria Costa e Silva, James Green, Efrain Kristal, Ludwig Lauerhass Jr., Cristina Magaldi, Elizabeth A. Marchant, Jos Mindlin, Carmen Nava, Jos Luis Passos, Robert Stam, and Val ria Torres

A systematic account of Brazil’s historical development from 1798 to 1852, this book analyzes the process that brought the sprawling Portuguese colonies of the New World into the confines of a single nation-state.