CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE' — ^PIEKSON 



191 



lage are to be seen men representing the entire 

 range of color variation in the community. All 

 converse together on terms of intimacy. There is 

 no segregation of any kind. Similarly, blacks, 

 mulattoes, cafusos, and manulucos regularly drink 

 and joke together at the ioteqimis, play cards with 

 one another or otherwise share activities, with- 

 out any restraint being laid upon their conduct 

 by reason of color. Especially indicative of re- 

 lations between persons from the different color 

 groups is the rirada, described in the section on 

 Etiquette (p. 122) in which everyone present par- 

 takes of a "common cup" on equal terms. 



Among the principal leaders of the hunting and 

 fishing groups are a cafuso, four mamelucos and 

 three whites. Wlien inviting other men to join 

 them, there would seem to be no attempt to take 

 into consideration variations either of race or 

 color. Two blacks usually are among the huntei-s 

 and when exploits in connection with hunts are 

 recounted, the names of these two men figure prom- 

 inently. One or more of five other mamelu- 

 cos, all of whom are able hunters, are often to be 

 seen in these groups. 



At 13 dances observed, no discrimination of any 

 kind was noted. Seven of the dances were held 

 at village homes in celebration of a birthday or 

 other family event, five in other homes merely for 

 entertainment, and one in the open air at a festa. 

 Among the persons present were whites, blacks, 

 mulattoes, mamelucos, and cafusos, all of whom 

 were seated or standing together, indiscriminately. 

 At one of these dances, for instance, there were 

 present 16 yomig women, of whom 7 were whites, 3 

 were blacks, 1 was a dark cafusa, 3 were m,amelucas, 

 and 2 were obviously descended from all the three 

 basic races. The dance began at 9 o'clock and con- 

 tinued until shortly after midnight, during which 

 time none of the young women, including the three 

 blacks and the dark cafusa, failed, upon every oc- 

 casion, to be invited to dance, each being sought 

 out by white, mixed-blood, or black partners. 

 Meanwhile, the white girls danced with blacks and 

 mixed bloods, without there being apparent the 

 slightest indication, on either part, of strangeness, 

 or opposition. 



At i^resent, a case of wamoro (courtship) which 

 is in process in the village involves a white boy 

 and a mulatto girl. No word of reproach or dis- 

 approval of any kind on either racial or color 



grounds has been heard with reference to this 

 couple. The behavior of the members of the com- 

 munity toward the two young persons would ap- 

 pear to difi'er in no way from that toward the 

 principals in other cases of courtship. It would 

 seem to be considered the normal outcome of 

 natural events. 



The "racial" composition of worshipers at the 

 10 o'clock ]\Iass on two Sundays in the village was 

 probably that given in table 15. There was no 

 segregation of any kind. The padre was white. 

 Of the three acolytes, one was white, one was 

 black, and one was a mulatto. 



Table 15. — Probable "racial" distribution at Mass, Cruz 

 das Abnas community, two Sundays, 1948 ' 



1 As indicated by inspection. 



2 Probable distribution: males: mulatto, 1; mameluco, il; cafuso 5; females: 

 mulatto, 2; mamduca, 25; cafusa, 15. 



The fiscal is white, as also are the suh-delegado 

 and the yw/s de faz. The tax collector is a mame- 

 luco, as also is the local registrar of vital statistics 

 and the village bell ringer. The mail carrier is 

 a dark mulatto. One of the part-time barbers is 

 black and the other, who also shoes horses, is white, 

 as is the tinsmith. The gravedigger is white. The 

 most widely respected storekeeper is a cafuso; 

 another storekeeper, whose father is a mameluco, 

 is considered white ; the third storekeeper, as has 

 been indicated, is a Japanese. The owners of the 

 two hofequins are both white. 



The common attitude toward the Japanese 

 storekeeper and his wife is accurately reflected in 

 the remarks of a young man who said, "They also 

 are Brazilians. It's like one of them said, 'I too 

 am a Brazilian; it's only that the face doesn't 

 help.' A Japanese married to a Brazilian will 

 have beautiful children, though. And the chil- 

 dren will all be pure Brazilians." 



INTERMARRIAGE 



If discrimination on the basis of color exists in 

 the community, it is in the final and ultimate 

 realm of personal relations; that is, with refer- 



843805—51- 



