Beauty Standards: Brazil vs America💅🏾

My initial thoughts about the people of Brazil were so limited. 🤦🏾‍♀️ I thought the majority of the women would look like Kim Kardashian, Shakira or Selena. I realize none of these women are Brazilian, alas, they were the types of women I expected to see in the streets of Rio and Sao Paulo.

As soon as I landed, I could sense that my mind was about to be forever changed. I immediately saw so many people - even on the plane - who looked like ME. I thought, wow - Brazil must be a popular place for Black Americans to visit. Cool! 😎

But as I spent more time in this diverse country, I started to realize - hey - these other women aren’t Black Americans… they’re Brazilian!

Walking in the mall, I saw ads of women with my complexion and natural hairstyle. To my surprise, these models - women with dark skin, textured hair, full lips and plump, natural cheeks - were considered commercially beautiful.

In America, I’ve often felt isolated as a Black woman. Attending high school in a predominately white environment still has an affect on how I see the world today. I became accustomed to being the outsider. That trend continued throughout college and even during my time in Corporate America where I was typically the only Black person and sometimes the only woman in the room. However, that experience became my comfort zone. I learned to expect to be the only one and even thrived in that environment. I was noticed and received a lot of attention, because I was different.

In Rio and Sao Paulo, I also received a lot of attention. Men and women in the hotel, on the streets, in the mall, in restaurants - everywhere - kept asking me questions in Portuguese, because they assumed I was Brazilian. Only when I said my favorite Portuguese phrase - não falo português (I do not speak Portuguese), did they realize that I was not a local. They noticed me - not because I was different or the outcast, but because I was familiar. Ascetically, I actually fit in!

As I spent time in Brazil, I started to ask myself - why aren’t there more ads and commercials in America featuring women who look like me? Why isn’t there more diversity? The kind of diversity that is not forced or planned by marketing experts, but is just a natural inclusion and representation of the changing population in America.

According to this article about the recent U.S. population growth, “the diversity profile of the U.S. population is rising rapidly.” The 2020 census is projected to show a first ever decline in the white population and a significant increase in nonwhite and ethnic groups. Check out the article when you get a chance. It’s a really interesting read.

In conclusion, my time in Rio and Sao Paulo was unique, because I got a glimpse of what it felt like to be the norm. Although I’m still a foreigner, I was accepted by the beautiful people of Brazil as their own (until I started speaking, of course 😅). Intrinsically, that acceptance meant more to me than I can ever put into words. Hopefully, my attempt to do so resonates with you.

Thanks for reading! 😊

Full wall ad in the Barra Shopping Mall, Rio, Brazil

“Made for Brazilians” - ad in Shopping Cidade, Sao Paulo, Brazil

My new friend who I met in the streets of Lapa - IG: @katia.fire

Samsung Ad in the Rio airport