Ukrainian Brazilians
São Paulo .
Brazilian diaspora in Argentina: Misiones; Paraguay: Itapúa; and Canada: Toronto and Montreal. | |
Languages | |
---|---|
Predominantly Ukrainian in the countryside, Portuguese in urban areas and Russian (Historically) | |
Religion | |
85% Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church[3] · minority Eastern Orthodox Church and Judaism · other Christians | |
Related ethnic groups | |
White Brazilians · Russian Brazilians · Polish Brazilians · Lithuanian Brazilians |
Ukrainian Brazilians (
In 1994, 400,000 people of Ukrainian descent lived in
The cities with the largest number of Ukrainians are Prudentópolis (approximately 38,000 Ukrainians, or 75% of the city's population), Curitiba (33,000 Ukrainians), and União da Vitória (approximately 26,400 Ukrainians or 50% of the city's population).[6] In 2021, the population of Ukrainian descent in Brazil is estimated to be at 600,000.[1] Ukrainian-Brazilians also settled in neighboring regions of Argentina and Paraguay, notably Misiones in Argentina and Itapúa in Paraguay both regions already had a significant Ukrainian and Polish ancestral composition. There is also a significant community of Ukrainian and Polish Brazilians in North America, concentrated in Toronto and Montreal. Around 5% of Canadians of Ukrainian and Polish ancestry have origins in Latin America.
Brazil has the third largest
Seventy percent of Brazil's Ukrainians live in agricultural communities known as "colonies" where they tend crops such as wheat, rye, buckwheat, rice, black beans, and erva mate, a local type of tea.[3] These colonies are isolated from modern areas of Brazil's economy and from non-Ukrainians, and in many respects closely resemble Galician (Western Ukrainian) villages of the 19th century.[8]
History
Background
Most Ukrainians in Brazil have roots in the Ukrainian region of eastern
As the population increased, the peasant families had less land to support themselves; by 1890 a peasant farm averaged only 6 acres (2.4 ha) in size. This situation created tremendous incentive to emigrate.[9]
The Ukrainians of Galicia belonged to the
The aristocracy in Galicia were largely ethnically Polish, and in the course of struggling against them the ethnic Ukrainian priests and peasants developed a very strong sense of Ukrainian patriotism and tendency to resist assimilation.[9]
Ukrainian Immigration Prior to 1914: the First Wave
The majority of Ukrainians in Brazil are descended from immigrants who arrived in the country prior to World War I. Although the first settler from
During a period of time known as the "Brazilian fever", between 1895 and 1897 more than 20,000 small farmers and landless peasants from Galicia, a region now in western Ukraine, came to Brazil after having been lured by promises of cheap land with good black soil.[3] Some Ukrainian peasants were also encouraged by rumors that Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, had not died but had moved to Brazil and that he would welcome Ukrainian immigrants to that country (Ukrainians were traditionally loyal to the Austrian monarchy).[12]
The Brazilian government was interested in increasing European settlement, often paid for travel (thus enabling the poorest members of society to emigrate), and even promised to provide clothing and food to the settlers. Soon after arriving, however, the settlers found that the promises were not kept. They were given plots of uncleared land far away from civilization and weren't given any assistance. The settlers were unfamiliar with the strange climate and how to cultivate it, succumbed to diseases without any medical help, and experienced many deaths. Their suffering became known in Ukraine and even became the subject of a series of poems, "To Brazil", by the well-known Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko.[5]
After news of their misfortune spread throughout western Ukraine, the flow of Ukrainian emigrants to Brazil decreased considerably, and Canada replaced Brazil as the main destination for Ukrainians leaving for the New World. Until 1907, only several hundred to one thousand Ukrainians came to Brazil from western Ukraine every year. From that year until 1914, approximately 15,000 to 20,000 Ukrainians were brought to Brazil by the Brazilian government in order to help build a railroad from the
The second and third waves of Ukrainian immigration
Between the two
In 1922, under the initiative of a representative of the
The last group of Ukrainians came to Brazil between 1947 and 1951. These were mostly seeking asylum from Soviet persecution having played an active part in Ukraine's independence movement. This group, numbering approximately 7,000[3] was for the most part more educated and highly skilled compared to previous immigrants, and included many intellectuals.
Many of them later emigrated to other countries, especially the United States and Canada, in pursuit of better economic opportunities.[3] The new arrivals helped create the Brazilian chapter of the Ukrainian scouting organization Plast which continues to function in Brazil today.[5]
In 2022, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said the country will allow Ukrainians to move to Brazil through a humanitarian visa, stating "the country will do whatever is possible to receive Ukrainians in Brazil".[13]
Ukrainian Brazilian society
Religion
The
It should be also noticed that some Ukrainians were also Protestant, belonging to the Baptist and Pentecostals branch of Christianity. Originally coming from Volyn Region, they brought their Ukrainian traditions of worshipping God. The biggest church was the Russian Assembly of God (90% were Ukrainians and the rest Russians, Poles, Bielo Russians and few Lithuanians) based in São Paulo. It was founded around 1930 and led by Pr. Szymon Misiuk with branches in Arapongas -PR, Apucarana - PR, Curitiba - PR, Erechin and Santa Rosa - RS. São Caetano do Sul, in São Paulo State had a big concentration of Ukrainians as well and the First Ukrainian Baptist Church was established there by Rev. Dmitro Bucky. Many other churches were also based in São Paulo. The Ukrainian Protestants were not able to maintain their ethnic identity and with the oldtimers passing away, the new generation did not keep the tradition of services in Ukrainian language, churches disappeared or were turned into Brazilian churches, and Slavic connections disappeared.[citation needed]
Language and culture
Although most Brazilian Ukrainians have lived in Brazil for 4-5 generations and few have ever seen Ukraine,
Among those who live in the colonies, or agricultural settlements, Ukrainian is widely spoken at home, in church, and in the community, and today it is not uncommon for Ukrainian children to be unable to speak the Portuguese language until they begin school. Despite the Ukrainian language's widespread use in everyday speech, the ability to read and write is more limited, with over 50% of the Ukrainian population being unable to write in the Ukrainian language.[18]
Due to isolation from Ukraine, the Ukrainians of Brazil speak a 100-year-old form of the language's
The Portuguese language has only come into wide use in the youngest generation - those who are younger than fifteen years old.
The Ukrainians' neighbors - Caboclos, Poles, Germans, Italians, and some Dutch - at times accuse the Ukrainians and their priests of maintaining an exclusiveness that sometimes borders on racism, although non-Brazilians who visit the local Ukrainians are treated with the utmost civility.[14] Ukrainians in Brazil commonly refer to themselves and to Ukrainians from other countries as "our people" (Nashi Liudy) and to non-Ukrainians of any nationality as "blacks" (Chorni).[17]
The situation in urban areas is quite different. In the cities, Ukrainians tend to become assimilated into Brazilian culture[3] and to adopt the Portuguese language.[17]
Education
The Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate operate 30 Ukrainian elementary schools, 17 kindergartens, and two secondary schools. They also operate a boarding school in Prudentopolis, as well as teach instructions in the Ukrainian language on Saturdays. Only Ukrainian is spoken in the boarding school.[3]
As a result of an amendment to the constitution of the state of Paraná initiated by Ukrainian-Brazilian Deputy Vira Vichymyshyn Azhibert, the Ukrainian language is now taught in state schools as well. In March 1991, it was taught in 4 state schools with 600 students; the number of public schools adopting the Ukrainian language was expected to grow. The
Current trends
As a result of the humanitarian visa given to Ukrainians in 2022, immigration in Brazil, represented by the
Notable Brazilian nationals of Ukrainian ethnicity
- Héctor Babenco – film director, screenwriter, producer, actor (Naturalized Brazilian, born in Argentina to Ukrainian father and Polish-Jewish mother).[23]
- Oxana Narozniak – sculptor (born in Germany of Ukrainian descent, living in Curitiba).[24]
- Vira Vovk – poet (born in Ukraine and emigrated to Brazil after World War II).[25]
- Rafael Sóbis – football striker.
- Dmytro Zajciw – entomologist, discoverer of many beetle species.
Notable Brazilians with Ukrainian born ancestors
- Eliana Michaelichen Bezerra (Ukrainian descent on maternal side) – Popular television hostess.[26]
- Clarice Lispector – Jewish writer born in Ukraine whose family immigrated to Brazil before she was two. Became widely known as an influential writer in the Portuguese Language.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Brazil". Ukrainian World Congress. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021. (source and date unmentioned)
- ^ a b c "Etnias: Ucranianos" [Ethnicities: Ukrainians]. Portal of Services and Information of the Government of Paraná (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on March 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Oksana Boruszenko and Rev. Danyil Kozlinsky (1994). Ukrainians in Brazil (Chapter), in Ukraine and Ukrainians Throughout the World, edited by Ann Lencyk Pawliczko, University of Toronto Press: Toronto, pp. 443-454
- ^ admin3 (August 1, 2007). "Prudentópolis a bela Ucrânia brasileira". Planeta (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved December 17, 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d Ukrainian Diaspora in Brazil by Marina Bondarenko
- ^ Ukrainian Observer, "Ukrainian Community of Brazil" June 23, 2004
- ISBN 0-8020-8390-0.
- ISBN 0-8020-8390-0.
- ^ ISBN 0-8020-0830-5
- ^ Himka, John Paul. (1999). Religion and Nationality in Western Ukraine. McGill-Queen's University Press: Montreal and Kingston.
- ^ a b Press Release. Scholars Impressed with Ukrainian Life in Brazil. Archived May 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta. 2009
- ISBN 0-920862-74-8.
- ^ "Brazil's Bolsonaro says humanitarian visas to be given to Ukrainians". Reuters. February 28, 2022 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ ISBN 1-85828-223-3
- ^ The Day(in Ukrainian). Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Himka, John Paul. (1999). Religion and Nationality in Western Ukraine. McGill-Queen's University Press: Montreal and Kingston. Pg. 10
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rivne Vechirne (Evening Rivne). 2003. Issue No. 41 (Ukrainian). Article written by Dmytro Yatsuk.
- ^ Brazilian Ukraine and Globalization. Borushenko, O.P. Professor, Federal University of Paraná. Text of his presentation "Diaspora as a Leader in Support for the Ukrainian State in International Relations. June 18–20, 2008.
- ^ Brazil has already received 894 Ukrainians since the beginning of the Russian invasion, says Federal Police
- ^ "Brasil recebeu 894 ucranianos desde o início da guerra, diz PF". G1. March 19, 2022.
- ^ "Primeiro grupo de refugiados ucranianos chega ao Brasil". G1. March 19, 2022.
- ^ Посольство України в Королівстві Бельгія - Новини Archived May 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Daniel Tech". Daniel Tech. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012.
- ^ "The Ukrainian Weekly, August 6, 2000, No. 32, Vol. LXVIII".
- ^ Ukrainian Lady from Brazil The Day, Ukrainian newspaper, Tuesday June 19, 2001
- ^ "eliana mãe descendente ucranianos - Pesquisa Google". www.google.com.br.
External links
- Website for Prudentopolis, Center of Brazil's Ukrainian community (in Portuguese)
- Memorial to Ukrainians in Curitiba (in Portuguese)
- Brazil's Little Ukraine (in English)