Políticas raciales en Brasil : 1862-1933

Abstract

Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, an intellec-tual-political sector influenced by racial theories, considered that the Brazilian composition of the population would prevent its incorporation among the civilized nations of the world. In addition, such theories proclaimed that racial mixture was a source of decadence for superior races. Therefore, it was the historical moment where such sector adapted its racial theories –in particular regarding crossbreeding– to the characteristics of its own population. That would encourage immigration projects with the purpose of whiteningthe population. Among the theorists of that intellectual current we can mention: Cândido Tavares Bastos and Louis Couty. However, in order to demonstrate that not all agreed with such viewpoints, we may remember the stances of Edgar Roquette-Pinto and de Manoel Bomfim.