The Social Gap

Looking at the region of South America, one can’t help but recognize its beauty. There is the Amazon, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires amongst many others. Who would ever think that behind such beautiful places and cities lie poverty stricken populations who strive to survive every day while we only dream of indulging in the beauty they have no opportunity of enjoying? Such is the case of most of South America with few exceptions, since most countries within the continent are developing. Only in Chile have they been successful in expanding their democracy, economy, and middle class. For most other countries, there lies the same old problem of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. There is no set and expanding middle class, and so there is a great gap between the rich and poor that hinders the decision making process as a result of conflicting interests.

Brazil is especially affected by this social issue, and despite their new economic advances, their high poverty levels have prevented them from becoming a developed country. A big problem in the country involves the poor who live in the favelas, or the slums that exist outside the major cities. These people commute to the cities to take on low level, low wage jobs that usually include such things as cleaning the houses and waiting on the upper level class. Many of them are not even entitled to vote on major issues that may directly or indirectly affect them. This also has brought about the issue of race and discrimination that persists within the country, especially against those of African decent. This is because most of the Afro-Brazilian population belongs to the lower level class, and this one, in turn, encompasses most of the Brazilian population. So it is safe to say that the majority of the Brazilian population, then, suffers from poverty and discrimination. It is as if they have fallen into a bubble that disables them from advancing enough socially, and therefore from finally becoming developed.

With enough effort, Brazil has the ability of getting out of their developing state, but they will certainly need more people such as Benedita da Silva to create more social fairness and equality amongst the people. Da Silva is an Afro-Brazilian woman who has successfully escaped the “bubble” that most people born in the favelas are in, to become an influential voice in government. She speaks for the people of the favela, the majority in Brazil, and indeed continued to live there as she practiced her political power. She overcame the difficulties of the favela, the prejudice, and the difficulty of learning to read and write as a poverty stricken class. With her efforts and those of others like her, Brazil may soon be able to rise to their glory.

Benedita da Silva

This issue was brought to my attention thanks to my sister who had to research this for a Spanish class. Looking at this.. it was very hard for me not to take interest in this subject.. it is a very sad thing..