Abstract
Beans, generally eaten together with white rice, is a staple food of day-to-day Brazilian tables. Being such a substantial presence in our eating habits, it is not surprising that it would also appear in different artistic expressions, partaking in representations of different aspects of Brazilian culture. Precisely because it is a daily food, it may indicate to consumers the type of relationship that is being established between acquaintances or friends, depending on whether or not those beans are being shared. Moreover, due also to our daily consumption of beans, they may be used as a sign of a quotidian life that menaces suffocating men (here the sexual division of labor is at play) or workers. On the other hand, a lack of beans, as we see in a number of sambas, may represent that quotidian life itself is threatened. But, beyond the physical means of maintaining one’s life, what is also at risk is an Afro-Brazilian manner of existing and symbolizing one’s existence in the world, which are produced once creating sambas and creating a bean stew are mingled in one festive gathering. A racialized access (or lack thereof) to beans underscores the fact that racism also affects how Brazilians have not only been producing and distributing food, but also thinking about and representing their plates, which become rather racialized. For example, a plate of white rice and black beans comes to symbolize the often-idealized racial mixture constituting the nation, without completely erasing the violence that stands at its core.
Presenters
Fernando RochaAssociate Professor of Luso-Hispanic Studies, Department of Luso-Hispanic Studies, Middlebury College, Vermont, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Beans, Brazilian Culture, Social Relations, Quotidian Life, Racism
