Copyright by Jacqueline Britto Pólvora 2006 The Dissertation Committee for Jacqueline Britto Pólvora certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Dispersions: Black Communities and Urban Segregation in Porto Alegre, Brazil Committee: ______________________________________ João H. Costa Vargas, Supervisor ______________________________________ Eva T. Thorne ______________________________________ Kamram Asdar Ali ______________________________________ Kaushik Ghosh ______________________________________ Edmund T. Gordon Dispersions: Black Communities and Urban Segregation in Porto Alegre, Brazil by Jacqueline Britto Pólvora, B.S.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin December 2006 Dedicated to the memory of Mãe Laudelina do Bará (1914-1997), who was born and raised, and laid to rest in the former Colônia Africana in Porto Alegre, and actively made that neighborhood more gracious while praising our Orixás with her African drums. Dedicado à Memória de Mãe Laudelina do Bará (1914-1997), que nasceu, viveu e morreu na antiga Colônia Africana em Porto Alegre e ativamente fez aquele bairro mais gracioso enquanto honrava nossos Orixás com seus tambores africanos. Acknowledgments Being an international Graduate student in Austin was a process that involved many different people, both here and in Porto Alegre. I want to start by acknowledging the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), whose financial support made it possible for me to come to Austin, and to benefit from the University of Texas academic environment. I also want to thank the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) and the Department of Social Sciences where I am affiliated as a professor, who graciously extended me the leave of absence that allowed me to be here. The University of Texas at Austin has a wonderful academic infra-structure, that made me always to feel privileged for being here and for benefiting from it. Different librarians, desk helpers, and innumerous other positions are the ones who are behind this infra-structure. I want to acknowledge the special presence of people from the International Office, specially Maka Hutson and Louise Donnel for always providing us, international students, with the right advice. Also, the ITS Help Desk team gave me their hand when I needed with my PC problems. Special thanks to Bob Penman who helped me in the last minutes with technical issues. This process started in 1999 when I was still deciding about the future of my Ph.D. Dr. Ruben Oliven (PPGAS/UFRGS) encouraged me without hesitating when this idea was still a wish. I want to thank him in depth for his affection and for believing in me and in this project. In Austin, I had very insightful moments in v both the Department of Anthropology and in the African Diaspora Program of Studies. Dr. E. Ted Gordon, the director of the Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS), was an endless inspirational source both as a professor and as a researcher. I am indebted to him for all his support both before I came here and since I became his student. His comments, critiques and attitudes made my perceptions much more insightful as both a professor and as a scholar. Dr. Sam Wilson supported me in the last moments, when unexpected events could only be solved with the word and presence of the chair of the Department. Thank you, Dr. Wilson. To my committee members who carefully read my work and gave me wise comments: Dr. Eva Thorne, Dr. Kamran Ali and Dr. Kaushik Ghosh. Thank you all for formulating different perspectives about my work. I learned a lot with you and I hope I will be able to carry your words and perceptions with me, and to incorporate them in my future work. The staff of the Department of Anthropology was always very helpful with papers, faxes, letters, guidance, and advice. I’m profoundly grateful to two Graduate Coordinators, Andi Shively and Jenni Jones (former) for making the bureaucracy easier and smoother. Also Pam Becker, Erika Kast, and Adriana Dingman helped me in different ways. I thank all of them for their smiles and friendly conversations when things seemed especially harsh. Dr. João H. Costa Vargas waited for me at the airport with a hug and with Cassandra Wilson’s music as soundtrack. Later, he showed me his musical abilities which made some of my weekends in Austin more pleasant. Through this welcome, and in many subsequent moments, I came to think of my supervisor vi as a sensitive soul, and I discovered that he would view me with this kindness while I studied with him. I feel honored by his respectful attitudes, his generosity, and his friendly encouragement. I am also grateful for his academic and intellectual support and critical thoughts, his guidance and passionate perspective about the Brazilian reality. Obrigada João, for everything that you did for me. I’ll carry these memories as an example and as an inspiration. The Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS) was always a warm space to work, to attend motivating talks, and to meet friends, colleagues and scholars from different fields and academic disciplines. Without the special persons that work at the CAAAS, I know things would have felt very different. Thank you to Jin Lee for all her help with all the things I needed – they were not a few. Stephanie Lang’s personal touch always made events, talks and performances more pleasing. Mrs. Rose Hogan and Pam Haith always had warm laughter to share in the moments that I thought I would not survive this process. They don’t know how important their smiles were. I will be always grateful to Dr. Joni Omi Jones, the associate director and current acting director of the CAAAS, who, in my first months in Austin, made sure that I met Oxum. This encounter showed me that I was never too far away from my spiritual home. I always felt the CAAAS a safe, warm and marvelous space because of her artistic perspective and touch. I’m profoundly grateful to her for the opportunities to feel closer to my spiritual roots and to provide us, students in the CAAAS, with such a caring and supportive environment. The CAAAS also offered a multifaceted atmosphere, where I was able to meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds and vii experiences. Among them, Sharon Bridgforth was one of these people who captivated my attention with her personality and poetic ways of being. Thank you for these opportunities. Austin itself further expanded these opportunities, as I met people from all over the world. My life became much more stimulating and pleasant with innumerous friends and colleagues always around me. Knowing that I risk forgetting some names, I want to acknowledge particular people who were with me during these five years. Teresa Velasquez was my friend, my sister and my companheira. She has been with me since her arrival here in Austin. With her I learned, amongst other things, about the particularities of the experience of being a Mexican-American woman in the U.S. She also taught me about the pleasure of writing papers – and later on my dissertation – in the cafes. She provided me with all sorts of vocabulary details, as well as food and bed, especially in the last months of this dissertation. I will be always thankful for her unconditional friendship. Gracias, Te! Beth Bruinsma was part of my dissertation writing group and made me think about my work while sharing hers with me. I am thankful for her presence in my life, for her loyalty and for her hilarious and sharp sense of humor. Thank you, Beth. You are a great friend! Halide Velioglu and Ozlem Ozkur (in memoriam) were another wonderful discovery in Austin. They included me in their lives right after my arrival, and their friendship was one of my most rewarding experiences here. The premature departure of Ozlem from our lives left an empty space that will never be filled. Their presences together remain as one of the best memories that I will carry with me. Nadjah Rios (in Puerto Rico) always viii had a sweet word to say and I’ll never forget them. Vânia, Scott, and Luisa, my dear friends, your presence was always very nurturing for me. Outside of the academic space, and very supportive, was Seja Rachael. Thank you, Seja for being here in Austin. I am glad to know that I’m growing older and that I could count on you through out this process. I am also thankful to my colleagues and friends from the CAAAS, who were with me in different ways: to Celeste Henery, an already talented anthropologist, thank you also for the editing favors in these last years. Peggy Brunache will always be in my memory as one of the best African-American/ international cooks that I have ever met. Lynn Selby, Whitney Battle, and Keisha- Khan Perry helped and supported me from different places and in many ways. Also, my Brazilian colleagues and friends Sonia Santos and Athayde AJ Motta shared with me their friendship and valuable experiences, as well as their perspectives about Afro-Brazilian reality. More recently Márcia, Jayme, and Raquel brought a touch of home. Thank you for the cheerful torcida organizada! The last months of this work were spent in one of the best cafes in town, JP’s Java. The team that works there has made it an unforgettable coffee shop for me. I am thankful to Heather, Patrick, Scott, Richard, Cameron and in the last months to Matt and Andrew for their tasteful and stylish coffees, and for the attention given to me all this time.