 Back
Brazilians in Vancouver
By : Luciana Andrade| Sotaque Brasileiro, Number 2, Fall 2003
 |
Sun, sand, blue sky, beautiful and tanned people, crowded streets, drumming on the beach. It seems that we're on a beach in Brazil, right? Wrong. We are actually in Canada. Specifically, we're in the city of Vancouver during the summer. Considered one of the most beautiful places in Canada and the world, Vancouver has an infrastructure that leaves nothing to be desired when compared to any other Canadian city, besides enviable geographic and climatic factors. And it is exactly because of its seaside town beauty, contrasting with a ridge decorated with snow, that it was considered the second best city in the world to live in, tied with Vienna, Austria, and second only to Zurich, Switzerland. The study was done by the American consulting firm Mercer Human Resource.
The feeling of summer begins in mid-June despite officially starting in July, and in a few days of July and August, even the Brazilians, more accustomed with the season, feel very hot. During this period, the days get longer, dusk sets around ten o'clock at night. Nothing can be more fascinating than watching the sunset at the English Bay beach. This is considered as one of the more popular locations for tourists and residents. In September there are days when the sky is absolutely amazing to look at, strong colors like purple, red and orange, resembling the famous "Aurora Borealis" of the frozen lands of Northern Canada.
But it is misleading to believe that Vancouver only rhymes with summer. The winter is not so cold, when compared to other cities in Canada, but it rains a lot, almost daily. No wonder that the carioca Marcelo Veiga created the newspaper Vanchuver, published by BCA (Brazilian Community Association). Speaking of winter, it is worth noting that Vancouver was elected host the XXI Olympic Winter Games of 2010, outperforming rivals Salzburg, Austria, and the least popular Pyeongchang in South Korea.
It is estimated that less than 1,400 Brazilians live in Vancouver. This number is quite small, especially compared to Toronto, where almost six thousand Brazilians live, officially. Even in small numbers, the Brazilian community is united in Vancouver. Our joy and our typical accent (the accent that many Brazilians want to get rid of and they love it!) is our trademark.
Rosana Ortega, 30, is one of the Brazilians who live in Vancouver. In Brazil, she worked for a big firm in the area of foreign trade. Because English was her priority, mostly to have better job opportunities, she decided to accept the challenge and quit her secure job to study in Canada. She accepted several volunteer jobs, waiting for the great opportunity to come along. A position of marketing assistant, opened at the school where she studied and where she also had volunteered. "I thought I had a chance and submitted my application but was too afraid of not being accepted. As it turns out I was wrong. Sometimes we work a lot in life and the reward takes a long time in coming, but eventually it comes" she explains. Currently she is coordinator of marketing and is responsible for Latin America. She is proving to the school that hiring her was a good investment: since the beginning of the year she brought to the city of Vancouver alone, more than 150 students.
Today, if you do not have English as a second language it is difficult to find a good job in Brazil. For this reason, many students decide to leave the country. However, some do come to enjoy the city and decide to stay. Others stay only for a certain time and return to their hometowns. This is the case of business administration student, Augusto Mendonça, 22, who came to study English for 6 months. "I chose the ESL course but when I reached the end of my third month, there was a contest for a scholarship in the Hospitality course. I applied, won the scholarship and my plans changed a little bit," says Augustus, who adds, "but I cannot wait to go back to Brazil! I need to finish college. Maybe one day I will come back to live here, but for now I miss my country too much and can’t wait to return."
Everyone knows that to leave your country of origin and start all over again is not easy, and not everyone is prepared for this. Some tell stories of success, as Wellington Silva, 39. "I was sales manager for a large company in Brazil, the largest in Latin America. I was not happy and wanted something more, so I decided to come to Canada to study English and work," says Wellington. Today he owns a restaurant and a Brazilian food import and export company in Vancouver.
In fact, if you miss Brazilian flavours and Portuguese accent in Vancouver, one option is to walk downtown through Commercial Drive, where many Latin restaurants are concentrated. Some cafes, or Kitslano beach are also other suggestions for those who want to hear the language of their home country.
Also, on the streets, at festivals, or even within the martial arts academies, Capoeira is already present. The sport conquered the west coast of Canada, particularly Vancouver and Victoria. Marco Antonio Silva, known as Master Barrão, is a good example. He moved from Recife with his family in 1992, ready to face the city of Vancouver. "Today I can live off capoeira, but do not know if I would have the same living conditions in Brazil," says the Master. Recently he released a capoeira CD (with magazine), which can be found on newsstands throughout Brazil.
Working in the same area, the “Pernambucano” Eclison of Jesus, came do Canada 14 years ago with a group of capoeira to perform at a festival and never left. "When I decided to stay, I had almost no money at all, but had the dream of buying a house for my mother so she could have a better life than we had," says Master Eclison. "I not only bought the house for her, but I also have my mother here," he says with pride.
Not all come to stay but sometimes, being here may be the result of a "joke". This is the case of Mrs. Fulvia Fadigas de Souza, 82, who had two children living in Vancouver as immigrants. "I studied in an American school and knew the Canadian culture, because nearly every year I came to visit my children, but had never seriously thought about living here." One day, as a joke, she told her daughter to send that “invitation letter”, and if she was accepted she would move to Canada. The daughter wasted no time. Result: Fulvia has been here for over 20 years. As the darling of the community, "Grandma," as she likes to be called, loves to write. Later this year she will be launching her book, entirely in English!
But, the civil engineer Marco Castro visited many countries before choosing Canada. He left Brazil, lived in the U.S. city of San Francisco and decided to travel the world. "I wanted to travel for a while and then decide where I should stay. I started researching about Canada, specifically Vancouver, and I loved the city. I came to stay in 1996," says Marco, who has travelled through more than 30 countries, having lived in four of them. In Vancouver, he worked at the Brazilian Consulate until it was closed. Then, he opened Provisa, a company that helps Brazilians, Portuguese and the Canadian community in general with consular services, and has turned his business into a great success. Marco, who was also president of the Brazilian Association of British Columbia (BCA), speaks with wisdom of one who lived intensely, "The world's most wonderful cities are Rio de Janeiro, Maceió, Vancouver and Innsbruck (Austria). But to live with quality of life, Vancouver is undoubtedly number one."
Adventure, courage and optimism. These are the words of Brazilians living in Vancouver. People who seek quality of life without losing much of the green and yellow landscape. And in Canada, plagiarizing the poet “quem não gosta de Vancouver, bom sujeito não é....” (who does not like Vancouver, good fellow is not).
Back |
