Overview of Brazilian Culture and People

By far the largest of the Latin American countries, Brazil occupies nearly half the continent of South America. Brazil is currently divided into five regions and each region is composed of states with similar cultural, economical, historical and social aspects.  Brazil is currently divided into five regions and each region is composed of states with similar cultural, economical, historical and social aspects.  The Northern part of Brazil is covered by the Amazon rain forest. 

Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil peacefully gained its independence in 1822 and the abolition of slavery took place in 1888.  Brasília is the capital; the largest cities are São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.  Brazil has the largest population in South America and is the fifth most populous country in the world. The people are diverse in origin, and Brazil often boasts that the new “race” of Brazilians is a combination of African, European, and indigenous peoples.  More than half the population is of European descent, while another 40% are of mixed African and European ancestry.

Portuguese is the official language and nearly universal and English is widely taught as a second language.

Motivations for Becoming an Au Pair

1.  Young women from Brazil look forward to improving their English skills when they arrive in this country.  However, many are not motivated to learn English, and they continue to struggle with communicating with family members.  They often join a large community of other Brazilian au pairs when they arrive, to socialize with and to get support from and many au pairs from this country do not concern themselves with improving their English. 

2.  The majority of au pairs from Brazil have a better chance of finding a good job in Brazil after their au pair experience if they have improved their English.   Some applicants have a hard time finding the money to apply to the program (and according to the social class the au pair is coming from). 

Brazilian Characteristics and Manners

1.  Brazilians are hard working, accepting and open to different cultures, happy, well-adjusted, social, and full of energy.  They are a lot of fun, generally, and the life of any social gathering or party.

2. Young Brazilians have the freedom to date and socialize early and without parental supervision, but curfews are common and respected. 

3. The family is the foundation of the social structure and forms the basis of stability for most people. Families tend to be large (although family size has been diminishing in recent years) and the extended family is quite close.  The individual depends on a close social network and assistance in times of need from the family.

4.  The middle and upper classes interaction with the lower classes is minimal and usually through the employment of the lower class as their hired help: maids, drivers, gardeners, etc.  

Tip: hiring an au pair from the upper class may result in cultural dissatisfaction on the part of your au pair who may not want to clean up after the children or learn how to cook simple meals for them.

Childcare Background and Experience

1.  Parents encourage their young people to date and socialize but curfews are common. 

2.  Class is determined by economic status and skin color and there is a great disparity in wages. Women make up 40% of the Brazilian workforce but they are typically found in lower paid jobs such as maids, teaching, administrative support, and nursing.

3.  Young women commonly help out in daily chores around the house except for the higher economic status families, who hire maids to do the household chores.

4.  Social class largely determines discipline techniques:  Middle class Brazilians are generally more liberal than the working class and they do not use corporal punishment as much as the working class parent tends to do.

5.  Childcare experience acquired by schooling, working/volunteering at a day care center/hospital/church.

Education

1.  Very few young women continue their academic studies at the University level, and most begin to seek a full-time job right out of high school.

2.  The au pair programs are seen as beneficial to improving their resumes and job opportunities  once they return home to Brazil. 

Health and Diet

1.  It is very common for most Brazilian youth to be inoculated for TB, polio, hepatitis, diphtheria, and MMR.

2.  Health services are free, but they are often of marginal quality.

3.  Eating disorders have, in the past, been unusual, but as Brazil enters the global arena, eating disorders are becoming more common among young women who desire to be thin.

4.  Visits to the dentist are done on a regular basis, but dental care in Brazil is expensive.

5.  Meat (beef and chicken), fish, rice, beans, vegetables, and fruits are staples in the Brazilian diet and vegetarianism is not the norm.

Driving

1.  Obtaining a license can be easily done at the age of 18 and international driving permits are readily available.

2.  Not only do Brazilians have to take a required number of driving lessons (15 total) and another 30 lessons on first aid, citizenship, and mechanics, they must also submit to a psychological test.  The psychological test is, in part, the government's attempt to curtail the significant number of road accidents caused by reckless driving and road rage common in Brazil. 

3.  Most cars are manual.

4.  Many young people do not have the opportunity to practice their driving since keeping a car is very expensive. 

English Skills

1.  English lessons become mandatory only in middle school and high school and are only offered 1-2 times per week.  The lessons focus on written instruction and less on oral skills and this may explain the difficulty many au pairs have with speaking good English. 

2. The primary language in Brazil is Portuguese and not Spanish (Note: many American make the mistake of assuming their Brazilian au pair will speak Spanish).

Religion

1. Catholicism is the dominant religion of Brazil, however, young people do not practice their religion on a daily basis.

2.  Most young people do attend church services with family on Sundays and meat is not eaten during Lent.

Potential Strengths of the Brazilian Au Pair

1.  Most au pairs are highly motivated to successfully complete their cultural exchange year.  They understand this experience will boost their resume and chances of a better job once they return home.  As a result, they really desire to do a good job and work hard at taking care of your children.

2.  Au pairs are generally motivated to learn good, proper English and they will work hard to accomplish this.  They are open to the host family's encouragement and assistance with their English lessons and most au pairs' English skills quickly improve after they arrive.

3. Most au pairs are very caring towards the family and the children - they are warm and loving.  They also tend to be friendly, energetic and full of life!

Potential Weaknesses of the Brazilian Au Pair

1. Their oral skills in English may be weak and if they are not motivated to work on their English lessons, they will not improve.  Communicating with them can pose real challenges for you and your children. 

Tip: make sure your au pair understands you expect them to take English classes once they arrive and that you expect them to improve their English if you hire them.

2.  Driving skills may also be weak and they may have picked up some reckless driving habits if they drove frequently in urban areas. 

Tip: don't expect your au pair to be a good driver unless her family owns a car and has made that car available to her to practice with. 

3.  There are a small percentage of Brazilians au pairs who are motivated to come to the USA to travel and have a fun year abroad - and these girls may not have a keen desire to care for children all day, but instead their main focus is sightseeing, meeting American youth and making friends.   You may find your Brazilian au pair likes to party and keep late hours compared to other nationalities. 

Tip:  Read our article on "Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing an Au Pair" and our advice on how to avoid matching with a Party Girl (Mistake #3)!