Summer Language Abroad 2023

Upon my arrival, I quickly discovered that the Cadastro de Pessoa Física (CPF) is an essential part of everyday life in Brazil. It is an all-encompassing registry number that serves as an identifier, connecting individuals to the Brazilian bureaucracy and granting access to a variety of services. It is required for a multitude of transactions, ranging from purchasing items online and opening a bank account to collecting rewards points at grocery stores, and even activating a SIM card.

During my first week in Rio, I eagerly attempted to activate a SIM card to stay connected. To my dismay, I discovered that a CPF was necessary for the activation process. Frustration set in as I spoke in my basic Portuguese with the cellphone provider. As a foreigner temporarily in the country, I expected simplicity and ease when setting up essential services, and the CPF obstacle challenged these expectations, especially when considering Brazil is a significantly large tourist destination. Luckily, after speaking with many locals, I found the one cellphone provider in the country that allows foreigners to use their passport number to activate a prepaid SIM card plan. Another instance where the CPF requirement proved troublesome was when I tried to purchase a bus ticket. Accustomed to the convenience of quick online transactions or straightforward credit card payments in the United States, I found myself facing unexpected hurdles due to the need for a CPF. This bureaucratic necessity created delays and complications that, again, left me feeling frustrated. I ultimately went to purchase the bus ticket in person, where the attendant kindly bypassed the need for a CPF.

Now reflecting on these critical incidents, my immediate interpretations of these situations were based on my own expectations of how financial transactions should function and how they should be facilitated for tourists. This annoyance I felt stemmed from the stark contrast between the convenience-focused approach in the U.S. and the bureaucratic necessity of the CPF in Brazil. After speaking with my professors and other locals, I learned that the CPF is a unique identification number for Brazilian citizens and residents that facilitates financial transactions, supports tax compliance, enables access to government services, and serves as a tool for consumer protection. Had I planned it logistically, I could have undergone the process of obtaining my own CPF number. However, living without a CPF in Brazil has taught me to better embrace flexibility and adaptability, and has encouraged me to explore alternative methods and develop patience. Needing a CPF is now an inside joke among my friends and classmates at the language school, as we have all experienced similar frustrations with the need for a CPF to carry out basic day-to-day transactions.

Attending Portuguese language school in Rio has exposed me to all walks of life. A few of us students at the school are staying for a long period of time, while others are only here for a few days to gain enough proficiency to defend themselves in Portuguese while they travel the country. I’ve met people from all around the world—France, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, India, Lebanon, Argentina, Colombia, and other parts of the United States. Many are university students, others are avid travelers, some are digital nomads, and all are people consciously taking the time to learn languages as they venture to new parts of the world.

Following hours of Portuguese language classes, we as students are afforded the opportunity to participate in activities around the city, all designed to help us practice speaking in public. During meals together, we have naturally engaged in conversations that have touched on current affairs and politics. My first few weeks here I became good friends with a New Zealander who was formerly a diplomat and worked on Latin American issue matters that I also previously worked on. We quickly became good friends and have engaged in thought-provoking conversations about the politics of the region and global affairs in general. While these conversations were interesting to us, for others, politics is an afterthought.

This friend from New Zealand curiously expressed a heterostereotype about the United States to me privately, which made me more critically reflect on my own positionality. She characterized most U.S. citizens as politically dense and unaware of the power they hold in influencing global policy matters, such as those addressing the climate crisis. Another friend from France has also been adamant in criticizing U.S. hegemony during our group conversations inside and outside of class, with many Brazilians agreeing with these critiques. As political scientists from outside the United States, these classmates and other locals are basing their negative perceptions on what they’ve seen on their local new stations, U.S. citizens they’ve met abroad, their own studies, and more generally by how U.S. domestic and foreign policies have personally affected their lives. Ironically, a couple of the digital nomads from the United States were quick to admit they do not follow politics and do not understand why the United States is commonly disliked in other parts of the world. When discussing the politics of Florida, the state where one of the digital nomads is from, he was unaware of his own political representatives and the current affairs of his state.

The claims made by my classmates are valid in many ways. The United States holds significant hegemony in influencing global politics. Its citizens have the power to influence both domestic and foreign policy matters by participating in democracy and maintaining politically informed. Many U.S. citizens hold the privilege of living a comfortable life without even thinking about public policies, while many outside of the United States are affected by this complacency. However, I must also explicitly recognize that it is also a privilege to understand the complexities of U.S. politics. Becoming politically conscious requires access to education, as knowledge is about liberation. Large swaths of the U.S. population do not have access to a liberating education. Particularly, in an era of mis- and disinformation, increasing levels of populist politics, and the erosion of democracy in the United States, it is difficult to be politically astute. Rather than characterizing U.S. citizens as politically dense, I would say that it is important to mobilize U.S. citizens to become politically involved and help protect their own democracy, as the decisions made domestically affect us all.

Oiii, gente! I’m writing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and can happily say that I’m quickly picking up on my Portuguese. The city, the people, and the language school have been absolutely lovely. In particular, the neighborhood of Copacabana has welcomed me with open arms. I wanted to write about something that quickly caught my attention about Copacabana. It wasn’t long before I noticed that same-sex couples in the neighborhood often walk hand in hand, openly expressing their affection in public. I see it on my commute to my language school every day and it’s something I’m not accustomed to seeing in Indiana, or even in more progressive regions of the United States.

These unapologetic displays of love and identity have helped me perceive a general sense of acceptance that thrives in this neighborhood. There are pride flags that flutter proudly on various sections of the beaches throughout the city, and there are even certain sections of these beaches—locally known as “postos”—that are widely known for their LGBTIQ+ friendliness. I’ve also perceived a general sense of intolerance against homophobia and transphobia. There are many government-sponsored signs throughout the city that reinforce Municipal Law 2475/1996, a policy that unequivocally prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Several bathrooms have signs that encourage people to use the restroom that most aligns with their gender identity. Many local businesses and other franchises have pride rainbows on their signage and merchandise as well. Granted, it is June, and we are in Pride month, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see these progressive LGBTIQ+ laws and cultural norms.

It has definitely been a cultural shock because, as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, I typically have an instinctive urge to conceal myself for safety, especially when I travel. Copacabana’s vibrant energy and acceptance has emboldened me to let go of these fears, and I have felt a sense of tranquility in expressing my sexuality and gender expression authentically. However, to generalize what I’m perceiving in this neighborhood with the entire country would be naïve and dangerous. Even prior to my arrival in Brazil, I read up on how certain factions in the country actively discriminate against the LGBTIQ+ community. These discriminatory words and actions having detrimental outcomes. For instance, Brazil is tragically one of the top countries in the world for violence against transgender women. Knowing this background, I’ve engaged in conversations with my language professors and locals to further learn about the broader LGBTIQ+ landscape in Brazil. While Copacabana and its sibling neighborhood, Ipanema, stand as beacons of progress for the Brazilian LGBTIQ+ community, these conversations have made me more cognizant that the realities beyond these enclaves are much more nuanced. It would be unfair to overlook the deep challenges faced by many LGBTIQ+ Brazilians in the interior of the country as well as less privileged communities, where acceptance may not be as prevalent.