St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1942-01-02
IIIICeTdCy'
Negro Pan-Americanism

From the viewpoint OF Brazilian
Negroes, it would be advantageous
for American teachers and medical
missionaries to work among them
Inter-American relations should be
cemented between Negroes. A first
step could be in our colored
churches and colleges. The need
for doctors and teachers is great in
our own South. But if good start
were made in sending few as
emissaries of good neighborliness,
support might be obtained from the
Rosenwald, Rockefeller, and other
foundations and even from our
Governments inter-American pro-
gram to help train young men and
women. This would be no one-Way
process, however. Americans have
much to offer Brazilian Negroes
and, in turn, have so much to learn
from Brazil in how diverse races
and cultures can live together IN
harmony and contribute jointly to
the development of new clVlllza-
ton rich in it's production OF the
arts and the things of the spirit.
The Catholic Contribution
American Catholicism has a con-
tribution to make to the Negro IN
both lands. How splendid it would
he for Brazilian-American under
standing if dozens of AfrO-Brazll-
ian candidates for the priesthood
and teaching orders could study In
our excellent Catholic colleges and
seminaries. They could teach us
much and return to Brazil able to
spread good will between the two
largest American nations. Amerl-
can Catholicism might then gain
larger following here among Ne
groes. 1t might be very good for
both Professionalism and CathOll-
cism throughout the New World to
engage in friendly and constructive
rivalry for religious, educational,
and social betterment. Certainly
the Negro would benefit.
The Greatest Latin Nation
History is not clear as to the
extent in ancient times of racial
and cultural blending comparable
to that among the 100000 Bra
zilians. But it is probable that in
the ancient high cultures of Egypt
and the Mediterranean Basin, and
possibly in Asia, that Negro vigor
and creativeness were major fac
tors. Brazil is now the largest
part-Negro nation, and may short
ly be the greatest and most popu-
lous land of Latin culture as
France and Italy follow Spain into
postwar decay. In Brazips new
synthesis of culture, the contribu-
ton of the Negro is very great and
carries vast promise of rich flow
ering of civilization in the Amer
icas.
Books on Brazils Negroes
Probably the best volume in Eng
fish is the Negro in Brazil, by
Arthur Ramos, translated by Rich
ard Patee of our Department of
State, and published in Washing
ton by the Associated Publishers,
in 1889. DR.. Pattee contributed a
fine foreword. The brief bibliOgra-
ply is good. DR.. Ramos numerous
volumes in Portuguese are to be
strongly recommended. He is
foremost living authority and is
still actively productive.
This is also true of Gilberto
Freyre, eminent Brazilian sociolo-
gist and former student of Prof.
Franz Boas. Professor Freyre edit
ed a splendid series of scholarly
studies on race and culture in Bra
iii. His own monumental works
richly deserve to be translated into
English. Their publication here
would be a signal contribution to
United States Brazilian under
standing. DR.. Freyre's study of the
great house and slave quarters and
the vast influence of the Negro in
the plantation region of Brazi's
northeast has gone into several edi-
lions under the title, casa Grande
Senzala." Northeast Brazil has
produced many other works on the
Negro which might be published in
the United States in translation as
part of the program Of the Office
of Coordination of Inter-American
Affairs. These works are cited in
the books of Ramos and Freyre.
Nearly all of them as Brazilian
classics have been republished by
the great Brazilian publishing
house, Companhia Editora Nacion-
al, of Rio de Janeiro and Sac Paulo.
The Nazis for years have paid trib-