Futurespeak: The Case for Teaching Your Child Portuguese
the language of the diaspora
2008-02-18
By Judith Morrison

Portuguese is an essential language for the African Diaspora. As the second most widely spoken Latin language in the world it is estimated that 223 million people reside in Portuguese speaking nations. African countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Principe, use Portuguese as their official language. The importance of Portuguese in Africa is clear, but perhaps more surprisingly is the importance of Portuguese to us as Americans.

The conservative estimate is that half the population in Brazil is of African descent – which means that Brazil has a black population that is almost three times the size of the African-American population in the United States. Brazil has the largest number of African descendents in the Americas. In the world, Brazil is second only to Nigeria in terms of the number of black people living within its borders. In July of 2006, Brazil’s city of Salvador, often referred to as the Black Athens because of its well preserved African traditions, hosted the Second Conference of Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora (CIAD II). This international conference included heads of state from Senegal, Cape Verde, Ghana, and Guinea-Bissau along with celebrities like Stevie Wonder. The conference is a symbol of the rising interest of Brazilians to take a leading role in the African world. 

As a continent-sized nation everything seems bigger in Brazil, with over 180 million inhabitants it is the fifth largest country, and is geographically larger than the continental United States. The sheer size of its markets makes Brazil an economic and technological powerhouse creating new business opportunities for the citizens of the world. As part of the widely recognized BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, Brazil’s economic growth potential in manufacturing, aviation, aeronautics, and agriculture is highly regarded.  As Brazil continues to invest in research and transfer technology such as bio-fuels to the United States we can expect business ties to grow between our countries. An increased interest in promoting cultural and business exchange brings opportunities for African-Americans to share our experiences.

Despite the size of the black population in Brazil, Afro-Brazilians have faced discrimination and are developing mechanisms to overcome business obstacles similar to the challenges facing African-Americans in the US.  Organizations like Levantamos, the Center for Afro-Brazilian and African-American exchange, supports business programs for entrepreneurs interested in promoting business solidarity across borders, while membership organizations such Integrare in São Paulo and the Incubadora Afro Brasileira (an initiative of the Instituto Palmares) in Rio de Janeiro support local business leaders by promoting small and medium sized businesses. National initiatives such as TV da Gente, an Afro-Brazilian television station, has modeled itself on successful African-American media ventures like Black Entertainment Television.

Globally, anyone seeking the kind of  19th century style adventure that leads to massive generational wealth should be learning Portugese immediately. The nexus of  the world’s   future mineral and oil resources are in Angola and Mozambique. And Brazil is light years ahead in the use of sugar as a source of fuel and energy.

Despite the importance of Portuguese few Americans actually study the language. Only 7,000 students enroll in Portuguese classes each semester compared to over 650,000 who study Spanish. The ability to exchange experiences and conduct business in Portuguese is a key to better understanding the African Diaspora. As the seventh most widely spoken language in the world individuals learning Portuguese will have significant cultural and economic advantages over their peers.

Judith Morrison is the regional director for South America and the Caribbean at the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) She writes on international policy for EbonyJet.com.

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