Co-sponsored by the Department of Demography.

Brazil is known for relatively high rates of interracial unions. Historically, these relationships have sometimes been interpreted as evidence of harmonious relations between racial groups. This talk challenges this interpretation by examining interracial unions as both intimate relationships and sites where racial boundaries and inequalities may persist. Drawing on several national surveys as well as qualitative interviews, Professor Maria Carolina Tomás (Social Sciences, PUC Minas) analyzes changes and continuities in interracial union rates in Brazil over time, raising fundamental questions about whether interracial unions should be understood as a case of transcending racial boundaries or maintaining them. More info: 10/13 Tomás