São Paulo, BRAZIL – The city of São Paulo is the richest and most important in the country, but that isn’t the whole story.
I grew up in a favela, a poor neighborhood in São Paulo. Not long ago, I returned for a visit.
Being back in my actual hometown after such a long time made me feel like a cowboy in an uncharted land.
I had completely forgotten how impressive and imposing all those skyscrapers are that make you feel so small!
Maringá, where I currently live, is a stunning mid-sized city with beautiful squares, but São Paulo, as a huge cosmopolitan city, is much more exciting.
Two sides of the same coin
On the one hand, São Paulo is a huge city with lots of people and tourist attractions, but on the other hand, it has to deal with a serious problem: social inequality.
There are many reasons to love São Paulo, but as someone who was born and raised in one of the city’s marginalized districts, I have to point out its many inequalities.
When you pass Morumbi, one of São Paulo’s most affluent zones, you don’t know where to look first, to the luxurious houses and buildings or to the expensive cars whose prices I couldn’t even pronounce.
But all these extravagances are intentional.
Behind the perfect image that Brazil sells to the world of São Paulo is hidden all the poverty and misery that shake the lives of many people there.
Slums that host the real working class of the nation – those people who contribute significantly to our economy – are tucked away in back of the big mansions where the elite live peacefully.
In 2022, the Brazilian non-profit organization Instituto Locomotiva estimated that the poor who live in these peripheral zones bring the country R$180 billion a year, about $36 billion.
This organization aims to research and analyze social problems in all Brazilian favelas, or slums.
According to a 2020 study by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the city is at the top of the national ranking with a GDP of R$740 million (about $152 million), which is about 10% of our economy.
A history of protests and fear
Despite its financial importance, São Paulo has been the scene of many protests and movements that changed our history.
In 1984, a group of courageous civic leaders, politicians, students, artists, and intellectuals took to the streets during Brazil’s civil-military dictatorship to demonstrate for the reintroduction of elections and against authoritarianism.
Brazil stayed under military rule from 1964 to 1985, without democracy or freedom of speech.
But still today, in these neighborhoods, people live in constant fear. They’re afraid of the high crime rate that scares the community and worried about whether their living conditions are sufficient to earn the bare necessities.
They’re filled with outrage by the poor quality of public services provided by the government, such as education and health care.
And they’re frightened by police violence.
According to another study by Locomotiva on racism and violence in the periphery, four out of 10 Brazilians have faced police violence, and half of the cases involved Black people.
Despite so many challenges, marginalized communities are still vibrant and rich in culture and knowledge. In them, there are large commercial centers, businesses, and even shopping malls, as if the slums were cities within a metropolis.
Not everything is what it seems
For a long time, the image of São Paulo was fake: magnificent buildings and a ‘perfect’ image of Brazilian life. People thought the opposite of the favelas and the people who live in them.
Favelas were usually seen through a negative lens that undervalued them.
As someone who comes from one of these areas, I know the difficulties we faced there.
There is no doubt that we need more discussion about this social inequality to make people aware of what is going on.
And we must urge those in charge to take action to break down the barriers we encounter there. But it is important to emphasize that slums are made by people whose stories deserve to be heard.
Locomotiva also pointed out the great entrepreneurial potential that these communities have. They showed that 80% of the people are small business owners or have invested in their own businesses.
After years living away from São Paulo, my view of the city has changed dramatically.
Now I realize that all the luxury of the city cannot silence the power that comes from the favelas.
Nicole Luna is a Correspondent with Youth Journalism International.
it is a very enlightening post. I loved it!! Muito Bem!