Me not You :
Thousands of former Confederate soldiers, not 100,000, immigrated to Brazil after the American Civil War, and they and their descendants are known as "Confederados." Their migration was driven by a desire to continue their way of life, including the practice of slavery, which was still legal in Brazil at the time. They established several settlements, the most prominent of which became the city of Americana in São Paulo.
The descendants of these immigrants still preserve their heritage, holding an annual festival with music and food from the American South. While many in the community maintain that the Confederate flag is a symbol of "heritage, not hate," some scholars and local Brazilian activists argue that the flag is a symbol of racism and white supremacy. This controversy led the city council of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, a neighboring city with a similar history, to vote in 2022 to ban the use of the Confederate flag at public festivals.
Visitors are generally welcome at the annual Festa Confederada, and the Confederate cemetery and museum are open to the public.
2025-08-09 21:58:10