On June 18, 1908, the ship Kasato Maru disembarked in the port of Santos, bringing more than 700 Japanese immigrants to Brazil. The date kicked off the Japanese Immigration Week, and its last day, June 25, was established in Brazil as the National Immigrant Day.
By the way, anyone who thinks that Brazil is a country with many immigrants is wrong. Little more than 0,4% of our population is made up of people of other nationalities – this number is smaller than our neighbors Argentina and Uruguay, and far from places like the United States and the United Kingdom.
Every year, more than 16 foreigners come to Brazil to study. The motivations are numerous: the good schools and universities in the country, the interest in language and culture, cultural plurality, the importance of the country in Latin America, among other reasons.
Uliving also gets a bunch of them every year. On average, 10% of our residents are foreigners – and this makes our community very rich, diverse and plural. From time to time, we even celebrate this exchange, either with thematic events related to our culture or celebrating the culture of our residents. There have been parties from June to lunch with typical foods from different countries, for example.
And to speak with authority on the subject, the experience at Uliving and the relationship with Brazil, we decided to talk to some residents on this Immigrant Day. Some have been at Uliving for a while, others still live with us – the coolest thing is to see that each one comes from a different part of the world.
the Brazilian way
"I think the best of Brazil are the Brazilians”, said the Colombian Juan, former resident of Uliving 433. For him, our way is very welcoming, and he felt so at home that “he didn't miss his country”. He said he felt very comfortable at Uliving and with the people “in less than a week, even without knowing anyone”.
Arianna, an Ecuadorian resident of Uliving Jardins, also praised the affection and willingness of the Brazilians to help – not only from the Uliving team, but also from other residents. “Everyone was ready to help and are always very receptive to outsiders. They know you are a gringo and want to help, unlike what happens in my country. [People] ask you to sit next to them, to chat…”
Incidentally, our cultural richness was highly praised. Juan said that when he arrived in the country, he had many stereotypes of Brazil in his head, such as football and samba. But he discovered a multitude of new things here, “like the sertanejo or the barbecue”.
And in addition to our affection and hospitality, food and music help – a lot. For Margarida, a Portuguese woman who came to do an exchange program at the USP Faculty of Medicine in Ribeirão Preto, “the samba and the delicious food helped”. hahah And there are things that only Brazil offers when it comes to delighting our gringo friends. For Thomas, for example, “the weather is definitely an upgrade from England!".
But one thing was unanimous in all testimonials: the cultural exchange and curiosity of Brazilians with the culture of different countries. “The Brazilian people are VERY interested in knowing what life is like in other countries” said Roberto, a Chilean who has lived in Brazil for 13 years and used to live at Uliving Ribeirão Preto. He no longer lives in the unit and moved to São Paulo, but said that the coolest thing about Uliving is “the idea of the building is based on having residents with the same age group, which facilitates communication between residents and sociability. I made friends there that I still talk to today.”
At Uliving, we think a lot about how to make the experience of our residents the best possible. The Portuguese Margarida told us this here: “The completely renovated and modern space, spacious areas, the friendliness of all the staff and, as a foreigner, ease with papers and bureaucracy. The entire sign-up and payments process was very easy.. "
Our active and lively Community is also something that delights our residents. Thomas, an English resident of Uliving Rio, likes “as there is always something going on whether it's a friend's birthday party or a group going to the beach. Uliving offers the versatility I was looking for throughout this experience.”
Arriving in a new country and not knowing anything new frightens many people. But our charismatic way enchants everyone, and as Arianna said, here "There's always someone to hang out with to chat..."
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Finally, we asked our residents and former residents for a tip for those who want to come to Brazil for an exchange program or live there. The advice was unanimous: be open to everything that Brazilians can offer you.
“Come with all the will to get to know the real Brazil with Brazilians. Come willingly to learn to dance, learn everything they tell you!” that's what he told Arianna. Roberto, who now lives in São Paulo, asks people to “come without fear, because here you are received with great affection".
Juan made us soft-hearted. “Brazilian is very accessible and you will probably be able to make a lot of friends and memories in a good way.” But, of course, it is important “to be ready to know and adapt”. According to him, the Brazilian people really like to help and meet new people, so it's important to ask everything you want. “Say yes to every opportunity that appears, be interested in the language and culture, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. ” He thinks curiosity is important: “Ask about the country and the culture, listen to the music there… And you'll see that very soon you'll feel like [you're] at home and [you'll] love Brazil”. We miss you, Juan!
For Margarida, the important thing is “Above all, go with an open mind and be willing to get to know the people and culture of the country. Many of the exchange students only interacted with each other, ending up not even learning the language. The culture and people are wonderful, I learned a lot and grew a lot too.” But from what we saw in the reports here, the crowd is very open, right?! We like that a lot – community life and cultural exchanges are very important.
And for those who are venturing to come to Brazil alone, Thomas left a few words: “If you are going into this adventure on your own like I am, Uliving offers everything you could ask for!”
The comfort and ease for our residents is the main thing. Our doors are open to receive people from all over the world, and we want to learn a lot from all of you. Happy Immigrant Day!
