Some of those reading the English version may not be familiar with the Portuguese term Tupiniquim, a term of endearment that Brazilians use to refer to themselves in a somewhat self-deprecating manner. Technically, a tupiniquim refers to a member of the indigenous Tupi tribe, but in everyday life, Brazilians use the term to refer to themselves in general, regardless of whether they have native indigenous roots. I feel that I am also a bit tupiniquim – American for sure, but still very Brazilian in my way of thinking, acting, and being.
My first contact with Brazil was in my early 20s when I stepped onto the hot asphalt of Guararapes airport in Recife, ready to start an internship at the World Bank. Since then, I have returned to the country almost every year for the last 25 years or more. Sometimes for fun, other times to put down roots. I earned a master’s degree in economics at the State University of São Paulo, in Campinas, or UNICAMP, as it is known. Later, I returned to Brazil for ABN AMRO Bank to help with the acquisition of the famous Banco Real. It was during this time in São Paulo that I met my first wife, and because of her, I am the proud father of Isabella, a beautiful Brazilian-American 15-year-old who lives here in the U.S.
In 2009, after spending nearly a decade in New York, I moved my family back to Brazil – this time to Rio de Janeiro – so I could be closer to them while starting a new chapter in my life on the other side of the Atlantic, in Luanda. In total, I lived almost 8 years in Brazil.
I can’t even begin to count the number of flights I’ve taken in and out of Brazil. Even harder is remembering how many Sunday afternoon lunches I’ve spent sitting with friends at a churrascaria, pouring caipirinhas and asking the waiters for another round of crispy garlic picanha. But even more difficult to tally is the number of friends and relationships I’ve collected over the years – so many that I won’t even try to name them all for fear that failing to mention just one might lead to serious recriminations.
I love a good bold Brazilian joke, told with the colorful expressions of a miner. I dream of the salty air of Ipanema and a bowl of real açaí with granola – not the fake kind they sell at gyms now in the U.S. I often miss the simplicity of Brazilian life, where most people have a jeito de viver that surpasses the work-first fanatic lifestyle that Americans convince themselves they need to validate their existence. When I’m in Brazil, I almost become Brazilian; they say my Portuguese accent is almost imperceptible. I take pride in being an American tupiniquim. And it is from this perspective that I will write my future columns. I hope you enjoy them.
Editor’s Note: Arick Wierson has been a friend of The Brasilians newspaper and its owner and founder, João de Matos, since the early 2000s, when Arick played a key role in promoting Brazil Day and its partnership with the City of New York. At the time, Arick was a key senior consultant to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and was often called upon to be his ambassador to the Brazilian community, given his deep familiarity with the culture and the country. He speaks fluent Portuguese and spent many years studying and working in Brazil. In the years that followed, Arick’s travels took him around the world, working in media, politics, and technology. Today he writes a regular column for CNN, as well as for The Observer, Vice, and Worth Magazine. Arick’s monthly column for The Brasilians will reflect this wealth of experience as he reflects on issues of particular importance that lie at the intersection of everything involving the U.S. and Brazil. You can follow him on Twitter at @ArickWierson.