There's something about Japanese Brazilians

I saw this video in my FB feed and it is about a little girl (they are from Brazil) who pranks her Dad by faking a cry whenever he tries to cut her nails!

While watching it, I noticed two things:

1. This baby girl is just too cute and adorable!

And

2. I think the Dad is Japanese (he looks like one, what do you think?)




Then I wondered why it seems there are a lot of Japanese (or with Japanese descent) in Brazil.  

Back home in Philippines, there were a lot of Japanese Brazilian models (some of them became actors as well) who captured our hearts (heehee) such as . . . .

FABIO IDE

Image from www.fabioide.com

AKIHIRO SATO 

Image from www.polvore.com

HIDEO MURAOKA

Image from www.buzzfeed.com

DANIEL MATSUNAGA

Image from www.orangemagazine.ph

Okay, be still our beating hearts, haha! 

There must be a story behind this wonder right?

Then I thought of typing a random question in the google box (just to satisfy my curiosity)

Why are there many Japanese in Brazil? 

Guess what, it is a valid question (observation)!

Do you know that Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside Japan?!

In summary, this is what  I've read online . . .

Brazil had a shortage of laborers in their coffee plantations (coffee was the country's main product export then) because the country abolished the use of African slaves as workers.  Brazil also attracted a number of European immigrants (mostly Italians) but due to the poor working conditions and maltreatment of the immigrants by the owners of the coffee plantations, Italy disallowed sending immigrants to Brazil.    

So in 1907, the Brazil and Japan government has signed an agreement allowing the Japanese to migrate to Brazil.  The first Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil around 1908.  Around this time, the Japanese (who were living in poverty due to structural reforms happening in their country) were also looking for better opportunities overseas.

And as they say, the rest is history!

To read more about it, please click here.

It is always nice to learn something new everyday, right?! =)

Have a great week ahead!