Book, Racial prejudice in Portugal and colonial Brazil: Christians-in[LS]

The reissue of 'Preconceito Racial em Portugal e Brasil Colônia', by publisher Perspectiva in its Studies collection, is one of the most important editorial initiatives of recent times. This is a pioneering book on blood cleansing statutes in the history of Spain, Portugal and Colonial Brazil, proving, as Charles Boxer said, that our colonizers were much more racist than Gilberto Freyre supposed. Tucci Carneiro relaunches the book with bibliographical and documentary updates and discusses the meaning of the myth of blood purity, its institutional bases, its history, from its origins to its extinction in the 18th century, focusing on the subject on New Christians. However, the statutes were not limited to stigmatizing New Christians, but extended to Moors, Indians, Gypsies, blacks, mulattos, in short, to the descendants of what at the time were called, without any shame, 'infectious races'. The subject has been rediscovered by historians in their research into the past. And the issue of racism, with all the controversy about quotas, is on the agenda. Knowing the basis of old-fashioned racism is essential. This book teaches us why.