Founded in 1956, Escola Americana de Campinas (EAC) is an accredited, non-profit, co-ed school in Campinas, Brazil. With more than 850 students, EAC students consist of more than 20 nationalities coming from all over the world: South Korea, Argentina, Spain, China, Taiwan, the US, Canada, and many more.
Despite coming from countries tens of thousands of kilometers away, Giants actively mingle within themselves sharing their differing cultures, values, and ways of living. However, non-Brazilian Giants often observe Brazil’s unique and distinctive culture which they first found startling but later turned out to be captivating.
All interviewees, coming from the US and South Korea, mention Brazilian’s friendliness as a distinctive part of their culture. Despite meeting for the first time, Brazilians often approach new students first with huge smiles on their faces, helping new students adapt easily and more comfortably in school. They open warm conversations and exhibit interest, showing the literal representation of friendliness. Although these aspects might seem like polite and unquestionable things to do, an interviewee mentions that this friendliness is not common in many countries. Having lived in 3 different countries with distinct cultural differences from each other, she recalls that the friendliness her Brazilian students showed was beyond being simply kind to a new student. Having attended a Brazilian school before EAC, she reminisces her Brazilian friends writing “Welcome” and a welcoming letter with things to do and not to do in Brazil, translated in Korean, for her and her brother.
However, the interviewees also bring up Brazilian’s touchy characteristics. The physical affection, not only between the same gender, but also between boys and girls, is really open, not to mention Brazil’s dating culture.
Moreover, all interviewees collectively also mentioned Brazil’s festas such as Carnival, Festa de Juninha, and 16th birthday parties as one of the most exciting experiences in Brazil. The lively atmosphere of these festivals and Brazilians dancing to the rhythm with small choreographies for each song captivate the minds of foreigners.
Yet, as lively as these parties are, some bring up Brazilians’ intensity in volume. They find Brazilians to have a relatively loud voice, but despite their startling first impressions, many mention it as a positive aspect demonstrating the confidence and festive identities Brazilians possess.
Reference
Escola Americana de Campinas – A private, K-12 international school serving 850 students aged 2-19, representing over 20 nationalities. (n.d.). https://eac.com.br/
EAC PRESS 