Social Interaction Justifies Brazil’s Racial Democracy Questioned?

Today, we woke up to discuss our plans for the day and we decided to do observations on the beach since we did not have an appointment until 3pm. We decided to go to the tourist friednly beach. This was my second trip to the beach in Rio. The first trip, I walked around with Pete and Alex. While we walked around, I notice a lot of starring at us. In the back of my head, I thought this was because Alex, was a white woman, and Pete and I were Black. However, I dismissed this idea and said they were looking at us because we are American. Today, I wondered if it would be the same. As the we walked to the beach, I did not the same attention as the previous day. However it was not as pervasive as the previous day, and I wonder if that had much to do with the fact it was Melissa, a Latina, that would be considered a Branca in Brazil and myself. Overall, this observation leads me to question the validity of the social interaction as way to showcase racism does not exist in Brazil. I wonder if by the end of trip, I will be able to under the way social interaction between races works to negate or supports racism in Brazil. From first glance, I think that social interaction amongst races is not as prevelant as projected, and if even if it is I believe that this social interaction rates amongst races is higher amongst lighter people compared light and dark skin individuals. I think this may be the case given my observations occured during a tourist district, in which locals would be most likely be see the exposed to highest interactions of various racial groups, thus the appearance of black man and non-black woman should not be surprise, if social interaction is very prevelant.