Lithuanians in Brazil

The first Lithuanian person to set foot on Brazilian soil, according to a record dated in 1886, was a certain colonel Andrius Visteliauskas. His mission was to aid the Brazilian armed forces in the Paraguayan War that was going on at that time. His experience in Brazil must have influenced people in his homeland, one can only imagine, perhaps by his writings or perhaps after he traveled home. Therefore, it is no surprise that a few years later a group of Lithuanian immigrants and their families arrived in Brazil to begin their new lives in the fabulous El Dorado.

In 1890 twenty-five Lithuanian families entered the land of Brazil. Their destination was the newly established colony of Ijuí, situated on the red and fertile soil of the northwestern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Today the city of Ijuí is a prosperous town, based on Brazilian standards. From early on Ijuí was settled by peoples of different ethno-linguistic backgrounds, unlike some other towns in the region. For example, the town of Guaraní das Missões was settled mostly by Polish immigrants. On the other hand, Germans, who came from the old German colonies (the Altkolonie) located in the eastern part of the state), went on to settle the municipality of Cerro Largo (formerly known as Serro Azul) and to make it into the quaint town that it is today.

One can still meet descendents from that first group of Lithuanian immigrants that settled in the Ijuí area. Note: Ijuí in old documents may appear as Ijuy, a spelling still used in the Spanish language. The word Ijuí itself has its roots in the Amerindian Guaraní language and it is also the name of a significant river (i.e. the Ijuí River) in the area.

In 1926 around thirty thousand Lithuanian immigrants arrived in Brazil. They all went to work in the many coffee plantations (fazendas) throughout the State of São Paulo. Other groups of immigrants also were lured into the land at the time. São Paulo may have been the destination of most Lithuanians but they also went to other states, such as Rio de Janeiro and Paraná. The town of Castro, in Paraná, a state south of São Paulo, boasts that amongst Japanese, Russians and other ethnic groups their town was also founded by Lithuanian immigrants.

The slaves of Brazil had been freed in 1888. Increasingly in the following decades, the coffee barons tried to obtain laborers from other sources, mostly from European sources.

Suffice it to say, it is very much doubtful that the Lithuanian immigrants settled in São Paulo ever had any contact with their compatriots who had established themselves down in the state of Rio Grande do Sul a few decades earlier. However, in São Paulo Lithuanians developed strong social ties around church congregations. Most were Catholic but many participated in Lutheran church services.

In 1930 the "núcleo" (small colony) of Barão de Antonina, was established in Itaporanga, São Paulo.

The greatest center of Lithuanian life in Brazil is Vila Zelina, a district of one of the world's biggest megalopolies: São Paulo. Cultural life revolves around the Saint Joseph (São José) Catholic Church.

In 2001 a documentary film about the history of Lithuanians in Brazil was released by the title Eldorado - Lituanos no Brasil. It was directed and written by Fabiano Canosa and Julius Ziz. More information about this film can be found at its IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309557/).

External Links

Lithuanians in São Paulo: City Hall, city of São Paulo, state of São Paulo (http://milpovos.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/interna.php?com=13&lang=1&id=216) (in Portuguese)

Memorial to the Immigrant (http://www.memorialdoimigrante.sp.gov.br/Realizad/Rambynas.html) (in Portuguese)

Rambynas: List of contacts for main Lithuanian organizations in Brazil, consulate, folklore grups and certified translator (http://www.angelfire.com/bc/rambynas/pgorg/organiz.html) (in Portuguese)

Lithuanians in Brazil and Lithuanians back to the Old Country. A BBC Report (http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/noticias/story/2004/04/040422_lituaniabrasileirosmp.shtml) (in Portuguese)

Movie review of "Eldorado: Lithuanos no Brasil" (http://cinema.terra.com.br/ficha/0,,TIC-OI4472-MNfilmes,00.html) (in Portuguese)