Immigration

The chief cause of Brazil's backwardness is its lack of a skilled, intelligent, industrious population. Nothing is more natural, therefore, than that the Brazilian Government should try to attract European immigration by offering the immigrants abundant land to settle on. The immigration laws of Brazil, like those of Argentina, were drafted solely with that end in view, but have never been carried out with the persistency or ability which has marked the policy of the Argentineans, and therefore have not been crowned with the same degree of success.

 From the earliest time most of the immigration into Brazil came from Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The German immigration which began in 1825 soon reached considerable proportions under the fostering care of the Hamburg "Kolonisationsverein," so that by the end of the seventies there were from 150,000 to 200,000 Germans in the country. These people were attracted to the southern States
of Brazil---Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catharina, and Sao Paulo, where the Government offered them, in addition to free transportation from Europe to the place of destination, from 60 to 125 acres of land per family and furnished provisions, implements and seeds until the time of the first crop.

The land was not given free to the settlers, but sold at the low price of from $1 to $2 per acre, to be paid to the Government in  seven to ten years. The object of the Government in settling the southern States was not only to increase the population in the most thinly settled parts of the country, but to create a European population capable of raising European agricultural products in the region best adapted for that purpose. That would create a cheap food-supply for the more northern States, which could then be entirely devoted to the cultivation of the more valuable tropical crops of coffee, sugar, etc.

The plans succeeded so well that the Government was soon afraid of the preponderating influence of the German population in the south, and began to favor the immigration of Italians and Poles, of whom about 100,000 came in the years 1890 and 1891. The Liberal provisions of the law were not, however, carried out long, and the Government confined itself later on only to granting free passage to the country, employing the newly arrived immigrants in road-building on the land which they were to settle. This naturally led to a decline in immigration, since the newcomers found it difficult, if not impossible, to save enough from their small earnings as laborers to buy land and cultivate it. In 1891 the Government enacted a new colonization law favoring colonization by strong financial companies willing to invest large sums of capital for the purpose. Any company could purchase from the Government great tracts of land at twenty cents per acre, which they were to resell to colonists whom the companies were to bring into the country at their own expense.

The Government was to pay the companies a subsidy of $230 for each family brought in, and $700 additional for each mile of road laid out. The terms of the new law were so favorable that companies immediately formed and secured concessions for more than 150,000 square miles of land . But the political troubles which set in in 1893 put an end for the time being to all financial aid to immigration by the Government. In all, the Government spent about $25,000,000 on immigration until 1890. The total immigration in the decade of 1880-90 amounted to nearly 400,000. In 1890, it was 107,000: 1891, 217,000: 1895, 170,000; 1898, only 54,000. * (N.I.E.)

Immigration and Colonization

The immigration of the white population to the Eastern part of Brazil, was very limited in the beginning, but gradually increased to major proportions when in the XVII century, the Dutch and the French, properly speaking were expelled from Brazil. The principal work of colonization was performed by the colonist of San Pablo, that undertook at first the struggle with the natives, overpowering them and establishing several cities, but zealous of their hegemony, they also maintained serious struggles with the immigrants to other provinces. The white population have persecuted without rest, the aborigines of Brazil Meridonial. Not in any Brazilian region, if we exclude San Pablo, predominates the white race in a manner so absolute, and this circumstance is more notable, since immigration did not take place here until the beginning of the XVIII century. The preponderant elements of immigration were in the North, where the colonists of San Pablo, spread to all of Brazil, and in the South, the Semites of La Plata territory. Both immigrations were not simultaneous, because the second one was not established in a territory until after the first one had conquered the natives that previously ruled over it.

For this reason, the first Semite settlements in Central Parana, were not established until 1630, when the Paulistas finished with the Aborigines of the lower Parana regions and of higher Uruguay. The founding of factories and other establishments of the merchants and emigrants of San Pablo on the coast, did not take place until fifty years later. Porto Alegre was established in 1743 and Rio Grande del Sur in 1747. The Jaguarao which actually separates the people of Spaniard race from those of Portuguese race, also formerly served as a barrier between both influences.

The first Portuguese that settled in Brazil were in their greater part from the islands of Azores and Madera, or indirectly colonists of San Pablo. The half-breeds that were abundant in that province, also were throughout the entire country. In 1824 the first German immigrants arrived at Rio Grande, establishing the Sao Leopaldo colony in the neighboring mountains. For a quarter of a century immigration ceased, and in 1849 it was resumed, being active enough until 1859. The rescript of Heydt prohibiting emigration to Brazil, in the Kingdom of Prussia, obstructed for some time the German immigration, and in their place the Italians appeared, that since 1874 the government assigned to the colonies of the State, and which, above all the contiguity of the great forests, are much more numerous than the Germans. The Polish and Galicians and the emigrants of Polish Russia principally are found in the forest of Parana. Calculating in the Brazil, 100,000 Polish and Russians, 300,000 Germans, and 700,000 Italians, 160,000 Spaniards and 120,000 Portuguese. After the tacit revocation (not official yet) of the Heydt decree, the number of German immigrants began to increase gradually.

The Italian immigration that was very important in the period of 1885 to 1905 (more than double of the Portuguese), has diminished notably as a consequence of the restrictive measures taken by their government. After Portugal is Spain, the country which has given to Brazil a greater number of immigrants.

The movement of immigration entry during the actual century is as such: 40,300 (1900), 85,306 (1901), 52,204 (1902), 34,062 (1903), 46,164 (1904), 70,295 (1905), 73,672 (1906), 67,787 (1907), 94,695 (1908) and 85,416 (1909). It is calculated that the total of Spaniards that entered Brazil from 1870 to 1908, was 300,000 individuals. There are no statistics for their departures.

Detached of what is said, that today, the foreign immigrants not the Portuguese, form the primary element that has contributed to the growth and prosperity of Brazil. Their number is important, since in the course of 1820-1908, two and a half million immigrants (among those 600,000 Portuguese), entered the Brazilian ports of which many settled in the country.

The Portuguese colonists occupy second place and represent a large quota, that even considering them in Brazil as excellent from certain view-points, does not establish them presently as the ideal in matters of immigration. In effect the Portuguese experience a great deal of inclination to be set in the country, to which they are considered tied by the identity of origin, of religion, of tongue and of blood as forming a same family. These conditions, make the Portuguese very worthy of the Brazilians and they facilitate extraordinarily the union of the two people, they are however less favorable for the development of the race, not contributing new element to strengthen the national vitality. This is observed that in the places where the Portuguese colony predominates, there manifests a certain tendency to eliminate the other foreign elements, and as today, the progress in the industry, the commerce, in the letters and arts is but well represented by those people, not by the Portuguese with its magnificent historic traditions. Brazil is deprived of the progressive strength that is much needed for its development.

The State that attracts more immigrants is that of San Pablo and the other meridionales States follow afterwards. The main cause is besides the kindness of the climate, in these last States, the rural property is more subdivided. All the colonist even inside the plantation, have lands to their disposition that they can cultivate for self profit. In San Pablo there are the following properties: 42,539 small properties and 14, 182 large properties. Of these properties, 48,507 belong to the Brazilians, 5,197 to the Italians, 1,607 to the Portuguese, 675 to the Germans, 407 to the Spaniards, 117 to the Austrians, 76 to the French, 25 to the English and 255 to individuals of diverse nationalities.

The Italian colony is therefore in San Pablo as the one that represents the greater agricultural worth. Everywhere it has properties, from the capital of the State to the places most removed from the interior, in which it would be difficult to presume the white man's existence. They are found on the edge of the brook, or in the virgin forest. A few steps ahead, the savage still reigns. In these colonies, the Italians work during the day and rests at night trusting in its good star. It lends its competition to the work of civilization, carrying out its economics and at the same time giving value to the land with their plantations in which there appears orange trees, bananas, turnips and vegetables as well as the indispensable mustard. Its language is a mixture of Italian and Portuguese, both graciously reformed. The majority of the Italians work as colonist in the large coffee plantations. All the families are occupied in the crop and live in nearby dwellings, next to each other, in a manner of small cities, besides having their own cultivations. Many profit economically, then go back to Italy and return. The small isolated properties are more characteristic of Parana. Santa Catalina and Rio Grande del Sur, is where the colonization is more German and Polish. Among the immigrants there abounds the daring people that have the passion of the Far--West, that always want to go toward the West, covetous of treading unknown land. At present you will find Italians, Spaniards, Germans, French Belgians and even Danish and Swedish in the last villas and roads of the Goyaz and Matto Grosso extremes.

Immigration Reception

The service of introduction of the immigrants is similar in all of the states. We will indicate the continued procedures in San Pablo. The immigrants are received in Santos by an employee of the Immigrant Hotel Agency. They are called by their names and inquire if they gather the conditions established by the Law. The immigrant must prove that he was an agriculturer in his native country.

The immigrants and their baggage are dispatched by special train to San Pablo (two and a half hours), and stop at the same hotel where their name, family, profession is registered, being lodged at the expenses of the State. After being vaccinated they are contracted by the "Fazendeiros", and once conformed, depart to their destination where they are given a small house, where they will live all the time while they are on the property. In case of an accident the government offers repatriation to the injured as well as to the widow and orphans of the farmers. Besides it is promised to them a small assistance of 100 to 200 "milreis".

Spain and Italy send to Brazil annually a great number of emigrants. In 1906 the State of San Pablo, received 20,349 Spaniards and 16,394 Italians.

Advantages of the Family

The same State grants to the farmer's families, composed of at least three persons, father, mother and child, the following facilities to promote the colonization of unoccupied land.

1. Free trip and likewise free baggage transportation from Santos to San Pablo.

2. Free lodging and food in the Immigration Hotel of San Pablo, during the brief days that precede the intern.

3. An installment of 5 years for payment on the 25 (hectares) measures of land, granted to the immigrant, the house, if there are any, farming implements, necessary animals of all which is given to them upon arrival for their benefit. * (E.U.I.E.A.)