Experts at Emory University are available to comment on issues surrounding Brazil’s history, culture and political climate as they relate to the World Cup, particularly the protests and strikes surrounding the event.

“Politicians and media on the right have played a delicate game of encouraging protest and playing up the problems, because these make the center-left government look bad, while trying not to damage national pride. All sides have competed to define the narrative of the protests,” according to Brazil labor and environmental historian Thomas Rogers.

“If Brazil wins, I don’t think anybody is going to forget that there are problems. A loss will provide a very appropriate political discourse for protesters to say, ‘On top of the fact that we spent all this money and don’t have health, education or transportation, we also lost,’” says Jeffrey Lesser, an expert on race and immigration in Brazil.

immigration and race in Brazil

Jeffrey Lesser
Professor and chair of history
404-727-6555 or jlesser@emory.edu

Brazil's labor and environmental history

Thomas D. Rogers
Associate professor of history
404-727-2687 or tomrogers@emory.edu

Affirmative action and inequality in Brazil

Andrew Francis
Associate professor of economics
404-727-1381 or andrew.francis@emory.edu

Please contact Megan Terraso McRainey at 404.727.6167 or mterras@emory.edu if you have trouble reaching one of our experts.