São Paulo – The celebration of Brazil as a site for peaceful and integrated coexistence between people of different nationalities and religions was the backdrop for the ceremony in honour of personalities of different foreign communities, yesterday, at the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo, promoted by the State Parliamentary Council of Communities of Foreign Cultures and Roots (Conscre).
At the opening, the president of the Conscre, Claudio Pieroni, of Italian origin, pointed out that the country, and especially São Paulo, have a "natural talent to receive and then absorb" immigrants and their descendants. "We are the result of this process," he said. According to him, the different communities contributed to the construction and development of Brazil and they have in common the "intolerance to intolerance". "That is what unites us," he added.
A representative of the Arab community and former president of the Council, Rezkalla Tuma, recalled the Law of Migratory Amnesty, which makes regular the situation of illegal immigrants in the country, sanctioned by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva early this month. In this sense, he pointed out that Brazil again shows that "all religions and all races coexist here".
The author of the congressional bill, speaker William Woo pointed out that the law received no contrary manifestations at the National Congress. It guarantees to foreigners in irregular situations the right to free circulation, work, access to health and public education and to Justice. "The happiness of Brazilians is the result of mixed nationalities," said the parliament member from São Paulo, who is the son of a Chinese father, a Japanese mother and is married to a Korean.
One of those honoured in the evening was the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Taufic Schahin, who is of Syrian descent. "I would like to congratulate all those honoured and the communities. Due to them, Brazil is currently a happier and more virtuous country," he said.
In the same line, Kokei Uehara, aged 82, an engineer and honorary professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), honoured by the Japanese community, pointed out that Brazil "is a country of mixed breeds". He, who came from Japan at the age of nine, pointed out the opportunities the country grants to immigrants. "We are all brothers," he said.
Chosen by the Chinese community, the president of the Chinese Cultural Association in Brazil, Fernando Ou, said that the country "is like a mother’s heart, and there is always space for one more". According to him, around 150,000 Chinese immigrants came to the country.
Honoured by the Jewish community, businessman and book collector José Mindlin, aged 95, who could not be present due to his health, sent a message saying that he grew up hearing that New York, in the United States, was the place with the greatest number of people of different origins, but later noticed that the true ‘melting pot’, as the Americans call it, is here". Who received the honour in his name was the city Sports, Leisure and Recreation secretary, Walter Feldman, whose brainchild the Conscre was while he was the president of the Legislative Assembly.
In the same line, the Spanish personality honoured, Arturo Chao Maceiras, executive director of Núcleo Inox, a business association that promotes the use of stainless steel, pointed out that Brazil did not deceive the foreigners who came here seeking better living conditions. To him, the country is an example of multiculturalism.
From the community of Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, the personality honoured was Ruth Myrian Camacho Kadluba, who has great militancy in defence of the rights of immigrants.
Also honoured were the Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic church, Datev Karibian, who was born in Aleppo, Syria, Stylianos Antoine Nikiforos, president of the Hellenic Communities of Brazil, the consul general of Italy in São Paulo, Marco Marsilli, the professor of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry at the USP, Aleksandrs Spers, from Latvia, artist and cultural producer Maria dos Anjos, of the Portuguese colony, the engineer and general director of Coral Melodia, Galina Chevtchuk, of the Russian community, and preacher Ilia Ganev, who was honoured posthumously by the Moldavian community.
The event crowded André Franco Montoro auditorium, at the Legislavite Assembly. Present were congressmen, diplomats and representatives of organisations, like the vice president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Rubens Hannun (Marketing), Helmi Nasr (International Relations), Wladimir Freua (Foreign Trade), the treasury director, Nahid Chicani, and directors Toufic Sleiman and Bechara Ibrahim.
After the ceremony, there was a folk presentation at the Monumental Hall of the Assembly, where typical foods were served.
*Translated by Mark Ament
