A Unique Portrait of SÃo Paulo’s Diversity
People from all over the world can be found in São Paulo, and this becomes clear when walking the streets and the most crowded areas of the city. Wherever you go, interesting people are seen. Some neighborhoods are good examples of this diversity. For instance, Arab architecture can be found in 25 de Março Street (a huge retail center), Ladeira do Porto Geral (another huge retail center), and in the famous Municipal Market of São Paulo. Jewish influence can be found in places such as Estação da Luz, Parque da Luz and Bom Retiro. Japanese, Chinese, Korean and other eastern Asian influences can be found in the neighborhood of Liberdade. In order to find French influence, just take a look at the buildings in Art Decô spread around the city, such as Álvares Penteado University, and the Secretaria Estadual da Juventude Esporte e Lazer (Youth, Sports and Leisure State Department). German culture is evident on Largo Paissandu, where the Lutheran Church is located, and in the Goethe Institute in the neighborhood of Pinheiros. Acarajé and Iemanjá weren’t the only African-Brazilian elements brought to São Paulo: capoeira and candomblé centers can be found everywhere throughout the city.
A bit of Italian culture can be seen on Largo and Church of São Bento, in the Martinelli Building, in the Santa Ifigênia Overpass, in the Municipal Theater, and in the Anhangabaú Valley, all of which are in the center of the city (downtown). In the neighborhood of Bixiga, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Achiropita boasts one of the most traditional street festivals of São Paulo, with stalls selling the best Italian food.
The people who live in this city are diverse, both in their essence and in the way which they dress. Some people demonstrate strong traits, which inserts them into specific groups or subcultures, nowadays referred to as “tribes”: immigrants of different nationalities, travestis, seniors, actors, “freaks”, etc, who bring a dialogue between appearance and identity. Despite being profoundly inserted into a social context, they are still unique and represent metaphores of themselves, by seeking to accentuate an aspect or detail in their clothing, to differentiate themselves among their groups.
The city since its beginning has been molding itself and providing shelter for all immigrants. Its diverse population represent São Paulo’s timelessness — a bubbling, avant-garde, intimate collectivity.
