Identidade em movimento: o processo de identificação racial dos estudantes pardos na UFGD

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the subjective construction of the identity process of brown students at the Federal University of Grande Dourados - UFGD, seeking to understand how they see their racial belonging. The impacts of racial quotas on identity recognition and access to university were taken into account, since entering higher education is an opportunity to discuss and understand oneself. To carry out this analysis, a qualitative research approach was used, using the life history method, interviewing four students from the Biological Sciences, Geography and Medicine courses. The aim was to obtain accounts and experiences of the construction of racial identity among these individuals, analyzing how this process developed before and after they entered university. It was essential to contextualize the construction of racial identity in Brazil, especially the construction of the concept of "brown skin", which encompasses everything from mestizaje to integration within blackness. The data collected in the interviews revealed that identification with blackness is a subjective process, built on the students' experiences of racial discrimination. The reports showed that, when they were considered brown, they were often questioned or distanced from their blackness, which resulted in a lack of recognition of their identity as black. However, after entering university and becoming involved in black collectives, these students began to understand the self-designation "black" as a much broader identity than just color or race. This new perspective came to have a political meaning, representing the recognition of their blackness and the fight against racism. Despite the advances in discussions about racial identity, the identity category of "brown" still occupies an ambiguous place, almost like a state of "non-place". Even with the search for a more precise identification, this category still faces challenges in society, highlighting the continued importance of discussing and understanding the processes of racial identity formation.