The purpose of the Cultural Competence section of my portfolio is to demonstrate that I

have the ability to identify cultural practices and products from the Portuguese-speaking world,
analyze their historical, political, and social context, and interpret their commentary on the
human experience. I have satisfied these requirements by analyzing Brazilian literature, creating
presentations on important figures from Brazil’s cultural history, studying Brazilian politics, and
examining differences between Brazil’s geographic regions.
The first artifact that I included in the Cultural Products section is a literary analysis of
the short story “Falta d’água” by Regina Rheda. I examined how Rheda used descriptions of
characters in her story, allusions to important events in Brazilian history, and the symbol of the
Edifício Copan, an iconic residential tower in downtown São Paulo, to emphasize the inequality,
discrimination, and economic and political struggles in Brazil. Although I witnessed some of
these difficulties while living in Brazil, I had to read academic articles about social stratification
in Brazil to write this paper. I also was able to learn about the history of the Edifício Copan and
figures like Floriano Peixoto.
I also included presentations that I gave about Oscar Niemeyer, Jorge de Lima, and Hélio
Oiticica in this section. These three men used their artistic talents to enrich Brazilian culture and
promote a Brazilian identity abroad. Niemeyer is arguably one of the most famous architects of
the twentieth century. I presented about his involvement in the design of the new capital in
Brasília and other international buildings that he designed such as the UN headquarters in New
York City. I shared what I learned about Jorge de Lima’s contribution to Brazilian modernism
and the regional identity of the Northeast through his poetry. After stumbling upon an impressive
exhibit of Hélio Oiticica’s work at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, I
shared with fellow Portuguese students my experience learning how Oiticica defied the limits of
artistic expression to celebrate Brazil’s unique environment and culture. Studying the important
contributions that these three men made to Brazilian’s architecture, literature, and art helped me
to better understand the nuances of Brazil’s vibrant culture.
The final artifact that I included in this section is a presentation that I gave about the
possible impact of the Petrobras scandal and the consequent judicial investigation dubbed
Operação Lava Jato on the upcoming 2018 presidential election in Brazil. I had to do in-depth
research on the complexities of the scandal in order to gain an understanding of how Brazil’s
political institutions were involved in negotiating corrupt contracts with construction companies
and how funds were used as bribes to coerce Brazilian politicians. I also had to research the
structure of Brazil’s electoral system to develop a background knowledge of Brazilian politics. I
learned about the important political parties and leaders in Brazil and in which part of the
country they are most popular. I examined how party leaders with potential to run in the 2018
election have all been implicated in the scandal. Finally, I analyzed opinion polls about the
scandal conducted in Brazil to see how the scandal has or has not changed the way that
Brazilians traditionally think about politicians. I became very well-informed about Brazilian
politics while preparing for this presentation.
For the Cultural Practices section of my portfolio, I included a research paper that I wrote
about Brazilian environmental policy. I learned how although Brazil has some of the most far-
reaching and thorough environmental protections in its laws, these laws are often ignored and
circumvented. I also included a report that I wrote on the characteristics of Brazil’s different
geographic regions. This report helped me to better understand the cultural differences between
Brazilians and how their identities are shaped by history.
 To continue to develop my cultural knowledge of the Brazilian world, I am using what I
learned in my Portuguese classes to complement my primary major in Political Science. I am
currently researching and writing a paper about how Brazil’s electoral system causes political
inefficiency in a comparative politics class I am taking on political parties. I also recognize that
although I have learned a lot about Brazilian culture, I know little about the culture of other
countries in the Portugese speaking world. I have accepted an internship at the US Embassy in
Maputo, Mozambique this summer and hope to learn more about Mozambican politics and
culture.