My name is Katie Hendrikson and I am a junior here at Luther. I am double majoring in History and Political Science with a minor in International Studies.

After 25 hours of travel, we have arrived safely in Rio! We spent the day exploring the neighborhood of Santa Teresa. Tomorrow we will be taking a bus tour of the city and will be visiting the ever famous Christ the Redeemer statue!

After taking a class on the Sustainability of Latin America and completing introductory readings for the course, it has become apparent that the culture in Brazil is very diverse and rich in tradition. Often times, those who have light colored skin are viewed as elites in Brazil whereas those who are darker are seen as the lower class. While Brazil was the last country in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery (1888), they were the first country to claim they were free of racism which is known as "racial democracy." I am looking forward to seeing this idea in action throughout the country and determining if achieving racial democracy is a plausible goal for the nation. I am so excited to indulge myself in Brazilian culture and experience firsthand how the idea of racial democracy has impacted the lives of everyone in the country and not just those who identify racially as black. 

I am looking forward to what's to come and the experiences that Brazil has to offer!