Abstract

In 2012, Brazil passed Lei de Cota — a federal law which implemented a U.S. style of affirmative action in its public universities. This policy reserved seats for underrepresented minority and low-income students and established a legal precedent for Brazilians to racially identify. In this text, we examine the effects of Lei de Cota on Brazilian students through a microscopic lens. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, we engage university students to learn about their experience with quotas on campus. Through student responses to questionnaires and interviews, we reveal an internalized racial & socio-economic discourse as it relates to access to higher education education and even course selection.