Lisbon - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Yes. Many Portuguese are quite racist against Black people--especially Black Brazilians. It's not as overt as many places we've lived, but it's not the big rainbow coalition they pretend it to be either. It's my understanding many landlords refuse to rent to Brazilians. - Apr 2021
Not really. While Portuguese society is still pretty patriarchal, it has changed and continues to change with each generation very fast. The Portuguese racially are very mixed and proud of their multi-ethnic heritage. There is a lot more acceptance of immigrants here, a lot less racism and more religious tolerance than most cities in Europe. The Muslim and Jewish communities here feel safe, and while there are some problems with disenfranchisement of certain populations (particularly Roma and poorer immigrants from Africa), successive governments have done a lot to try and integrate immigrants and create a more globally-minded Portuguese society and it shows. Lisbon today is so much more cosmopolitan than it was 30 years ago. - Sep 2016
Have not seen this. - Aug 2015
Not really. I think they look at Africans and Asian as more of a curiosity versus looking "down" on them. - Jul 2015
Portugal has an evolving and uncomfortable relationship with its former colonies. Racism is an issue (though Portuguese would never admit it). Racist undertones exist -- graffiti in some back alleys, the occasional awkward social interaction. But discriminating acts are rare, and blatant racism is practically nonexistent. While not the most progressive nation when it comes to women's rights, it's still Western Europe progressive. There is little religious prejudice - Portugal does as well as their European neighbors (and often better) in their relationship with the Muslim community. - Jun 2012
Some darker skinned expats (Latinos and African-Americans for example) have experienced prejudices that they feel are based on color when they are potentially confused with Brazilians or from the Portuguese territories in Africa or the Islands. - Oct 2011
Portuguese present themselves as very open-minded but in fact they can be very closed people. They consider all Brazilians to be criminals or whores. And their opinion of the African immigrant population is even worse. I have had taxi drivers make offhand comments to me about people with dark skin that you wouldn't hear in the U.S. unless you travelled in a time machine back to the 1950s. - Aug 2011
Not that I have seen. - Aug 2010
The Portuguese are very open about discussing such things, so it may appear commonplace. I believe, however, that the openness of the Portuguese to discuss such matters actually indicates that it is not a problem. There is certainly wide religious and racial diversity here and women are at the highest levels of society and government. - Sep 2008
