Mirrors of Whiteness: Media, Middle-Class Resentment, and the Rise of the Far Right in Brazil

This is a well-written and well-argued book on the centrality of whiteness and middle-class identity in Brazil's recent turn to the far right. Porto's thesis is that the white middle-class has been a key protagonist of the conservative revolt that has led the country to a process of profound democratic decay. He shows that the intersection of race and class is central to understanding this process, for which the dominant media have contributed by offering 'mirrors of whiteness' that allow whites to legitimate their power while naturalizing inequality and injustice.--Patricia de Santana Pinho, University of California, Santa Cruz
Porto compellingly presents the history of Brazil's white middle class in relation to recent anti-democratic political developments and with an eye towards how Brazilian media has shaped politicized identities of race and class. He convincingly shows how members of the white middle class have supported the rise of the far right due to their fear of losing status and privilege.--Jennifer Roth-Gordon, University of Arizona