| abstract
| - When talking about the state of São Paulo, the superlative form is a must. It is the state with the country's largest population, largest industrial complex, highest economic production, the one that receives the largest number of immigrants and, as expected, the most cosmopolitan state in South America. São Paulo was built thanks to hardworking people coming from all over the country and the world, who kept the vocation for work statewide. São Paulo has 645 municipalities and a population of approximately 40 million inhabitants. With the country's best infrastructure and a highly skilled labor force, São Paulo can be called "Brazil's locomotive". All kinds of products are manufactured in the state, mainly high tech items. Its strong points, however, are not only related to the industry. Paulistas - São Paulo inhabitants - have also transformed agriculture and livestock farming into a potency. As regards the Economy, there are more than 258 malls spread nationwide, 155 of which in the Southern region, responsible for more than 300,000 job positions, aside from a comprehensive wholesale and retail chain nationwide. São Paulo's participation in the Brazilian banking system reaches almost 50% in volume terms. Also, Latin America's largest Stock Exchange is located in the state's capital. The state of São Paulo, especially the capital, offers countless cultural options that suit all tastes and pockets: from exhibitions and outdoor concerts to internationally known museums and theaters with their sophisticated events. São Paulo is home to important and diversified cultural programs, such as distinguished orchestras, operas, ballets, exhibitions and concerts from all over the world. The city is also home to traditional and significant events such as: Bienal Internacional de Artes Plásticas (International Biennial of Fine Arts), Bienal do Livro (Biennial of Literature), Mostra Internacional de Cinema (International Film Festival), Festival Internacional de Curtas-Metragens (International Festival of Short Films) and Festival Internacional de Artes Cênicas (International Festival of Scenic Arts), in addition to blues, jazz and dance shows, and cinema and theatre festivals, among others. Festival de Inverno de Campos do Jordão (Winter Festival of Campos do Jordão) is also a famous attraction held on a yearly basis. Organized by the Government of the State of São Paulo, the festival offers the best in terms of worldwide classical music. The thousand cultural attractions are a result of the miscegenation and the cosmopolitan spirit of São Paulo. There is a lot to see! The habit of working and the vocation for making businesses is a characteristic of São Paulo. Thanks to its hardworking people, paulistas managed to transform São Paulo into the most important state in economic terms in Latin America. São Paulo is not only that, however. Aside from its thousands cultural attractions, it also offers good tourism options. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, its coastline has 622 kilometers of beaches of all kinds and sizes. In the north shore, there are several beaches in several municipalities such as Bertioga, São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba, and Ubatuba, apart from some islands, one of which Ilha Bela, a paradise for those who like windsurfing and sailing. In the South shore, in cities such as Iguape and Cananéia, there are some of the planet's most important preserved natural areas, such as Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins and Ilha do Cardoso, in Logamar - Complexo Estuarino Lagunar de Iguape, Cananéia, Antonina, and Parananguá. The cliff of Serra do Mar "divides" the state's seashore and the plateau. Part of the Atlantic Forest, it was a major obstacle to be overcome in the previous centuries. Today, this door to the state's Countryside is a focus of attention of Reserva da Biosfera da Mata Atlântica and other organizations that work to preserve this ecosystem that now occupies only 5% of its original area. In the state's countryside, tourists have the chance of doing rural and ecological tourism, of knowing ranches, cities with European climate, waterfalls, caves, rivers, hills, mineral water springs, natural parks, buildings built in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, churches and archeological sites. The capital is also a tourist oasis. Business tourism alone is responsible for more than 45,000 events per year. There are, in the capital, some places every tourist must visit: Bela Vista (an Italian neighborhood), Liberdade (a Japanese neighborhood) and the commercial streets 25 de Março (an Arabian neighborhood) and José Paulino (an Israelite neighborhood). By visiting these places, one can have a better idea of how many different types of immigrants came to São Paulo and helped develop the city. The city also offers an intense artistic and cultural life. One will only know São Paulo well if he/she visits its cultural centers and museums, where there are a number of collections of both international and national famous painters and artists. For those who like historical monuments, a visit to the city's churches is a must, specially Convento Nossa Senhora da Luz, built in 1579. Enjoy the city's nightlife and visit its hundreds of calm or busy bars, discos and nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, performances, concerts, dance shows, pubs and much more. When we look back and see the poverty of the colonial times, we would never imagine the wealth and the economic, social and cultural dynamism of São Paulo. Who built it? First of all, it was what we call "São Paulo's exploiting spirit". It is surprising that, since the colonial period, in an inhospitable territory, a small population of Portuguese people living together with the Brazilian native Indians and later on, with the African slaves - further forming a world of mamelucos, cafuzos and mulatos (blend of white people with Indians, black people with Indians and white and black people, respectively) - would be able, encouraged by their adventurous and ambitious spirit, to follow through with such a large and daring organization as bandeiras (exploitation groups), which would be responsible for establishing today's borders. And it was that blended population that, for 300 years, managed to keep the traditional culture of São Paulo, a caipira culture that still exists in the state's countryside region. Those who consider the caipira culture an "outdated" culture are wrong. The so-called caipira culture is a mix of loyalty and a calm and clever cunning, a culture of men and women who have always known how to take advantage of the circumstances as a tool for their own survival within the poor conditions of São Paulo's province up to the 19th century. In the second half of the 20th century, immigrants came and adjusted themselves to this culture, bringing the unrivalled dynamism that is a characteristic of São Paulo. What is the basis of the cultural mix of São Paulo's inhabitants? The correct answer is: the world! After all, men and women from more than 60 countries seeking new opportunities settled in the state. They were welcomed here since the province needed labor force to be used in coffee crops. Today, it is estimated that São Paulo has the world's third largest population of Italians, the largest population of Japanese people, the third largest population of Lebanese inhabitants, and the largest populations of Portuguese and Spanish people. The blend of races and cultures became more and more clear and deeply marked the city's cultural, social and economic life. The end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century were periods marked by major changes worldwide. Wars and revolutions brought about unemployment and hunger in Europe. Large populations left their places to shelter from ethnic, political and religious pursues. Information about a new land, full of opportunities, circulated everywhere. Therefore, Brazil became the home of many other people aside from the Portuguese, who were here since the country's discovery, and the black Africans, forced to cross the Atlantic to work as slaves. By adopting a careful migratory policy, the Brazilian Monarchy attracted new immigrants by granting them with land so that they could settle as small rural owners. Further, with the abolition of slavery in 1888, the alternative was the mass immigration to replace the slave work. Immigrants came in the third class and steamer cellars of ships, where the overcrowding and poor conditions favored the spreading of diseases, similar to what happened in the ships used to bring the black Africans. The difference was that they were not transporting slaves to Brazil. Many immigrants died during these journeys which, from Europe to Santos, used to take approximately 30 days. The government, as a way of supporting the 'importing' of labor force, placed these immigrants in temporary lodgings. From 1887 on, Hospedaria do Imigrante (Immigrant's Hostel), in São Paulo (www.memorialdoimigrante.sp.gov.br), housed almost 3 million people. The hostel had dormitories, dining hall, nursery, ward, and hospital. Agência Official de Colonização e Trabalho (the Official Agency of Colonization and Work), responsible for sending the families to the countryside region, was part of Hospedaria do Imigrante. From 1930 on, Hospedaria started housing the country's migrants as well. Today, the hostel is home to Museu da Imigração (Immigration Museum), which tells us the immigrants' saga and pays a tribute to the anonymous heroes who helped build the state of São Paulo. In the beginning of the 20th century, São Paulo's working class was mainly comprised of immigrants. In 1901, the state had about 50,000 factory workers, of which less than 10% were Brazilians. The overwhelming majority was formed by Italians, followed by the Portuguese, Spanish, Germans and the Polish, among others. Each of these people had a good reason to come to a place like São Paulo, a land that, despite of being unknown, was full of hope.
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