Branqueamento

Branqueamento (also branqueamento) is a Portuguese term that denotes the act or process of making something whiter. The word is used in different contexts, including cosmetic applications such as skin and hair whitening, hair bleaching, and teeth whitening, as well as in broader discussions of race and ethnicity.

In sociology and historical studies, branqueamento refers to a social and political concept describing strategies believed to increase the proportion of people classified as white in a population. In Brazil, the term is associated with late 19th and early 20th century ideas and policies that linked national progress to whitening of the population through immigration, miscegenation, and social mobility for lighter-skinned groups. Scholars debate the extent and impact of such ideas, which are often connected to colorism and eugenic thinking.

Contemporary usage distinguishes between cosmetic practices and this historical sociopolitical concept. In beauty industries, whitening or bleaching products raise ethical and health concerns, including the normalization of lighter skin as desirable. In academic contexts, branqueamento is analyzed as part of racial formation, identity, and census classifications, and is generally treated as a historical phenomenon rather than an official policy in most countries today.

See also: whiteness, colorism, miscegenation, eugenics, Brazilian racial democracy.