The Japanese-Brazilians are descendants of impoverished pioneers who embarked for the unknown with the dream of prospering. They make up the largest Japanese community abroad, numbering between one and two million Brazilians, according to various sources. They embody the intimate historical relationship between two cultures on opposite sides of the world: a gregarious nature, paired with extreme shyness; the boisterousness of samba, alongside the calm of calligraphy. With the abolition of slavery in 1888, Brazil turned to the world in search of labor, in order to continue the process of nation-building. At the same time, Brazilian authorities attempted to whiten the population, in line with the racist and misguided science of the era. For decades, the Japanese community remained extremely closed, the most enigmatic among newcomers. Then, Japan's defeat in World War II brought about a seismic shift. It shattered any dreams of returning. And, in their adopted homeland, mistrust of Japanese people intensified. During the war, the authorities interned them in camps (along with Italians and Germans).