UCLA

In the last few decades scholars of the African diaspora have examined syncretic religions like Candomble’ or Santeria and their relevance to cultural and social processes of identity formation, but have paid very little attention to Umbanda, a more recent Afro Brazilian variant of religious syncretism. My thesis not only makes a case for Umbanda’s significance but argues that it constitutes a form of Afro Brazilian resistance. Founded at the turn of the 20th century and initially ostracized by the Brazilian elite along with other African derived practices(e.g. Candomble, Macumba, Capoeira and samba), Umbanda was declared an official religion in the 1960’s and a decade later achieved status as a national symbol.

The primary objective of this ethnographic work is to examine how Umbanda re- negotiates its Afro Brazilian origins and still affirms the ethnic pride of the oppressed populations of Brazil. Such negotiations occur within the theological core of Umbanda that enforces a message of equality by creating a place of transcendence where everyone is welcome both in Brazil and within the Umbanda community of Los Angeles. In particular, this thesis analyzes the origins, rituals, social impact, historical transformations, and relevance of Umbanda as a syncretic expression of Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous and European spirituality.

Mainly through field work conducted in Los Angeles, I compare the contextual and ritualistic rules of the two main centers established within the Los Angeles county: The Guaracy Temple in Los Angeles, and the Portal de Aruanda temple in Torrance, California.

My target community is the general population of practitioners of Umbanda in Los Angeles and my field research method consists of field notes, participant observation and, after obtaining permission from my subjects, audio recordings and transcriptions of their interviews.