Gringo Love

In the city of Natal in northeast Brazil, several local women negotiate the terms of their intimate relationships with foreign tourists, or gringos, in a situation often referred to as "sex tourism." These women each have different experiences, but they all share in the desire to "escape" their lives as young, poor, racialized women in Brazil.

Based on original ethnographic research and presented in graphic form, Gringo Love explores the hopes, dreams, and experiences of these women against a backdrop of entrenched social inequality and increasing state surveillance leading up to the World Cup of 2014. It touches on important contemporary scholarly issues, including sexual economics, transnational mobility, transnational love and relationships, romantic imaginaries, gender representation, race and inequality, visual anthropology, and ethnographic methods.

The graphic story is accompanied by analysis and contextual discussions, which encourage students to engage with the narrative and expand their understanding of the broader social issues therein.