In this paper I compare race-targeted affirmative action policies in higher education in Brazil and South Africa. A few questions guide this comparison. Why are countries with completely different racial structures and histories currently implementing similar policies to address racial inequality? And, more specifically, why did Brazil - a country with historically less rigid racial boundaries than South Africa - implement a more radical form of affirmative action than South Africa? How do these different national understandings of race influence the implementation and debates about race-targeted affirmative action? And, maybe more importantly, how do these "imported" policies influence the above mentioned national contexts?
South Africa and Brazil; Comparative studies; Frames; Affirmative action; Ethnic-racial relations