In Search of Legitimacy

<p> Every year countless young adults from affluent Western nations travel to Brazil to train in capoeira the dance/martial art form that is one of the most visible strands of the Afro-Brazilian cultural tradition. <em>In Search of Legitimacy</em> explores why first world men and women leave behind their jobs families and friends to pursue a strenuous training regimen in a historically disparaged and marginalized practice. Using the concept of apprenticeship pilgrimage-studying with a local master at a historical point of origin-the author examines how non-Brazilian capoeiristas learn their art and claim legitimacy while navigating the complexities of wealth disparity racial discrimination and cultural appropriation.</p>