Mineiro people

Mineiro People
Povo Mineiro
Mineiro men from Diamantina, Minas Gerais
Total population
c. 11-12 million (2022)
Languages
Portuguese, Mineiro dialect
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic
Related ethnic groups
Sertanejos, Caipiras, Geraizeiro, Portuguese, Bantus, Jê peoples

The Mineiros (Natively: [miˈne(j)ɾu]) are a Brazilian ethnocultural group distributed across the central and eastern parts of the state of Minas Gerais, they are speakers of the Mineiro dialect of Brazilian Portuguese.[1][2][3][4][5] The origin of the Mineiro culture dates back to the late 17th century, when the discovery of gold in the mountains of Minas Gerais led to mass migration of Portuguese settlers to the region, who also brought enslaved Africans in order to serve as workforce in the mines, forming a new cultural group.[6][7] The name of the Mineiro people derives from the demonym for people from Minas Gerais.

Area inhabited by the Mineiros (red) over a map of southeastern Brazil.

Culture

Mineiro people of varied ages and physical appearances.

Mineiro culture is deeply rooted in Catholicism, with the majority of the Mineiros still following the religion to this day, being one of the most catholic areas of the country.[8] In the last decades however, the number of irreligious people and protestants has increased among them, especially in the Belo Horizonte metropolitan zone.[9] Some traditional Mineiro festivities such as Congado and Folia de Reis have elements that were adapted from Afro-Brazilian religions.[10]

Some cultural traditions of the Mineiro people include the Cavalhada, a horse riding festival that originated from the medieval European jousting sport brought by the Portuguese colonizers; Festa do Divino, a Catholic pentecost celebration; Caxambu, a style of dance brought by enslaved Africans from West Africa; and the Mineiro-Pau, a dance based on duels.[10]

Mineiro cuisine includes dishes such as Pão de Queijo (a type of cheesy bread), Feijão Tropeiro, Tutu à Mineira (dish based on beans and cassava flour), Frango com Quiabo (chicken with okra), Vaca Atolada, Torresmo, Minas cheese, Doce de Leite, Romeu e Julieta (cheese with guava paste) and a multitude of cheese varieties.[11]

The traditional Ouro Preto carnaval, 2013.

Mineiros are regarded by the other Brazilians as being calm, wary, friendly and welcoming. They are seen as deeply rural and adept of a "small town" lifestyle, and the Mineiro dialect is perceived as sounding funny and slow.[2][12]

Genetics

Ouro Preto is the cultural heartland of Minas Gerais. The Mineiro culture originated in the southern side of the Gandarela mountains in the 18th century.

According to the 2022 Brazilian census, 35 to 45% of people in central and eastern Minas Gerais identify as white, 45 to 55% as pardo and 10 to 15% as black.[8] A 2019 genetic study analyzed the autosomal genetic ancestry of Mineiros from Belo Horizonte as being 70% European, 25% African and 5% Amerindian; Mineiros from Manhuaçu as being 73% European, 19% African and 8% Amerindian; those from Ouro Preto as 52% European, 38% African and 10% Amerindian; and the ones from Bambuí as 79% European, 14% African and 7% Amerindian.[13]

Notable Mineiros

References

  1. ↑ Cohen, Maria Antonieta A. de Mendonça; Ramos, Jânia M., eds. (2002). Dialeto mineiro e outras falas: estudos de variação e mudança lingüística. Belo Horizonte: Faculdade de Letras, UFMG. ISBN 978-85-87470-30-0.
  2. 1 2 Dias, Fernando Correia (1985). "Mineiridade: construção e significado atual". Ciência & Trópico (in Portuguese). 13. ISSN 2526-9372.
  3. ↑ Abrantes, José Israel; Ferreira, Ieda; Costa, Luiz Augusto da; Neuenschwander, Silvana Terenzi (2026-01-10). Minas em Festa (in Brazilian Portuguese). Deolinda Alice dos Santos (2026 ed.). Belo Horizonte, MG: Lucca. ISBN 978-85-93196-19-5.
  4. ↑ Ferreira, Daniele Araújo; Chelotti, Marcelo Cervo (2024-10-18). "Cozinha regional mineira:: pertencimento e identidade alimentar". Observatorium: Revista Eletrônica de Geografia. 15 (1): 602–617. doi:10.14393/OREG-v15-n1-2024-74109. ISSN 1984-4891.
  5. ↑ Resende, Maria Efigênia Lage de; Villalta, Luiz Carlos, eds. (2013). História de Minas Gerais: a província de Minas (in Portuguese). Belo Horizonte, MG: Companhia do Tempo : Autêntica. ISBN 978-85-8217-139-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  6. ↑ Paiva, Eduardo França (2001). Escravidão e universo cultural na colônia: Minas Gerais, 1716-1789. Coleção Origem. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG. ISBN 978-85-7041-271-3.
  7. ↑ Torres, João Camilo de Oliveira; Aderaldo, Ana Carolina de Andrade; Mendonça, Dila Bragança de (2011). O homem e a montanha: introdução ao estudo das influências da situação geográfica para a formação do espírito mineiro. Coleção Historiografia de Minas Gerais. Série Alfarrábios. Belo Horizonte, MG: Autêntica. ISBN 978-85-7526-522-2.
  8. 1 2 "Mapas | Panorama do Censo Demográfico 2022". Mapas | Panorama do Censo Demográfico 2022. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  9. ↑ Palhares, Ricardo Henrique; Diniz, Alexandre Magno Alves (2016-03-11). "O AVANÇO NEOPROTESTANTE EM MINAS GERAIS - PERÍODO: 1991, 2000 e 2010". Caminhos de Geografia (in Portuguese). 17 (57): 135–148. doi:10.14393/RCG175709. ISSN 1678-6343.
  10. 1 2 Gerais, Portal Minas. "Turismo em Minas Gerais | Mineiridade: conheça 8 manifestações..." Portal Minas Gerais (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  11. ↑ MG, Senac (2023-10-12). Cozinha mineira: Tradição e contemporaneidade (in Brazilian Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Editora Senac Rio. ISBN 978-85-7756-497-2.
  12. ↑ Landim, Alessandra Folha Mós (2016). "Reforço e Permanência do Estereótipo Mineiro: Uma Reflexão Sobre Piadas". Caletroscópio (in Portuguese). 4: 497–510. doi:10.58967/caletroscopio.v4.nesp.2016.3676. ISSN 2318-4574.
  13. ↑ Souza, Aracele Maria de; Resende, Sarah Stela; Sousa, Taís Nóbrega de; Brito, Cristiana Ferreira Alves de (2019). "A systematic scoping review of the genetic ancestry of the Brazilian population". Genetics and Molecular Biology. 42 (3): 495–508. doi:10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2018-0076. ISSN 1415-4757. PMC 6905439. PMID 31188926.
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