Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil • Hacker News Board

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#21

Post by cdnh22 » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:02 AM UTC

drukenemo wrote: post #2

As a Brazilian, this is not surprising, as being white in Brazil is socially advantageous. However, as a white person, I must correct with facts the erroneous idea that there are few whites in Brazil. That sentence in the article is mostly based on the old prejudice that south of the border everyone is the same. Especially in the southern area (Sao Paolo included), brazilians are mostly white, with the majority desce…

As a Brazilian from Sao Paulo, I used to consider myself white. But now I live in North America, and I don't think that anymore.

If you think about, many very white people in Brazil get nicknamed "Alemão" (German), independently of their origins. That's a sign that we are not so white after all.

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#22

Post by cdnh22 » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:08 AM UTC

grondilu wrote: post #13

> He sees children as a way to perpetuate his genes and ensure his existence beyond death. “It’s an atheist’s way to achieve immortality,” he said. This desire is futile and I hope it's not really anchored in the atheist mindset.

This guy is not achieving immortality. His genes are. His genes are controlling him to believe in this, but he is only the puppet.

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#23

Post by rmsaksida » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:09 AM UTC

This happens for a single reason, briefly explained in the article:

> Unlike in the U.S., it is illegal to pay men to donate their sperm here, so domestic stocks are low and information about Brazilian donors sparse. “It basically says ‘brown eyes, brown hair, likes hamburgers’ and what their zodiac sign is—that’s it,” said Alessandra Oliva, 31, of the information available on local donors.

In Brazil they make very little information available about the donor - not enough to reach any conclusions about race. People who go to fertility clinics in Brazil are usually wealthy, wealthy people in Brazil are usually white, and people generally want their children to be the same race as themselves. So those couples look for the closest country where they can get "certifiably white" sperm for accessible prices, which happens to be the US.

The article makes this look like black and mixed-race Brazilians are trying to whiten themselves because of racism which is completely incorrect.

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#24

Post by goldenkey » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:10 AM UTC

grondilu wrote: post #13

> He sees children as a way to perpetuate his genes and ensure his existence beyond death. “It’s an atheist’s way to achieve immortality,” he said. This desire is futile and I hope it's not really anchored in the atheist mindset.

Information is the one true faith-agnostic way to both achieve greatness and exist eternally. For those who aren't spiritually inclined, the universe's mysteries are still just as shrouded and tempting reconciliation. For those who seek ascension, maybe solve RH or reveal the GUT of the universe, create digital life or tackle the hard consciousess problem - maybe then Light pokes his head out and says Hi, and then you explode into a phantasmagoric cherry burst of firework mist. Or maybe nothing happens. Maybe you just eventually die. But happily, because you did what you could to not be such a mortal fuck: dreamed..executed..died. Hawking radiation forever traced the paths of all that rise after. Fall before knowledge.

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#25

Post by filipe_mp » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:12 AM UTC

grondilu wrote: post #13

> He sees children as a way to perpetuate his genes and ensure his existence beyond death. “It’s an atheist’s way to achieve immortality,” he said. This desire is futile and I hope it's not really anchored in the atheist mindset.

I'd like very much to know where did he get this atheist's way from? More like the fool's way to achieve immortality

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#26

Post by barry-cotter » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:14 AM UTC

UncleEntity wrote: post #9

Paywalled but...wonder if they could apply for US citizenship since technically their father is a USian? Kind of reminds me of another article I saw a while back about Chinese women coming to the US to give birth so their children would have the option of becoming a US citizen if they wanted to later in life. Apparently there's a big business built around it. --edit-- Wow, downvoted for pondering on a simple question…

I can’t find any references after five minutes searching but I believe there needs to be some minimal involvement and connection on the father’s part for a child to inherit US citizenship. This is to avoid children of prostitutes in countries with US military bases claiming citizenship, more or less. Sperm donation is legally regulated such that no rights or responsibilities attach to the children this produced. If child support can’t be claimed citizenship can’t.

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#27

Post by cdnh22 » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:44 AM UTC

grzm wrote: post #10

mic47 wrote: post #8

Isn't Brazil in America?

America is a commonly-used short form for the United States of America, as it is in this case. (Edit to add: Actually, it's even more specific than that: American is the commonly accepted demonym for citizens of the United States, which is how it's used here.) To refer to the landmasses including North and South America, the term the Americas is typically used.

The funny thing about it, is that at the time the name "United States of America" came to be, "America" was the full continent and the name of the new nation simply reflected the fact that it was a union of states in that continent. I think the name "America" for the country got stronger because people from there were calling them selves "Americans" for a lack of better demonym.

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#28

Post by doxanthropos » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 11:50 AM UTC

Strange headline. Last time I looked at a map, Brazil was part of America. Where else would they look for Sperm? Asia, Europe? (Of course I read along and even before knew they meant the United Stated, but America is not the United States.)

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#29

Post by bmmayer1 » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 12:01 PM UTC

cdnh22 wrote: post #27

grzm wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America is a commonly-used short form for the United States of America, as it is in this case. (Edit to add: Actually, it's even more specific than that: American is the commonly accepted demonym for citizens of the United States, which is how it's used here.) To refer to the landmasses including North and South America, the term the Americas is typically used.

The funny thing about it, is that at the time the name "United States of America" came to be, "America" was the full continent and the name of the new nation simply reflected the fact that it was a union of states in that continent. I think the name "America" for the country got stronger because people from there were calling them selves "Americans" for a lack of better demonym.

Hard to believe 'United Statesians' didn't get more traction :)

Re: Demand for American Sperm Is Skyrocketing in Brazil

#30

Post by zawerf » Sat, Mar 24, 2018, 12:02 PM UTC

gtirloni wrote: post #20

zawerf wrote: post #3

It's paywalled but I wonder if one of the reasons is the Zika virus[1]? Like if a Brazilian male partner is infected, would they try to find a non-brazilian(to be safe since it's asymptomatic) sperm donor? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Zika_virus_epi... > It was estimated that 1.5 million people were infected by Zika in Brazil, with over 3,500 cases of microcephaly reported between October 2015 an…

1) Is there any evidence that makes infected with the Zika vírus will transmit it to their children? 2) Is there any evidence that males will be infected forever and won't be able to have children? 3) Poor people don't import US sperm, rich people do. Rich people also are not the demographic impacted by Zika. It's mentioned in the article they are doing it for white genes.

I wasn't trying to claim anything, was just throwing an idea out there. To try to answer some of your questions (not even as an informed layman, just someone who skimmed a wiki):

1) Yes. The whole scare around zika was that it causes birth defects if the mother has it (and the mother can get it transmitted sexually from the father). It was so bad that countries controversially advised all their women to "delay pregnancy until more is known about the virus and its impact on fetal development." See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Zika_virus_epi...

2) Seems like it's still being studied since it's such a new disease. At least for now there's no cure and vaccines are still in the early stages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Zika_virus_epi...

3) Mosquitoes don't care if you're rich or poor (j/k I do get your point). But if I were a rich person in brazil, I could and would take every possible preventative measure to avoid problems in a pregnancy.

The white genes argument doesn't make sense to me because they have a pretty large (like 50%?) local white population. But I guess my zika argument is pretty ridiculous even if there are tons of paranoid rich folks.