Mongrel complex

Ham's Redemption (1895), by Modesto Brocos y Gomes. A Black grandmother, mixed-race daughter, white son-in-law and grandson: for the Brazilian government of the time, with each generation, Brazilians would become whiter and thus more developed, a theory known as branqueamento

"Mongrel complex", or alternatively "mutt complex" (Portuguese: complexo de vira-lata, lit.'street dog complex, mutt complex'), is a derogatory expression, usually used by nationalists, to refer to a supposedly "collective inferiority complex" reportedly felt by many Brazilians when comparing Brazil and its "culture" to other parts of the world, primarily the "developed world" (such as Europe or North America), as the reference to a "mongrel" carries negative connotations attributed by Brazilians to the racist perception of most Brazilians being racially mixed as well as lacking in desirable cultural refinement. The term has gained controversy in recent years due to its association to racism and ultranationalism. Some critics have accused the term of being a racial slur.[citation needed]