Brazil has an unenviable reputation as a society plagued by persistent inequalities, a problem that manifests itself not only between the different social classes and racial categories, but also across regions. Sao Paulo, long the most populous and economically dynamic state, has many of the attributes of a highly industrialized nation, whereas the northeast of Brazil has struggled with elevated rates of poverty and economic stagnation. In this talk Prof. Weinstein explores the narratives of regional difference and how they draw on race as an explanatory factor. She also contends that contrasting identities do not merely reflect existing regional differences but have actual material affects; that is, they heighten and reproduce regional inequalities.