The Brazilian community in Framingham faces discrimination and endures hateful acts.
In 2003, "Concerned Citizens and Friends of Illegal Immigration Law Enforcement" is founded and spreads vitriol about the Brazilian community. The group is later recognized as a hate group in 2009 by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Business owners, both Brazilian and not, hang Brazilian flags and use the nation's colors to attract Brazilian customers. This branding is interpreted by some non-Brazilians as "a refusal of Brazilian business owners to assimilate to American culture" (41). In 2007, the town imposes a fine on those who fly a foreign flag at the same height or higher than American flag. These changes are happening in the context of nationwide anti-immigrant sentiments and fears of terrorism in the 1990s and 2000s.
