You're listening to Rough Translation from NPR. We first ran this episode in

2017. Here it is again with an update. We're on the second floor of a

government building in a lush corner of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. About a dozen

job candidates are waiting here in this echoey hallway for their names to be

called. Pedro Achila is the oldest of the job seekers. He's 44 years old.

Big guy. He tells me in my interpreter that he needs this job to give him his

life back. When you say that you'd have your life back, what piece of your life

would you change first? I'll enjoy not having to wear a uniform when I go to

work. Pedro hates everything about his work uniform. He hates the blue

stripes half the width of the white stripes. He eats the three black buttons that

start at the collar and then stop inexplicably at his sternum. Pedro graduated

at a prestigious university but that was 20 years ago and he's got this

nightmare that he'll bump into an old classmate. The classmate in the tie or

blouse driving a nice car. Pedro in his uniform. Pedro is here to change all

that. Government jobs are a big deal in Brazil. They're jobs for life. He and the

others have taken these day-long examinations beating out thousands of

others. Though this final interview will have nothing to do with their skills.

What about you or are you hoping they'll see? Well I hope that they see that I...

I'm not white you know. There is a new law in Brazil that gives more

government jobs to black Brazilians. The catch though is this. Anyone who wants

one of these jobs has to prove to a panel of judges that he or she qualifies.

And this is not so easy to determine in Brazil. In fact if you ask Pedro

...