I Am Not a Bad Hombre Insights on Race, Ethnicity, and Culture from a Brazilian Resident Alien

The book is a tribute to everyone who continues to believe that America is great not because of the urge that some have to close her to foreigners but precisely because she continues to welcome them with open arms.

The stories about the author's sojourn through America that are related in this book run the gamut. Here, you will find "the good, the bad, and the ugly," as the saying goes. But, instead of simply wallowing in the mud, to use another American expression, or blame everyone who may have anything to do with getting him there, the author chooses to remain positive, pointing to his own experience as a sign of hope for Americans that they can enrich their lives by befriending internationals and for internationals that they can succeed in this land of endless possibilities.

This book also offers an array tools, ranging from historical notes to cultural tidbits to practical advice, all given in the hope that together we will be able to build a better nation upon a foundation of true understanding that starts with a resolve to treat everyone the same no matter the color of their skin or their country of origin. It is this hope above all that motivated the author to write this book.

Ivanildo Trindade was born into a poor family of nine children on the Amazon in northern Brazil. He has been a pastor in the U.S. and Brazil for over 30 years. He was a founder and executive director of Internationals USA, Inc. (I-USA), a non-profit that focused on helping Americans acquire intercultural skills to welcome and befriend citizens of other nations into the U.S. for 12 years. Ivanildo was also the co-founder of Grace Refuge Outreach Worldwide (G.R.O.W.), a ministry that has been rescuing at-risk children in SE Asia since 2009.

Ivanildo taught Linguistics and Portuguese language at the Federal University of Pará, his alma mater, for 7 years. He holds a Master of Theology (Th.M.) from Grace Theological Seminary (Magna Cum Laude) and is currently pursuing a PhD in leadership from Capital Graduate School. Ivanildo and Naza emigrated to the U.S. with their two daughters and son in 1993. They have two grandchildren who live in Seattle, WA. Their home is in Mansfield, OH, where Ivanildo is the lead pastor of Hilltop Community Church.