Porto de Tras: ethnicity, tourism and the recognition of heritage.

The article describes the process by which cultural heritage of Porto de Tras, a neigborhood in Itacare on the southern coast of Bahia, Brazil, has gained recognition. Porto de Tras is an ethnic community of African Brazilians with a tradition of artisanal fishing. Historically, its residents, organized in family groupings, have been segregated for their race and socioeconomic status. Even with the arrival of the tourist industry in the 1990s and concomitant urban developments, it maintained its traditional cultural practices, gaining recognition as an enclave of "authenticity" referred to local culture. Interactions between the different spheres of heritage operating in this space are discussed especially the construction of ethnicity by local residents.