Divided in Rio: Life inside the Bubble

Alix Mellin grew up in Rio de Janeiro surrounded by opportunity, yet increasingly aware of how much of her country exists beyond her daily life.

Alix Mellin: Youth4Truth's Brazil Ambassador

Introduction

Brazil is often described through extremes. Wealth and poverty. Safety and risk. Opportunity and limitation. But for many young people, these contrasts are not abstract. They are visible, daily, and often uncomfortable to confront.

Alix grew up in a part of Rio where access to good schools, transportation, and security is taken for granted. Yet over time, she began to notice something deeper. Not just inequality itself, but how separated people are from it.

Her perspective reflects something central to Youth4Truth. Understanding political economy is not about memorizing systems. It starts with noticing what feels normal, and questioning why it is that way.

In Brazil, inequality is not hidden. It is built into geography, education, and opportunity. But what stood out in this conversation was not just the scale of these divides. It was how early they shape the way young people see the world, and how difficult it is to step outside of that perspective.

The Interview

Q: How would you describe the political climate in Brazil right now?

Alix: It feels very divided. In the last elections, it was extremely close between left and right. People were genuinely unsure who was going to win. When Lula won, a lot of people were happy, but half of the country was not. It still feels like there is a strong need for opposition, like people are already looking for someone to challenge him.

Q: Do young people feel connected to politics?

Alix: Not really. For me and my friends, politics still feels distant. I only recently started paying attention because I am getting closer to voting age. Before that, it did not feel like something that directly affected my life, even though it actually does. I think we live in a bit of a bubble.

Q: Where do young people get their information from?

Alix: It is really important to rely on trustworthy sources. A lot of people believe things they see online without checking them. Even in my own family, I see that. So I try to verify things and use established newspapers. Listening to different opinions is good, but you always have to check if what people are saying is actually true.

Q: What role does education play in inequality?

Alix: The public education system is not very strong. Most people who can afford it go to private schools. That already creates a huge divide. I do not personally know many people in public schools, and that says a lot. It shows how separated social groups are.

Q: Do you see inequality in your daily life?

Alix: Yes, very clearly. There is a place I go to often where one of the most expensive schools in the country is right next to one of the largest favelas in Rio. They are literally facing each other. You can see the contrast directly. It is not something far away. It is right there.

Q: Do you feel like where someone is born determines their future?

Alix: I think it plays a big role. If you are in a big city like Rio or São Paulo, you have more access to good schools and opportunities. In smaller towns, things are safer, but there are fewer opportunities. So people do not really have the same chances.

Q: What about independence for young people?

Alix: Independence is harder here. Teenagers do not usually work part time jobs like in the United States. A lot of parents are also very protective because of safety concerns. Even something like taking public transportation alone is seen as unusual in certain social groups.

Q: Do people generally follow the system, or find ways around it?

Alix: People often find ways around it. If there is no one enforcing the rules, people stop taking them seriously. It becomes normal to go around them because there are no consequences.

Q: How aware are young people of inequality across social classes?

Alix: I have started realizing that I do not really know people from very different social classes. My environment is very homogeneous. That makes it harder to fully understand the reality of the country.

Q: Has that realization changed how you see your role?

Alix: Yes. That is one of the reasons I wanted to join Youth4Truth. I want to break out of that bubble and understand different perspectives. Inequality is not just something you read about. It is something you have to actively try to understand.

Q: Where do you see politics in everyday life?

Alix: In small things. There is a park in my neighborhood that has been neglected for a long time. It is not something people usually connect to politics, but it is. Decisions about public spaces, maintenance, and investment, those are all political.

Q: Do you think things have changed across generations?

Alix: My mom told me that before, even people from wealthier backgrounds would get summer jobs, like working in supermarkets. That does not really happen anymore. That says something about how society has changed and how young people interact with work and independence.

Closing

Alix’s perspective is not defined by dramatic events. It is defined by realization.

Realizing that inequality is not just about income, but about exposure.

Realizing that systems shape daily life in ways that often go unnoticed.

Realizing that living inside a bubble is itself a form of limitation.

That realization is what led her to join Youth4Truth as Brazil’s ambassador. Not because she has all the answers, but because she wants to understand what she has not experienced and help bring those perspectives into the conversation.

Youth are not disengaged.

They are beginning to look beyond what they have always known.