Abstract
The history of brazilian Sociology and Anthropology are marked by the presence of foreigners, and Donald Pierson is one of the most outstanding for his innovative vision, methodology and style, which departed from the current patterns in our intelectual traditions on this theme. In this article the author attempts to understand the intellectual and political context that gave rise to the formulation of Donald Pierson’s perspective on racial relations, demonstrating the connection between his interpretations and the national imagination realm.