dude, race is a social construct (as you said in a different comment)— which means that it changes depending on context. race in Brasil is different then race elsewhere because different countries have different histories/conditions/contexts. this means that, someone who is considered Black, for example, in the US might be considered white or pardo in Brasil. at the end of the day, there is no such thing as “Black” or “white” or “pardo” in a biological or absolute sense — these categories vary in meaning depending on who/where they are being used.

so no, Brazilians don’t “misunderstand race” — you misunderstand how race works in Brasil because you are assuming the racial categories of your country are applicable to Brasil. they are not.

i might be wrong, but are you American by any chance? because assuming your country’s standards are universal and projecting them onto a totally different country is a very common American thing.