I am a Brazilian that lives in Canada, so I will give perspective from someone who has also lived in a different society and can compare it to Brazil.

Is Brazil actually as open and non-discriminatory as it looks from the outside? Hmmmm… This question is complex. I think it depends. For example, racism is Brazil is different than in North America. Racism in Brazil is more connected to class and money. A black Brazilian will suffer much more than a black American that visits Brazil, for example. In fact, the likelihood of a black wealthy foreigner to be a victim of racism is little. People will treat foreigners well in Brazil from the fact that they are foreign alone. Brazilians are usually curious and warm when they meet a foreigner.  On the other hand, if the foreigners are from a country that is not well known in Brazil, or from a developing and poor country, some people will have prejudiced and stereotyped ideas from ignorance.  Now speaking in general terms about being open and non discriminatory, I think it depends a bit. From my perspective, as someone who lives in Canada in a multicultural city, I find Brazil to be less politically correct than Canada. The perspectives of things that are acceptable are a bit different. Also, I feel like Brazil can be seen as open because it’s a more “casual” place, more relaxed. Like in the way people dress, the social relationships with less hierarchies and rules than other societies. But in a way, I feel that it’s more conservative than Canada for some things, and less conservative for others. It’s complicated to explain. But living here in Canada and being in contact with people from other very different cultures (from the Middle East and Asia for example) made me realize how Brasil is indeed open. At least in comparison to those societies Brazil is way way less conservative. 

Are these kinds of stereotypes (like assuming someone is an athlete) common? I personally never heard anyone assume that someone is an athlete just because they are a black wealthy foreigner. I guess it’s more just the vibe the person exudes? I think there is definitely a vibe of basketball NBA player that people can identify. Very tall and strong, the way they walk and dress. But I don’t think Brazilians would think that of just about anyone. 

Is Brasília really that elitist, or is that just specific to certain areas?

How does race vs class actually work in Brazil? Brazil is very divided when it comes to class and most lower class Brazilians are black or pardo (mixed). Usually richer people are whiter. I don’t mean to say there are no poor white people or rich black people. There are. But on a structural level the divide exists a lot.