The Perseverance of Colorism in Latin America and its Links to Economic Exclusion
Colorism: the act of discriminating against a person due to the darkness or lightness of their skin. It is an issue that has persisted across centuries and cultures around the globe. Depending on the region, it can take on many forms, whether it be the sale of whitening creams, racial stereotypes in the media, or verbal microaggressions. But one aspect rarely spoken about is the economic impacts colorism has on individuals of Indigenous and African descent who do not match this model of whiteness. Such is the case in Latin America, a region whose culturally and racially diverse population continues to struggle with the colonial roots and economic impacts of colorism on its society.
Pointing out the inefficiencies caused by colorism in Latinx society hasn’t been enough to eliminate them in the past. Colorism remains as prevalent in Latinx culture today as it was centuries ago and has, in turn, affected the policies put in place by Latinx governments. But how did this system come to be in the first place? Historically, the colorist practices that exist in present-day Latin America descended from those instituted by the Spaniards during the colonial period. One particularly infamous practice was that of the Caste System which allowed lighter-skinned Spaniards and their descendants to hold social, economic, and political power at the expense of Indigenous and African groups (Chavez-Dueñas). An individual's place in this social hierarchy also determined their access to other privileges including noble titles, class, and formal education (Chavez-Dueñas). In order to downplay the privileges available to those of lighter complexion, the Spaniards created the mestizaje ideology which provided a false sense of equality by regarding everyone as being of mixed ancestry (Chavez-Dueñas). Subsequently, the Spanish government encouraged the mixing of races between those of Indigenous and African ancestry with Europeans, it also promoted European immigration to areas with large populations of Indigenous and/or African peoples (Chavez-Dueñas). These whitening policies, an attempt to eliminate any remnants of Indigenous and African ancestry in Latin America, were justified as being part of the process to “mejorar la raza” [better the race] (Chavez-Dueñas). The ramifications of these historical events ring loud and true for Latinx individuals of African and Indigenous descent who still bear the economic brunt of Latin America’s colonial ghosts.
Afro-Latinx individuals make up one-third of the population in Latin America and forty percent of the region's poor (Hernández). This is an astonishing number when taking into account that several populations of African descent live near locales attributed to economic growth and employment opportunities such as urban, coastal, port, and mining areas (Morrison). Of course, the economic exclusion faced by members of the Afro-Latinx community varies by country and region; however, the inequitable nature of their livelihoods is undeniable. Take for example Afro-Brazilians who make up forty-eight percent of the country’s population yet only contribute to twenty percent of the nation’s GDP or Afro-Columbians who make up twenty-six percent of the country's population and seventy-five percent of the country’s poor population (Morrison). Listing the experiences of Afro-Latinx peoples for each Latin American country would be an extensive task but regardless the outcome would be the same, inequitable access to economic opportunity.
The state of Indigenous peoples in Latin America isn’t much better. There are fifty million Indigenous peoples in all of Latin America from about 500 ethnic groups (de Dios). Despite constituting only eight percent of the Latin American population, indigenous peoples make up fourteen percent of the population living in poverty and seventeen percent of those living in extreme poverty (de Dios). As for material poverty, forty-three percent of Indigenous households are affected (de Dios). When it comes to employment, Indigenous peoples take on unstable, low-skill jobs which are susceptible to changes in theeconomy. For example, tourism, the industry which the Indigenous communities of Mexico and Peru depend on for income, has yet to recover from the effects of lockdowns and travel restrictions put in place during the Covid Pandemic (de Dios). In spite of outcries from Indigenous groups and allies alike for change to these unjust conditions, little action has been taken by a majority of Latin American countries. It makes one wonder if history will ever cease to repeat itself in this region of the world.
The economic consequences that colorism has on 21st century Afro-Latinx and Indigenous peoples in Latin America demonstrates the important intersection that exists between history and economics. While members of the Latinx community may not consciously recognize the harmful impacts of upholding a system originally meant to erase the stories and traditions of their countries, the experiences of those who find themselves lower in the social hierarchy should be evidence enough that such a system is inequitable and economically inefficient. In fact, a report from the Inter-American Development Bank states that the Latin American economy could expand by a margin of one-third if Latin American countries included all people of color in their workforce (Morrison). But even this incentive has yet to convince government policies and Latinx employers to see past an employee’s color. One thing is for certain, if Latin America wants to boost its chances of experiencing economic prosperity of its own accord, the color it should try to wash out of its social fabric is that of its colorist past.
Edited by: Matthew Takavarasha
Work Cited
Hernández, T. K. (2015). Colorism and the Law in Latin America—Global Perspectives on Colorism Conference Remarks, 14 Wash. U. Global Stud. L. Rev. 683,Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_globalstudies/vol14/iss4/12
Chavez-Dueñas, N. Y., Adames, H. Y., & Organista, K. C. (2014). Skin-Color Prejudice and Within-Group Racial Discrimination: Historical and Current Impact on Latino/a Populations. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 36(1), 3–26. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986313511306
Morrison, J. (n.d.). Race and poverty in Latin America: Addressing the Development Needs of African Descendants. United Nations. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/race-and-poverty-latin-america-addressing-development-needs-african-descendants.
de Dios, M. (2020, May 14). The situation of Latin America's indigenous population and the impact of covid-19. Latin America and the Caribbean. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.latinamerica.undp.org/content/rblac/en/home/blog/2020/impacto-y-situacion-de-la-poblacion-indigena-latinoamericana-ant.html
