Social Inequality In Latin America

Racial Whitening and its effects on Modern Brazilian Beauty Standards Brazil has been a culture to fall victim to Westernization. Racial whitening, natively known as “blanqueamiento”, is the idea, promulgated by Whites and accepted by Black and Mixed-race people, that being white is a valued characteristic; Brazilian government made it their goal to westernize Brazil and eradicate colored people. To be whiter was to have a better chance of getting a job, earning more money, being treated with respect, being cherished or romanticized by those around you; To be whiter, in other words, was to have an easier and better life.   These notions pushed by westerners while claiming Brazilian land have bled into all aspects of Brazilian culture including

Although the country of Brazil fashions itself as a racial democracy, and promotes the Afro-Cuban culture through programs and tourism, very few Black have ascended to important government or corporate

The French and Latin American Revolutions, two significant historical occurrences, aimed to overthrow repressive regimes and enshrine egalitarian and libertarian ideals. While both revolutions had similar goals, they had different outcomes because of their different socio-political environments. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and the French Constitution, which supported individual liberties and a representative government, were products of the French Revolution, which was inspired by Enlightenment ideas (Source 1). As evidenced by the Haitian Constitution of 1801 and the Mexican Constitution of 1824, the Latin American Revolutions, including the Haitian and Mexican Revolutions, embraced the principles of racial equality and federalism (Sources 3, 6). We can learn more about the various paths and results by contrasting and comparing these outcomes.

Social class correlates with inequality in the United States and Brazil, but what precisely leads to inequality is the dynamics of power people experience based on what social class they belong in. Sociologist John Gaventa discusses the three dimensions of power and how the maintain acquiescence among inequalities. These power dynamics, which correlate to people's social class, are what lead to inequality in the U.S. and Brazil. The First Dimension of Power correlates to social class in that those who are in lower social classes have fewer resources in achieving the American Dream. These resources include education, social and career connections, and money to save up.

In the Americas race and place of birth played an important rule. The sociedad de castas is based on racial origins, where European or whites were at the top of the caste system and black slaves or Native Americans were at the bottom. This American based social caste system separated people based on the color of their skin, where the lighter your skin is the high you are in the social system. The separation of classes was mostly prominent in the Americas where mestizos, creoles,and peninsulares were seperated do to their mixed race and Europeans, whites, black slaves, and Native Americans were separated do to the color of their

History of Racial Inequality Colombia has been considered to be one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the Western Hemisphere as it consists of eighty-five ethnic groups. This multitude of ethnic groups created a definition of race that is more fluid compared to that of the United States (DeFina).   In Colombia, the color of one’s skin is viewed more as a state of being, rather than a race. Those with dark skin, often Afro-Colombians and indigenous Colombians, are referred to as “los negros” by the upper and middle classes.

This essay, both intentionally and unintentionally shows us Latin American race relations, Latin American nationalism, Latin American liberalism and its differences

d., 1989). Scholars who endorse this term maintain that Brazilians do not regard each other through the lens of race, and that therefore race is not a relevant consideration in the study of social inequality. Abdias Nascimento’s ideas stand in direct opposition to this dominant discourse of racial democracy. His writings affirm the continuing importance of race in analyses of political inequality. He also draws attention to the important differences in cultural practice and worldview that emerge from the African ancestry of Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian population in ways that dominant political discourses, in Brazil and elsewhere, are not likely to.

“Slavery In The Dominican Republic and How It Affected the Natives Racial Identity” By definition the Dominican Republic is a Caribbean Hispaniola Island that is shared with Haiti to the West. The Dominican Republic today is a major tourist destination and has become a major source of sugar, coffee, and other exports. But the Dominican Republic had to suffer a lot in order to prevail the way they did, undergoing being enslaved by the Spaniards while on the other side of the island the Haitians were enslaved by the french hence the obvious difference in languages and cultures. The main difference is that the Dominican Republic lost their racial identity and until the present day are unaware of their true racial identity. Slavery affects every country and person differently but in the Dominican Republic, slavery took away the nation’s identity.

It affects many in Mexico and it prevents them from having a suitable life style. There is a correlation between social class and skin color. It is important to not discard the essence of racism just because in Mexico not many are worried about racism. There is a similarities of those who are in the wealthy classes and their light skin color and more of a Spaniard ancestors.

Although broken up thematically, each portion contributes to the central narrative of prevalent racism against Afro-Cubans. In part two, De La Fuente examines the labor market as well as the social mobility of Cubans. Speaking to labor concerns, De La Fuente relates equality of opportunity to economic success, therefore placing Afro-Cubans on a lower level of social mobility. His emphasis on European and white immigration as being praised does well to support his claim of inherent racism. The exclusion of Afro-Cubans in the labor force fixes itself to the idea of a certain Cuban identity, the central theme of the work.

Many people cannot fully recognize what the world has to offer, until they take a look through someone else’s perspective. As a matter of fact, this common phrase has become an increasingly common issue in today’s society. Most individuals simply stick to the “comfort zone” of the communities they belong in, without ever feeling the need to branch-out to explore the countless other cultures that make up the world. Often times, this behavior tends to lead to stereotyping and the misrepresentation of cultures unfamiliar to us. The Brazilian culture is no exception to this everyday social norm.

This essay, both intentionally and unintentionally gives us a glimpse of contemporary Latin American race relations,

The examples touched upon above illustrate key general points about the liberal legacy that one can apply throughout Latin America and that still impact politics and society, as seen through the Iguala massacre that echoes the brutality of liberal authoritarianism and through the strong influence of class and racial divides in local conflicts, elections, and

Coloniality of power is a concept/phrase originally coined by Anibal Quijano. The concept itself refers to interconnecting the practices and legacies of European colonialism in social orders and forms of knowledge. More specifically, it describes the lasting legacy of colonialism within modern society in the form of social and racial discrimination that has been incorporated into today’s social orders. Furthermore, it identifies the racial, political and social hierarchies enforced by European colonialists in Latin America that gave value to certain people while marginalizing others. Quijano’s main argument is based around the notion that the colonial structure of power created a class system, where Spaniards and other light skinned ethnicities