Peru and the different faces of racism

Racism is a huge issue in our country. The big question is: how do we stop it? We aim to answer it by giving examples on how it can be fought from different angles.

  Racism is sadly everywhere. More often than not, we don’t even realize it is there because we get used to it. The normalization of micrcoaggressions and racist comments is not okay. However, in order to try to erase them, we need to know what they are and how we can find them. What are microaggressions? Microaggressions can be deliberate or accidental, and occasionally they can even be well-intentioned. However, they send the recipient unfriendly, disparaging, or unfavorable racial messages or presumptions (Smith, 2023). Racism is one of the most divisive forces in our society, racial legacies of the past continue to haunt current policies and practices that create unfair disparities between minority and majority groups, racial inequities are so deeply ingrained in American society that they are nearly invisible, and most white Peruvians are unaware of the advantages they enjoy in this society and of how their attitudes and actions unintentionally discriminate against people of...

Discrimination is a much broader issue, it can originate from religious differences, gender, age, etc. The colony was not an egalitarian society, it discriminated based on religious criteria (for example, being a new or old Christian) and legal criteria (slaves-free; Spaniards-Indians).  Part of the confusion stems from the fact that we consider Spaniards as “whites”, while in the vast majority of documents in Peru such equivalence is not verifiable. Neither being defined as Spanish nor indigenous originated from the color of the skin. There are descriptions of "brown" Spaniards and of Indians with "red" skin; their differences are legal: some came from peninsular ancestors, and the others came from the local population regulated by a different law.  In the case of slaves, the situation is a little more complex. Little by little, with the passing of European expansion, the black skin color was identified with the inferior through its direct link with slav...

  What does the term ‘cholo’ and ‘chola’ mean in Peru?      They are old terms that were even used by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. They date back to the Conquest, although its precise origin is debated. When talking about someone who does not belong to privileged groups, he or she is referred to in that way. Basically, ‘cholos’ have another skin color, darker. If it must be said in a binary way, ‘cholo’ is everything that is not white, because even people of African descent can be called that way, although they are also called ‘zambo’, black.      Peruvian psychoanalyst Jorge Bruce explains that Latin American racism is the product of a colonial heritage in which colonizing minorities oppressed those who inhabited what are now the Latin American republics.      The interviewer asked him if he felt like a privileged white man in this country. He said: “When they treat you, the way they talk to you when you go to a restaurant... My patients ...

The ideas of racism are, unfortunately, ingrained in our country, which is a shame since they are harmful and impede us from advancing as a community. If we look at social media, the way we talk, and what TV programs show us, we will find that racism is normalized. Racism in social media is a significant and pervasive issue that has gained considerable attention in recent years. While social media platforms provide a space for people to connect, share ideas, and express themselves, they also amplify negative aspects of society, including racism. In Peru, children and teenagers are freely allowed to use different kinds of platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok. Although we use them for entertainment and communication, it is sad to admit that racism often takes the form of online harassment and cyberbullying, where individuals are subjected to racist comments, threats, or derogatory remarks based on their race or ethnicity. This behavior can have a severe impact on the mental wel...

Have you ever wondered what race is? Or have you ever thought about whether Peruvians are racists or not? If so, we encourage you to watch the follow documentary. It displays an interesting discussion between two different points of view regarding the topic. Choleando Documental. (2013, August 14). CHOLEANDO: Racism in Peru (documentary) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wrixBocUg0

Have you ever wondered if racism can impact one's health? In this podcast, Dr. Monica Johnson explores some of the ways racial trauma impacts your health.