Race In Ecuador Essay

One day I asked my mom “what race are you?” My mother replied white. My mother’s skin is fair, “whiter” than my own, and would be formally identified as mestiza in Ecuador. This conversation provides insight to the complex racial relations in Ecuador and greater Latin America. Ecuador is home to one of the largest native populations in Latin America, but the majority of people identify as mestizo: a mixture of of European and indigenous backgrounds. Ecuador is also home to a small Afro-Ecuadorean and European descendent populations, as well as mixtures of these races. Using current literature on race in Ecuador, I will explore the complex racial relations, specifically of the indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorean population, and the effect of recognizing

An early attempt was “the revitalization of Ecuadorian national identity started in 1944 in Ecuador… forging and promoting national culture” (chagras 102). The recognition of a national identity attempted to promote unity and a country that does not see race. However, “the depiction of Ecuador as a “mestizo” nation, while promoting national unity and homogeneity, excluded Indians, Blacks and poor mestizos from power and resources” (chagraas 96). Creating a national identity allowed individuals to whiten themselves and exclude others during this progress in order to improve their own conditions. In order to counteract these results, in 2008 the Ecuadorean constitution recognized Ecuador’s diverse populations and proclaimed Ecuador a multicultural state (chagras 111). However, multiculturalism has been criticized for reinstating remnants of the colonial hierarchal caste system and only promoting cultural recognition but not actual political and economic reforms (Guti and chagras). Racial relations are further complicated because of racial fluidity betwee black and white based on context and lived experiences (1st and peter wayne). A study also found that the majority of Ecuadoreans “claimed not to know anything about racial prejudice” (120). Ecuador’s racial relations have been complicated by a variety of factors in efforts to move towards racial