Race in Colonial Latin America
Question to Consider
How was race constructed during the Colonial period?
The Peopling of Latin America
Heterogeneous IndianEuropeanAfricanAsian
Racial Mixing
High Degree of Racial MixingCastas25% by 18th Century
Blurring of Racial GroupsPhysical Characteristics“One Drop Rule”
“Passing”
Basic Castas
Mestizo (Indian & European) Mulatto (African & European) Zambo (Indian & African)
Mexico in 1793
8,000 Europeans700,00 Criollos
6,000 Blacks360,000 Mulatos
2,300,000 Indians1,000,000 Acculturated
100,000 Asians
Restrictions
Not allowed to live in Indian neighborhoods
Denied posts Sumptuary Legislation
(cloths & jewelry)
Breakdown of Racial Barriers
Less residential segregation Intermarriage Occupation/Education more important
than race Certificate of Whiteness
Conclusions
Racial Ambiguity High Degree of Mobility Money & Education
Example of rich Mestizos and Mulatos Loss of Control (Spanish Authorities)
18th Century Casta Paintings
NPR: “Inventing Race Through Art” http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3043790
Questions to Consider
What do the images reveal about attitudes toward racial mixing and the different castas?
How would you compare the attitudes expressed in the primary documents versus those depicted in the casta paintings?
Spaniard and an Indian Produces a Mestizo
Spaniard and a Mestizo Produces Castiza
Spaniard and a Castiza Produces a Spaniard
Mestizo and an Indian Produces a Coyote
An African and a Spaniard Produces a Mulatto
A Mulatto and a Spaniard Produces a Marisco
A Spaniard and a Marisca Produces a Albino
A Spaniard and an Albina Produces a Black- Return-Backwards
A Black and an Indian Produces a Wolf
A Black and an Indian Produces a Zambaiga
A Zambaiga and an Indian Produces an Albarazado
An Indian and an Albaradazdo Produces a Chamizo
A Chamizo and an Indian Produces a Cambuja
An Albarrado and an Indian Produces a Cachimboreta
An Indian and a Cambuja Produces a Wolf-Return-Backwards
A Wolf-Return-Backwards and an Indian Produces a Hold-Yourself-in-Mid-Air
18th Century Casta Paintings
Reaffirmed the Importance of Racial Heritage
Subcategories of Castas Details of Everyday Life People at Various Social Levels Material Culture
Conclusions
Spaniards preside over society Spaniards possessors of culture Ambiguity/Inconsistency in racial markers More racial mixing, status declines Spanish blood redeemable, black not Underscore colony’s wealth
Post-Independence
Lessening of Racial Barriers Indigenous Peoples Increasingly
“Celebrated”EuropeanizedRomanticized
Casta Designations BannedEquality Before the Law
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