Abstract
This book is a collection of studies on the causes and effects of racist discourse in some Latin American countries, carried out by different researchers and authors. Chapter 1 is written by Teun A. van Dijk, the editor of the book, and introduces the discussion, cleverly hinting at what we all know but neglect to admit: that racism discourse has more to do with power than with race itself. The author argues that societies involved in racist discourse often deny and mitigate it, an argument already known from his earlier work. Van Dijk manages to trace a clear line from the roots of racist discourse in Latin America straight to the ways in which such hazardous behavior is reproduced and learned, explaining the principles, linguistic resources and genres used to perpetrate racist ideologies. One of the best remarks made by the author is that not only are the powerful in a society to blame for the spread of racist discourse, but every single member of that society may as well be responsible for it.
The second chapter looks at Argentina, the first part being an enlightening account of the historical periods and shifts of ideologies Argentina has undergone, as well as the contrasting roles played by the ruling elites on one side, and indigenous peoples, domestic migrants and immigrants from other countries on the other. The second part of the chapter presents the reader with analysis of how indigenous peoples are pictured as having an unimportant voice by school textbooks and political debates.
Chapter 3 is an analysis of a collection of studies regarding how Brazilian Literature, Cinema, Television, Press and Textbooks have pictured black people pejoratively, from the discovery of Brazil until recent days. The writers make use of statistical data to show racial inequalities in Brazil, pointing out both the discoveries of the studies and their limitations and problems. Moreover, the text presents an optimistic account of some efforts made in Brazil in order to change negative representations of black people. But what would probably strike the reader is how the authors put an end to the idea most of the world has of Brazil as a homogeneous culture free of racism.
The fourth chapter is dedicated to discursive prejudicial practices aimed at the Mapuche indigenous peoples in Chile. Through interviews with non-Mapuche citizens and analysis of newspapers, political discourse and school textbooks, the authors provide excellent examples of how stereotypes against the Mapuches in Chile are maintained.
A thorough historical insight into Colombian relationships between White, Indian and Black populations in Colombia is handed to readers in the following chapter. The authors explore other studies and texts and show how racist discourse has shifted from being aimed at both Indian and Black peoples to becoming more focused on the population of African descent. What renders the chapter particularly interesting is the emphasis on the history of school systems and media practices in Colombia, as well as the examples that the studies offer to anyone interested in analyzing how Corpus Data can be a valuable tool to identify racist concepts within texts.
Chapter 6 manages to draw a straight line from segregation practices against indigenous peoples in the colonial era in Guatemala, passing through the metamorphosis of racism during the independence and formation of the Guatemalan state, culminating in the military regime responsible for the genocide of indigenous populations. The study consists of interviews with some of the oldest white families in the country and intellectual debates, providing the reader with a worthy sample of questions and results for future study in different places and periods.
The seventh chapter presents racist discourse in Mexico and concentrates the argument mostly on the view that white elites have of indigenous populations as inferior. The research is based on interviews made not only with the perpetrators of prejudice, but also with those who suffer discrimination. The authors further present statistics on Mexican economic and population development, historical accounts on how discrimination evolved in the country, information on how indigenous peoples are exploited at work and samples of discourse that demonstrate the racist ideology of politicians, the press, family relatives and school.
The Peruvian situation on racist discourse is the subject of Chapter 8, in a comparison made using interviews with upper- and middle-class Peruvians. The result is an excellent documentation of how these social groups fail to attribute their discrimination of ‘the others’ (people of indigenous origins) to their lack of education and culture rather than to white people’s racist principles.
The last chapter of the book covers Venezuela’s problems with discriminative practices regarding indigenous peoples, African descendants and Chinese immigrants. Not only does it consider discourse issues but also Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology studies, widening the range of possible interest in the work.
This book is a must-read for anyone interested in discourse and prejudice, not only in Latin America but anywhere in the world.