Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
"Whiteness" in Latin America is self determined. Its generally based upon how one looks and not on one's actual ancestry. So a person can have a 'negro' or 'indio' parent and still be 'blanco'. Even Latin Americans as dark as Kerry Washington will say that they are not "black" and ones with obvious indigenous features will still state that they are 'white'.
I would estimate that 90% of 'white' Latin Americans have not so distant non-European ancestry.
So my question to white Latins is if most are mixed, but yet call themselves white, why are they so insulting towards African Americans who might be mixed but call themselves black? They self identify in a way that suits them as do you.
The dirty little secret in Latin America is that white is "good". Black/Indio is "bad" and they think that they are less racist than the USA because it is easier to escape the "bad" and to be included in the "good". Indeed some even seem to have deep fears that this status quo might be disturbed....maybe that some mixed people who call themselves white mightn't be able to do so any more.
My goodness!! This is what we call in Brasil a 'travel through the mayonnaise'!!
People gets uncorfortable when people who are not black are called as so, the same people for who are white and are called something else... this is all cultural, because its scientifically proved that race doesnt exist among humans. People dont mind if white americans that had a black ancestor 20 generations ago call himswelf black...
Different cultures can look at thenselves the way they want, just respect that the other doesnt have the same point of view.
Last edited by Mr.Falcon; 01-07-2014 at 06:49 PM..
My goodness!! This is what we call in Brasil a 'travel through the mayonnaise'!!
People gets uncorfortable when people who are not black are called as so, the same people for who are white and are called something else... this is all cultural, because its scientifically proved that race doesnt exist among humans. People dont mind if white americans that had a black ancestor 20 generations ago call himswelf black...
Different cultures can look at thenselves the way they want, just respect that the other doesnt have the same point of view.
Yet almost 50% of Brazil calls itself white and a scant 6% call themselves black. Clearly very different criteria are at work in self definitions of who is white, and who is black. Basically is its easy to be white and easy not to be black. Just admit that and call it a day.
And white Americans who do not have known black ancestors are white.
By these accounts, more than 40% call thenselves mulatos, mamelucos, cafuzos, moreninhos, caboclos, etc
In our culture we consider all our heritage, not just the black one based in racist theories... that´s why we're so cool
Clearly very different criteria are at work in self definitions of who is white, and who is black. Basically is its easy to be white and easy not to be black.
The criteria is genetic combinations. Ressecive genes use to appear in future generations, that´s why newer generations have clear eyes even if their parents dont, etc
It varies widely by country. In Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, and Southern Brazil, many people are of direct European origin (though this does not mean Europeans do not have non-European ancestors).
In most of the rest of Latin America, "white" generally means not too dark, more European than non-European, or in places that are mostly indigenous or black - mestizo or mulatto. It may refer to social class as much as race.
30% of White Americans have Black African DNA that ranges from 2-20%. In the Scientific American from December 2003 that asks the question, "Does Race Exists", it states that this percentage of Whites have less than 90% European DNA. It discusses a study by Shriver and Kittles. Shriver, who is White, found out that 11% of his DNA was sub Saharan African.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 01-08-2014 at 05:08 AM..
About as mixed as the average Black American. Most White Latinos are nowhere close to being "pure", but still look predominately white, albeit slightly exotic. I'd say the majority of White Latinos wouldn't really stand out as foreigners in Southern European countries, just as most Black Americans wouldn't stand out in most Sub-Saharan African countries.
Well, there are "white" Latin Americans with varied degrees of race mixing.
The fact is that over 95% of "white" Latin Americans are mixed race in some degree.
Basically, only people whose two parents came from Europe during the 20th century are "100% white", and they are a very small minority, less than 5% of the "white" Latin Americans.
But the issue of HOW racially mixed they are is more complex. It depends on the country and the region. Some "white" Latin Americans are less racially mixed, and others are more racially mixed.
I know some "whites" here in Brazil who have Portuguese (more predominant) and native indigenous (less predominant) ancestry and look Eastern European! They are something like 75% Portuguese and 25% indigenous, and they look like Ukrainians!
So my question to white Latins is if most are mixed, but yet call themselves white, why are they so insulting towards African Americans who might be mixed but call themselves black? They self identify in a way that suits them as do you.
First, they are not "insulting". They just find it strange that American people who "dont look so black", and CLEARLY have European ancestry, refuse to be called as mixed, and want to be called as "just black".
It's a cultural thing, and I don't think there is any possibility that you can ever understand it. It has nothing to do with "racism" in Latin America.
In fact, what makes it sound strange to Latin Americans is not the use of the word "black" by mixed-race Americans, but the use of the expression "African American". Latin Americans can't understand why Americans who clearly have ancestry from other continents besides Africa insist in calling themselves "African Americans", since they also have European ancestry.
Most people who call themselves "whites" in Latin America recognize that they are mixed-race themselves, and they are PROUD of it. They are proud to say that they are MIXED, even when they use the word "white" to describe themselves. Because "white" in Latin American has nothing to do with ancestry, but with COLOR OF THE SKIN.
See the difference?
Latin Americans don't care about ancestry, and they classify themselves according to the color of the skin. And they are proud to say that they are MIXED RACE people, EVEN if they call themselves "white" because of the color of their skin.
African Americans, just like other Americans, are OBSESSED with ancestry, but, paradoxically, they are ASHAMED of their European ancestry, and try to hide it.
Huge cultural difference here.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
