Source One: Afro-Latin America, 1800-2000

Citation: Andrews, George Reid. Afro-Latin America, 1800-2000. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

http://lib.myilibrary.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/Open.aspx?id=50188.

Immigration into the Latin America region increased during the 1800s on for multiple reasons, one of the most dominate being slavery. The African population drastically increased across almost all nations located within the borders of Latin America. This created an evident shift in ethnic relations throughout the region, giving rise to the term Afro-Latin American. This term was used to describe Africans, or Mulattos (mixed races) whom consisted of both African and Latin American heritage. It was also used as a way to describe Latin America as a national region where a large portion of the majority consisted of a high African population.

The Afro-Latin Americans were largely being used for slavery, and as such, they were directly given a low social status, therefore Andrews (2004) stated that “people of present day Afro-Latin America struggle to escape the economic heritage of poverty and dependency left by plantation agriculture, the colour of their skin is an indicator of low social status.” (P.5) Concluding from this statement, it is evident that modern Afro-Latin Americans struggle to disassociate themselves from their roots. As a result of the social and economic positions their ancestors were in, still find themselves being classified and viewed as less then the average Caucasian or Hispanic individual in the Americas, based on superficial reasons such as skin colour.

This book brings to light the differences between Latin America, and North America in the context of the “superior” race. As Andrews (2004) states “In Latin America racial boundaries have historically been much more fluid and flexible than in the United States,” (P.6) This was shown when people in Latin America, developed social or economic theories and ideas of ways in which an Afro-Latin American could “whiten” the darkness of their skin. It appears the Latin America had been attempting to welcome racial differences into the region, compared to the United States, which during those times was preventing the social or economic rise of any citizen containing African ethnicity. Although, attempts were being made to improve the status of Afro-Latin Americans, negative ideas of African ancestry continued to persist in Latin American society.

With attempts for freedom, or liberation for Afro-Latin Americas there always seemed to by some type of colonial racial law preventing them from navigating away from their present state of poverty. The majority of Afro-Latin American slaves were present in the Brazil region, due to a persistent need for plantation slavery. Plantation slavery created the opportunity for large communities of Afro-Latin Americans to form. These formations soon lead to the uprising and revolutions of slaves all across the region. Andrews (2004) creates the assumption that the idea/triggering event for the slave to consider revolting came from the French Revolution. He argued that the French Revolution was an example and lesson of how to properly overthrow and ancient regime. It was the revolutions throughout Latin American that allowed for change in freedom for Afro-Latin Americans, whom to this day may still struggle with being treated differently due to racial differences.

 

Source Two: A Revolution for Our Rights: Indigenous Struggles for Land and Justice in Bolivia, 1880-1952

Citation: Gotkowitz, Laura. A Revolution for Our Rights: Indigenous Struggles for Land and Justice in Bolivia, 1880-1952. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2007.

http://read.dukeupress.edu.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/content/a-revolution-for-our-rights.

The indigenous people of Bolivia are struggling for equality. They would like to see that everyone is treated the same, special treatment is not reserved from anyone within the borders of Bolivia. Laura Gotkowitz (2007) mentions that “Over a period of almost two decades, Cruz and hundreds of other community activists deluged public officials with petitions demanding the return of stolen land, equal ‘‘protection and guarantees’’ (amparo y garantías), and armed force to shield the community from abuse by landlords and local state officials.” (P.2) With these demands coming from citizens of Bolivia, it is clearly evident that equality is not present, and that wealthy or more dominant social class, is taking property from the lower class societies. The land being taken could in fact be vital for survival and continuation of people’s families. Unfortunately, these demands were not meet, which soon resulted in rural uprisings, that largest ones of the twentieth century in Bolivia.

In the uprisings they were fighting against a state ruled by landlords, who invaded land and destroyed the lives of rural communities in Bolivia. Gotkowitz (2007) stated that the “rural mobilization for land and justice persisted and helped pave the path for Bolivia’s 1952 Revolution.” (P.3) The effects of rebellion during 1947 created an even larger revolution, that began to emerge only a few years later. Rural political actions began in Bolivia, along side the multiple revolts exploding across the nation. There, rural mobilizations received unusual amounts of political attention, compared to the average peasant revolt in Bolivia. It is possible that the way the rural communities executed their plans, in terms of location and severity, is what drew in the attention of political officials, and government workers.

This attention brought it other social groups to join the revolt against inequality and state violence in Bolivia. It wasn’t long before urban workers, mineworkers, Indians, peasants, and people of the middle class joined this rebellion. Major conflict began to emerge, putting the countryside of Bolivia into a crisis of state authority. The 1952 movement successfully defeated the national army, showing the power behind these rural communities. It was clear that Bolivia would forever be changed from these revolts, proving the power of the peasant community.

Whether peasants of modern day Bolivia still experience the same or similar acts of inequality is unclear. It appears certain that there are still some visible levels of inequality. One can expect that the lower class will continue to fight for in Bolivia, and in similar regions in Latin America, as developing nations often have many battles to fight before they can reach a stage of democracy. Even within a democratic society there are still battles worth fighting and certain situations were equality is ignored. It may be hard to imagine, but the brutal inequalities faced by a developing society, may also be faced by a developed nation.