Essay on racism.

Racism.
In a world of whites,
the black is the white
perfect.
Anonymous.

Racism is a physical or psychological aggression. Racism is a form of

discrimination perhaps due to their skin color, hair color, origin, etc. Without
take into account how it affects that person and knowing that all beings
humans are equal, therefore we have the same rights and duties
than others. Racism is something that has been around for many years because
The white race always held power and took those of dark race.
as slaves keeping them bound, beaten and humiliated. Then,
Let us stop for a moment to look at this crowd. Are they all
discriminating against one another?

Currently, there is a lot of racism in schools among children.

teenagers, which causes great fear of not being able to express what is happening to them and
These people can end up very badly for fear of saying what is happening.
Tambien en muchos lugares se ve como a alguna gente no se le hace posible
to get a job, a spot in an educational institution, a medical appointment
or simply a small favor on the street due to the racism that exists in the
society often enduring mistreatment and ridicule from others.

Se puede definir el racismo como un método de discriminación racial, social y

cultural that consists of belittling the differences between people.
Many criticize the one who is different, I am different, I fight against racism.
But that's okay, people say, one has to defend others, to the
What is mistreated and hurt emotionally, and what do they do to stop it?
Tell another to do it, tell them to do it because one mentally believes.
do not be discriminatory, believe you are good.

Racism is one of the world's major problems, as it has existed for

many years ago, many people believed that racism only occurs among the
people "white" and "black" or between "rich" and "poor" people, but the
reality is not like that; racism occurs in daily life for many reasons. The
Racism has existed since the 19th century, according to its interpretation, it occurs among the Jews.
and Arabs, blacks and whites, it spread extensively in such a way that
it was given to youth in Africa and after a few years it spread to the world
whole

To conclude, racism should not be used anywhere, nor against anyone.

It can greatly affect the psychological state of the person affected.
All human beings are equal and have the same rights,
Nobody can determine what a person is by their skin color, eyes, hair,
race, religion, etc.
Understand the meaning of theracismit is not an easy task, as it is a complex phenomenon,
multifaceted and painful. Many crimes committed by racists were even justified.
withtheoriespseudoscientific increasing thus the confusions.
This phenomenon does not belong only to the past, it is everyday, fueled by defending ideologies.
ofsocietiesfundamentally based on the exploitation of themanforthe man. The subject is
also relevant since in recent years it has spread in a worrying way in different
points of the planet. For example, neo-Nazis and 'skinheads' inGermany, that set fire to shelters of
immigrants; supporters of the National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen inFrance, that suffocate
Moroccans in the waters of the Seine; the fascists who inRussiaattacks on Latin American students;
thediscriminationinSpainagainst the 'sudacas' (South Americans); etc. Although in thissubject, the
The U.S. clearly leads.
It is necessary to clarify that it is not possible to understand racism in all its complexity without studying it in
our region as one of the components of theconquestcolonial and neocolonial, which in turn generated
the struggles for national and social liberation.
Today, racism has not only gained greater relevance in several capitalist countries but also greater
virulence and these characteristics tend to generalize. The mystifierconceptnew world order
he already has them in his possession and structurally incorporated.
A brief overview of thehistoryussamplethat in the West racism has adopted forms of the most
violent, aggressive, and subtle. A whole was developedconstructionideological based on theories
apparently scientific to justify ethnocides, genocides, killings, tortures, lynchings, theft,
pillaging, exploitation, oppression, domination, alienation, etc.
Consequently, fighting against racism is an integral part of the class struggle. It is a battle.
essentially political for achangesquare root ofstructuressocial structures that now maintain oppression and the
exploitation of workers, especially the proletariat.
Es más, toda la lucha contra el racismo no puede limitarse a propagandas de ideas igualitarias, incluso en
societies where the historical conditions that allowed the emergence of racism were eradicated and
his posteriordevelopment. This is so, as it is not easy to remove certain prejudices from man, after
theintegrationto hispersonality.
This last aspect surpasses the historical, political, economic, and sociological framework, as we are already entering into
the plan of thepsychology. For that reason, the work ofinformationtrue and
scientific, as well aseducationpermanent as complements in the fight to eliminate
definitely racism.

Originofracism
Racism cannot exist outside of history, that is, regardless of the development and succession of
social formations such asproductof class struggle. Throughout history, there have been different
efforts to establish relationships and/or rational explanations about racism. The merits of the
eighteenth-century rationalists, for example, are recognized as important. However, it is only
through the use ofMarxismthat we can reach a proper understanding of the phenomenon and the path
to delete it from theearth.
It would be too lengthy to develop our viewpoint on the origin of racism if we wanted to.
to take us back to the beginnings of Western civilization.
We only remember that "the Egyptians considered all the peoples who did not speak
onlanguageas barbarians" as Herodotus indicated in "Inquiry II." The Greeks, in turn, were
convinced of their superiority and the supremacy of their civilization. Several historians consider
that, between the belief in the superiority of a civilization and its language, to the belief in the
superiority of one "race" over another, there is not much distance.
However, it is necessary to emphasize that there do not existdatafirm about racist behaviors until
the end of the ancient world. Although it is true that in the 4th century before Christ,Aristotlein his work
ThePolitics" developed atheoryabout the slave towns with nearby elements
to thelanguageoanalysisracist, we insist that they are not decisive in considering your work as such.
Racism is a disastrous product of the modern world. It was spawned by Western civilization that
imposed as a consequence of colonial conquest, especially when throughthesissupposedly
scientific began to divide humanity intogroupsbased on phenotypes(colorfrom theskin, shape of the
nose, hair texture, lip thickness, etc.). That is, to classify the human species based on
hereditary anatomical characters. Thus, arbitrarily, these theses claimed that aethnicityowned
beauty characteristicsintelligence, superiority and others of inferiority.

Read more: [Link]

"Race" as a myth

The racist starts from a framework that accounts for the existence of differences in physical traits between
individuals. Obviously, to reject and even destroy another infunctionthat difference seems irrational,
but the problem is not so simple and deserves its study.
Indeed, for the racist, physical differences mean inequalities between men and these would be
natural and inevitable. That is, in ourcodegenetic determinism would exist in a certain biological sense
able to explain, for example, theintelligencein agroupdetermined and its absence in another. Explain the
inequalities among men based on genetic proposals is as absurd as trying to understand
theconflicts"racial" without examining the conflicts first and not the "races."
For some biologists, "race" refers only to the partgeneticswhich accounts for differences
physical differences among human beings and does not speak of other types of differentiation.
Thebiologythere is no doubt about it. It clearly states that theconceptof 'race' is applicable to a
group of individuals that tends to remain stable across generations and that defined
onheritagegenetic as the sum of the molecules ofDNAof the components of thesocietyhumana.
This theoretical approach has no application in the human species.(Critiqueof Biological Determinism - No
it is in the genes - by S. Rose, Lewontin and Kamin.
From an anthropological point of view, the concept of 'race' allows for the development of some framework of
classification. However, it is so arbitrary that humanity could be classified in so many
"races" as the anthropologist pleases.
There wasevolutionand based on it, we must interpret the current diversity of the human species, and
not under pseudoscientific schemes. Theprocessesrecognized genetic change provocateurs
scientifically they are: theselection, the miscegenation, the mutations, and the genetic neglect. This last factor
It is valid in the origin of human communities. Since 'races' do not exist as entities
biologicals, it can be stated that theracismexists independently of races. Therefore it is
A comprehensive understanding of the relationships between biological assertions and the social is necessary.
Understanding those relationships means that it cannot exist in our [Link]
relevant that cannot be modified by social conditioning. There isinteractionbetween genes and
social conditioning. Living organisms, like humans, do not inherit their traits, but
only their genes, the DNA molecules found in the fertilized egg. Every organism
I live through aprocesshistorical ofdevelopmentwhat is the basis of all scientific explanation for
determine differences between human beings. In this sense, and not just as a simple reflection of the
social circumstances, we agree with the"Thesison Feuerbach byKarl Marx, that it is not
theconsciousness"It is not consciousness that determines existence, but social existence that determines consciousness."
In light of all the above, it is clear that we are facing amyth, in whose name it
The most abominable crimes have been committed and continue to be committed.
It is interesting to recall some points of the UNESCO Declaration on racism and prejudice.
racial, published in 1967:
All the men who live in ourtimebelong to the same species and descend from the same
trunk.
The division of the species into 'races' is partly conventional or arbitrary and does not imply any hierarchy.
no order. Numerous anthropologists point out the importance of human variability but think
that racial divisions have ainterestlimited scientific and can lead to a generalization
abusive.
Inthe statecurrent biological knowledge, we would not be able to attribute cultural achievements of
the peoples differ from genetic potential. The differences between the realizations of the various
towns are fully explained by theirhistorycultural. The peoples of the modern world seem to possess
equal biological potentials that allow them to reach any level of civilization.
In short, as the Argentine scientist Enrique Luis Armoza tells us in his work"Discriminationy
racismo": "En principio se entiende por raza aquello que está relacionado con la capacidad
fromreproductionor the reproductive possibility of a species; it concerns the fertility of its members. He
Here that all of humanity is potentially fertile, therefore, in principle, we are left with the
The concept of race could only be applicable to somatic characteristics and should never be linked to a
social-religious classification. In turn, this application to the somatic will depend on the context in which it is.
use
The samecarsIt explains to us: 'Starting from an arbitrary selection guided by visible traits or criteria'
phenotypic, four types of races were classified: white, red or copper, yellow, and black. This criterion
is banished because the concept of race exists if a racial consciousness anchored in appears in
a community belonging, which can lead to aactionof contempt and segregation. For
so much,sciencerejects the term in the human context. Race is a socially defined term and
these definitions differ between thesocieties".
Armoza is even more emphatic when he asserts: "Historically, there has been a search to divide the human species into
races, for which diagnostic features such as pigmentation have been [Link], type
of hair, lip shapes, of nose, height, etc. But this racial distinction should not exist because it is
partial and genetic, since it does not take into account that every natural group of beings has a variability
ineluctable, which implies the impossibility of categorizing individuals in a society... The hatred and the
racial rivalries are fueled by scientifically false notions and coexist with ignorance... In order
beyond justifying aggression, racism is the widespread valuation of biological differences in
benefit of a dominant elite and to the detriment of its victims.
Finally, as we can see, we emphasized one of the forms of racism, perhaps the most
classical, racismproductof colonization and not to other forms such as, for example, theantisemitism. No
however, it is necessary to emphasize that regardless of its forms, the concept of 'race' is a myth and
nothing more.

RacismintheU.S.
In the most developed countrysystemthe capitalist of the world, the USA of North America, is
it's interesting to study racism to more clearly see the close relationship that exists between
thestructureseconomic issues and racism.
In a country that proclaims itself "champion" of thedemocracyand thehuman rights, racism is a
central theme. Let's focus a little on the 'black' problem and not on the situation of others.
ethnic minorities that also suffer from the scourge.
First of all, racism in the U.S. has been a problem for over three centuries and, like in other
parts, has a close relationship with economic and social factors.
Its origin dates back to the "slave trade".(saleof black slaves), which was formalized during the 17th century.
As is known, the "trafficking" had as its only and absoluteobjectivethe profit withoutlimits. Thanks to her,
theclassmerchant accumulated enormous wealth transforming it into capital, establishing ties
betweencapitalcommercial and industrial capital. During the 18th century and at the beginning of the 19th, banking capital
secured the profits of the big onesbusinessdeprived of that origin. The "trafficking" also favored the
development of European economies.
In the U.S.,principlesfrom the 17th century, it arose as a necessity theemploymentde la mano de obra
"black" as the indigenous inhabitants had not resisted the conditions ofworkimposed by
thestrength. The ownMontesquieuhe declared: "The peoples ofEurope, after exterminating the
ofAmerica, they should have enslavedAfricato use them to plow so muchearth"We can affirm that the
fight for thecontrolthe profits from the exploitation of the 'blacks' were the main cause
from thewarwhich culminated in 1776 with the break between the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain.
Theindependenceof the USA proclaimed on July 4, 1776 did not bring thefreedomfor all of his
inhabitants. On the contrary, after the war, the extermination of the first inhabitants resumed.
called "Indians") at the same time as "the trade" and theslaverythey were developed to ascalegreater than
before.
Then, in the first half of the 19th century, an antagonism of economic interests arises between the north and
the south, unleashing what history called the 'Civil War'. Under no circumstances was that war
freed in terms of the freedom of the 'blacks', since that simply was not the fundamental problem.
Aletterwritten in 1862 by AbrahamLincolnHorace Greeley gives us the reason: "If I could -he said
"Lincoln - to save the Union without freeing any slaves, he would." This phrase frees me from any comment.
Despite the passage of time and the enormous economic and technological transformations that have occurred
In the U.S., the 'black' has a much sadder future than the 'white'. For example,
according todataofficials, among the unemployed the 'black' occupies a privileged place, likewise in the
cases of prisoners and those sentenced todeath.
The 'black' problem in the U.S. is a reflection of the structures of economic exploitation and a
symptom of the explosive situation of that country.
Likelogicresponse to that situation of oppression, theresistanceof African Americans has originated a
history of struggles and rebellions. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, the Black Power(PowerBlack), Louis
Farrakhan is widely known through theliterature, thecinema, themediaofpress, etc.
A special mention deserves the struggle of Black Power. It was a response to the failure of the"integration"
emprendida bajo el control del poder burgués. Tuvo claro que el aparato gubernamental era el enemigo.
In addition, it established the existing relationships between theproblemsinteriors of the U.S. and those of the Third
World, what led to a greater politicization of theiractionsagainstpoverty, themarginality,
segregation, etc.
On May 1, 1965, after several negotiations, the National Organization for Black Power was founded in
Detroit. Among itsdocumentsthe most important politicians we mention the resolutions adopted in
theConferencefor a newPolitics, held in Chicago in 1967 and the first Black Conference
Power in Newark in the same year. The latter took place after the so-called 'hot summer' of
1967, when social riots occurred in more than sixty ghettos in Chicago, Los Angeles, and others
ciudades norteamericanas. Estos documentos adoptaron valiosas posiciones policies: complaint
of theimperialismand its actions in Indonesia, South America, the Congo, Southern Africa, Central America, and
el Caribe; denuncia de la Vietnam Warinterpreted as a racist war; the support was resolved
economic to the rebellious ghettos; the fight against the draft(serviceselective military.
For a better understanding of the political ideas of Black Power, we reproduce some statements.
made by one of its main leaders, Stokeley Carmichael:
For us, Black Power demands that we free ourselves from the oppressive and racist structures of power.
white. This demands that we can control our African American communities, that we can lead
nuestros propios negocios, que tengamos un poder de decisión en lo que concierne a la política y a
theeconomy. In the same way, independence would mean for you that you could lead and
regulate their own destiny and manage the wealth of their country that is currently under control
of apowerforeigners, theUnited States, and its representatives" (Statement made
inPuerto Rico).
Consequently, we seek to transform the relations of power in the world. The exploited should
can start now to say his word. It is one of the reasons why we refuse to fight in.
the lines of the North American army against the Vietnamese people. The North American army exploits the
African American masses. She uses them to fight against our own brothers. She tells us that we are going to
defend 'democracy', but we understand all the hypocrisy of this statement. That is why
we fiercely oppose the conscription of young people in anynationalitythat are like
we, the oppressed. If we need to fight, we will fight, but for our country, for liberation of
our town.
These words from Carmichael deserve to be appreciated as an alternative proposal to the solution.
the "magic" of integration defended until his assassination by other "black" leaders like Martin Luther
King. TheleaderBlack Power directed the struggle of the "blacks" towards another horizon: the questioning and the
permanent struggle against the structures of domination in the U.S. Their vision was also a contribution
essential to the condemnation of Yankee imperialism in the world.
In 'Black Panther', the Black Power newspaper, we can read a statement from James.
Foreman, another leader of thatmovement, what allows us to conclude this chapter: 'The reality is that this
the country is racist, totally and completely, and that racism is not primarily a problem of relationships
humans, but a problem of exploitation sustained by society as a whole, whether actively or
passively, that is to say, not saying anything.
Beyond the defeat suffered by the Black Power, the fact that integrationists are currently
dominant within the 'black' movement and that L. Farrakhan mobilized a few years ago to more
of a million people over Washington with slogans very different from those of S. Carmichael, it is
Undoubtedly, since 1967 until today, the vast majority of African Americans feel that their only way
the solution is the rejection and destruction of the racist power that oppresses them. African Americans more
lucid individuals understand that their struggle is none other than that of the revolutionary transformation of society
North American, including all thegroupsethnic.
It could not be otherwise, for although today thelawsstate and federal laws that hindered integration
Although barriers for African Americans were abolished, social barriers still exist and are often greater.
stronger than the legal ones. It is no longer just a confrontation with the Ku Klux Klan, whose presence
it disproves every day the assertions about the existence of democracy in North America, as it
they continue to burn churches of thecommunity"black". In practice, the current conditions in which
The majority of African Americans live as worryingly as three decades ago.
It couldn't be otherwise, as almost three-quarters of the 'blacks' occupy a marginal place.
in American society. Their average income is 70 percent lower than that of the
"whites". The "blacks" aged between 16 and 24 are more likely to die from murder than from
any other cause. While the infant mortality rate of "whites" decreases, that of the
African Americans are increasing. In the south, nationalist and xenophobic militias emerge trying to impose their
dementedplanof 'racial purity'.
But it is not only the 'black' people who suffer from racism in the U.S. Spanish-speaking immigrants
they are discriminated against to such an extent that theborderwithMexicohas been militarized and thestatefrom California
sanctioned Amendment 167 which denies medical assistance andeducación to illegal immigrants and their children.
For all of this, therevolutionsocialism in the U.S. is also a goal. And it is not just a matter of
"blacks", "whites" or "Chicanos", but of all the exploited of the capitalist system. I have highlighted
some positions of the leaders of Black Power, also taking into account that they understood that
theviolencerevolutionary is an indispensable component in the fight for freedom, thejusticeand by the
triumph of the revolution, necessarily overcoming ethnic barriers to propose actions in
terms of class struggle and not otherwise. All otherinterpretationleads us to delay the
triumph and give it thegamethe common enemy: thecapitalism.

RacismindependentAmerica
Due to the complexity of the topic we are discussing, we will not be able to see the problem in its entirety here.
of racism in dependent America.
Racism is found at different stages of human history and its arguments
pseudoscientists recently emerged in the 19th century. Vacher de la Pouge and the Count of Gobineau are the
outstanding exponents of those theses.
As a way ofsynthesis, regardingLatin America, it can be said that the entire colonial experience is
fundamentally supported on theideologyof racial inferiority. What allows to confirm that the
Racism is an integral part of the foundations of our societies. And by continuing to be on the periphery
from the central countries, where capitalism acts as a system ofproductiondominant, our
societies are generators of different types of marginalization, segregation, and exclusion.
As in other regions, in Latin America racism is managed by small groups that hold
economic and political power in order to preserve their privileges. There is also a whole
onestructureracist mindset when talking about 'Indian', 'black', 'Jew', 'gypsy', etc. The 'little heads'
"blacks" in Argentina in the '50s (humble people from the interior of the country who emigrated toBuenos Aires), son
sólo un ejemplo de la cosificación de seres humanos. Y toda relación social que pretende cosificar a otros
individuals are racism.
The data illustrates the brutal dimension of the racist scourge in America. Between the 16th and 19th centuries,
They forcibly removed about 45 million people from the African continent, of which many died.
more than 25 million during the journey to America.
On the other hand, before the arrival of the Europeans, there was in America apopulationcercana a los cien
millions of people. There were great cultures (Inca, Aztec, Taino, etc.) with a social system and
religioso propio. Después de un siglo y medio, mediante la acción "civilizadora" europea ayudada por
theChurchCatholic, only less than forty million survived, that is, they exterminated more than sixty.
millions of human beings.
Latin America was built upon an immense cemetery, upon crimes and atrocities of all kinds,
about a direct and indirect ethnocide of tens of millions of people. This historical situation generated
a way of ethnic relations whose nefarious consequences endure. The most serious thing is that this
history of ourorganizationeconomic, political, social and cultural is still a hidden past and many
times denied.
Certainly, the only valid answer to end that scourge lies in the socialist revolution and
theconstructionof a new society, of the"new man" that spoke theChe Guevara. Cubait is the
a more vivid example of this hope in our region. Although it is true that the triumph of the revolution
socialism did not mean the immediate and complete elimination ofmechanicsthere is no doubt about racism in Cuba
What is the only society on the American continent that has achieved real feats to defeat it.
Currently, with theprivatizationsand the application of the hunger plans dictated by theIMFy
theWorld Bank, by governments subjected to the interests of those financial institutions
internationally, the situation has become complicated. As a result of this, the region is facing the greatest
rate ofunemploymentof its history and thepovertycauses havoc among three quarters of his
population. Along with these problems, an increase in behaviors is also recorded.
ofdiscrimination.
A stronger feeling of hatred towards foreigners has emerged. It is clear that
thisbehaviordiscrimination is not solely supported by the mistaken concept of 'race', but rather that
manifest hostility towards outsiders has a clear economic basis. For example, it is common
to hear, from some workers, phrases such as: "the little brown ones work for two pesos and us
sacanthe work", "the umbrellas are treacherous", etc. This pejorative way of referring to Bolivians and
Paraguayans, respectively, speaks to us about discriminatory and racist behavior. But at the base
Underneath everything lies the fear of losing the source of employment for the workers of the host country and the
diffusion, by the dominant classes, of that misleading explanation of thecrisisto deceive the
people and make them blame the foreigner, who is just as much exploited as the native worker.
In a society characterized by hierarchization and social stratification, it is obvious that racism has
concrete possibility of development. This occurs not only in Argentina but in any country whose
the dominant modes of production are capitalist.
Another aspect of racism in Argentina is the extreme admiration for cultural manifestations.
European and Yankee, belittling theculturenative. About 400,000 Mapuche Indians, an indigenous people
from Patagonia, as well as thousands ofGuarani, from the north, they are discriminated against after being stripped of
their lands. The Onas, from Tierra del Fuego, directly went extinct. And the seven ethnic groups that inhabit
Santa Victoria (east), in the province of Salta, has an infant mortality rate of 37 per thousand.
live births, which dramatically increased to 72 per thousand in 1998 (the average in Argentina is 22
per thousand), according to the director of the main hospital in that locality. The doctor assured that such a duplication is
due to the increase in themalnutritionin thechildren, within the framework that basic needs
Dissatisfied reaches 90 percent of the population in the area. All this discrimination against the
aborigines and creoles living in the place occurs despite the fact that since 1986 Salta has had
alawprovincial (no. 6,373) of protection for those communities.
Thesciencedemonstrated that the concept of 'race' is not applicable togenderhuman and that he himself does not have
nothing to do with culture, society ornation, because thematerialismhistorical-dialectical explained to us some time ago
mouse that these terms derive from a historical development of class struggle. However, it was
It is necessary to have a clear awareness in order not to simplify the racist problems in our region.
Isolating the phenomenon of racism from the struggle for national and social liberation towardssocialism, would have
negative consequences after the revolutionary triumph. Unfortunately, the scourges of this scourge
sometimes we find them even among various militants of the Latin American left. And there is no need to
wait for the triumph of the revolution to fight them, as it is an obstacle that hinders
oursobjectives.

RacismandCurrentScience
Unfortunately, not all scientists have been on the side of truth throughout history. The
the complicity of numerous researchers was repeatedly reflected in such aberrant acts
like the crimes that humanity had to endure. And it is not just a matter of the past but also of the
present.
To get an idea of that complicity and its current relevance, we take the cases of the researchers.
American Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein. These "scientists" have dedicated themselves to gathering great
amount of data to demonstrate a supposed difference in the average intellectual capacity of the
"whites" in relation to "blacks".
In 1996 they published their 'findings' claiming a superiority of IQ (intelligence quotient) of
the 'whites'. They did this through a series of IQ tests above 110. Below this category
they claim that there are 125 million people with an IQ that varies byvalueclose to 90. And,
Obviously, for them there are 12 million people made up of 'blacks' and other minorities that do not
they have a sufficient IQ. And their IQ would be so insufficient that they cannot rise socially. Even,
they argue that it is a waste of time andmoneysubsidizing or supporting the intellectually poor, already
that will last forever in the world of crime, ofunemployment, fromalcoholism, etc.
For these pseudoscientists, it is a biological determinism that implies ainheritanceof a CI that
would forever assign the social condition of aindividual. These American researchers
they intend to explain situations with supposedly genetic reasoningderivativesof structures of
exploitation.
Conclusión
It is not scientifically proven that intelligence is inherited and there is adebateabout intelligence
same.
These ideas must be rejected, especially when the famous IQ tests are constructions.
arbitrary, designed from a social and cultural insertion that many times does not relate to the
reality of the "investigated" people. These researchers (Murray and Hermstein) lack objectivity.
scientific, and therefore deserve my repudiation.

Leroducción

Understanding the meaning of racism is not an easy task, as it is a phenomenon

complex, multifaceted, and painful. Many crimes committed by racists were
inclusive justified with pseudo-scientific theories, thus increasing the confusions.
This phenomenon does not belong only to the past, it is everyday, fueled by ideologies.
defenders of societies fundamentally based on the exploitation of man by the
man. The topic is also current as it has spread in recent years.
worrying form in different parts of the planet. For example, neo-Nazis and skinheads
in Germany, immigrant shelters are being set on fire; supporters of the National Front
of Jean Marie Le Pen in France, who drown Moroccans in the waters of the Seine; the
fascists in Russia attacking Latin American students; discrimination in Spain
against the 'sudacas' (South Americans); etc. Although in this matter, the U.S. maintain
by far the front.
It is necessary to clarify that it is not possible to understand racism in all its complexity without
study it in our region as one of the components of colonial conquest and
neocolonial, which in turn generated the struggles for national and social liberation.

Today, racism has not only gained greater relevance in several capitalist countries but
also greater virulence and these characteristics tend to generalize. The mystifier
The concept of "new world order" is already in their possession and structurally incorporated.

A brief review of history shows us that in the West, racism has adopted
forms of the most violent, aggressive, and subtle. A whole construction was developed
ideological based on seemingly scientific theories to justify ethnocides,
genocides, massacres, torture, lynchings, theft, pillage, exploitation, oppression
domination, alienation, etc.
Consequently, fighting against racism is an integral part of the class struggle. It is a
essentially political combat for a radical change of social structures that now
they maintain the oppression and exploitation of workers, especially the proletariat.
Moreover, the entire fight against racism cannot be limited to the propaganda of ideas.
egalitarian, even in societies where the historical conditions that
they allowed the emergence of racism and its subsequent development. This is so, since it is not
It's easy to remove certain prejudices from a person after integrating them into their personality.

This last aspect goes beyond the historical, political, economic, and sociological framework, for
we are already entering the realm of psychology. Therefore, the following gain greater importance
work of truthful and scientific information, as well as permanent education
as complements in the fight to definitively eradicate racism.
General Objective
Este Trabajo de investigación social consiste en que el los individuos generen una
awareness of the problem of racism, as it is an attitude or a social system that
advocates and asserts that people from different human groups (races) differ in value, that
these differences can be measured or categorized hierarchically, resulting in the
economic, political, and social advantage of a group in relation to others.
Historically, racism has served to justify imperialism, slavery and the
genocide of entire peoples. Racism is often related to egocentrism and the
cultural chauvinism.
This objective supports a good source of information for new generations.
as well as for the elderly and for society in general.
Specific Objective
This work is based on granting or withholding rights or privileges based on the
Refusing to associate with people because of their race is known as racial discrimination.

Sometimes racism refers to beliefs, practices, and institutions that discriminate.

against people based on their perceived or asserted racial grouping. There is an opinion
growing, but somewhat controversial, that racism is a system of oppression -- a web
of racist beliefs (whether they are explicit, tacit, or unconscious), practices,
organizations and institutions that combine to discriminate and marginalize a class of
people who share the same racial designation, based on that designation.
It is also called racism to the pseudoscience, as an anthropological doctrine or ideology.
politics, that defends the existence of several races of human beings and the inferiority of
some regarding others.
My research is mixed because it combines practical and bibliographic elements.
Justificación
Since the last quarter of the 20th century, there have been few in developed countries that
they describe themselves as racists, so identifying a group or person as
Racism is almost always controversial. Racism is seen by many as an affront to the
basic human dignity and a violation of human rights. A number of treaties
International organizations have tried to put an end to racism. The United Nations
The United Nations (UN) uses a definition of racial discrimination based on the Declaration.
on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.
Racism cannot exist outside of history, that is, independently of development.
and succession of social formations as a product of class struggle. Throughout the
Throughout history, there have been various efforts to establish relationships and/or rational explanations.
about racism. The merits of the rationalists of the eighteenth century, for example, are
recognized as important. However, it is only through the use of Marxism that
we can reach a complete understanding of the phenomenon and the way to erase it from the
earth.
It would be too long to develop our viewpoint on the origin of racism.
if we wanted to trace back to the beginnings of Western civilization.
We only remember that the Egyptians regarded all the peoples who were not
they spoke their language like barbarians" as indicated by Herodotus in "Enquete II". The Greeks, at
They were also convinced of their superiority and the supremacy of their civilization.
Various historians believe that, among the belief in the superiority of one
civilization and its language, to the belief in the superiority of one "race" over another, not
there is too much distance.

However, it is necessary to emphasize that there is no solid data regarding

racist behaviors until the end of the ancient world. Although it is true that in the century
In IV BC, Aristotle in his work 'The Politics' developed a theory about the
slave towns with elements close to racist language or analysis, we insist that no
they are determinative for considering his work as such.

Racism is a disastrous product of the modern world. It was engendered by civilization.

occidental que se impuso como consecuencia de la conquista colonial, en especial cuando
through supposedly scientific theses humanity began to be divided into groups
starting from phenotypes (skin color, shape of the nose, hair texture, thickness of the
lips, etc.). That is to say, to classify the human species based on anatomical features
hereditary. Thus, arbitrarily, those theses claimed that an ethnicity possessed
characteristics of beauty, intelligence, superiority and others of inferiority
Analysis
All of this begins many centuries ago, but this is presented more in the
the colonial era, in the 16th century, when New Spanish society was divided into
various groups, according to the color or the ethnicity of the people. The Spaniards were owners of the
most of the lands, mines, and wealth, dominated the castes (mixes of Indians,
Spanish and black.

Type of breed occupation

They owned most of the land, mines and

businesses; in their hands was the direction of the government and
Peninsular Spanish la iglesia. Dominaban al resto de los grupos sociales.

Secondary positions such as priests, officials,

Artists and writers also had lands and mines.
They had contact with the Mexican land and with the Indians,
Creole blacks and mestizos.

They worked in mines, on estates, they were also

servants, artisans, stewards, muleteers, and small ones
mestizo merchants.

They worked on estates, in the mines, in the cities

as servants, or craftsmen, employed in the workshops,
they owned lands which were taken from them and they had
who worked for the Spaniards, Creoles, and mestizos. They lived
in the misery and slavery of the indigenous people was always
Indigenous prohibited by law.
 Heavy work in the mines, the sugar mills, the
ganadería y en el servicio domestico.
black They were slaves.

Problem Statement
The racist operates from a framework that accounts for the existence of differences in character.
physical differences between individuals. Obviously, to reject and even destroy another based on those
differences seem irrational, but the problem is not that simple and deserves its study.

Indeed, for the racist, physical differences mean inequalities among men.
and these would be natural and inevitable. That is to say, in our genetic code there would exist a
certain biological determinism capable of explaining, for example, intelligence in a group
determined and its absence in another. Explain the inequalities between men based on
Genetic claims are as absurd as trying to understand "racial" conflicts.
without studying the conflicts in the first place and not the 'races'.

For some biologists, "race" refers solely to the genetic part that accounts for
of physical differences between humans and does not speak of other types of differentiation.
Biology leaves no doubt about it. It clearly states that the concept of 'race' is
applicable to a "group of individuals that tends to remain stable through the
generations and defined its genetic heritage as the sum of the DNA molecules
of the components of human society. This theoretical approach does not have its application in
the human species". (Critique of Biological Determinism - It's not in the genes - by S.
Rose, Lewontin and Kamin.
From an anthropological point of view, the concept of 'race' allows us to elaborate some
classification scheme. However, it is so arbitrary that it could classify to the
humanity in as many "races" as the anthropologist pleases.
There has been evolution and based on it, we must interpret the current diversity of the
human species, and not under pseudoscientific schemes. The provoking processes of
scientifically recognized genetic changes are: selection, crossbreeding, the
mutations and genetic neglect. This latter factor is valid in the origin of the
human collectives. As there are no 'races' as biological entities, one can
to assert that racism exists regardless of races. Therefore, it is necessary
a comprehensive understanding of the relationships between the assertions of Biology and what
social.
Understanding those relationships means that it cannot exist in our genes.
relevant social behavior that is not modifiable through conditioning
social. There is interaction between genes and social conditioning. Living organisms, such as
Men do not inherit their traits, but only their genes, the DNA molecules.
that are found in the fertilized egg. Every living organism goes through a process
historical development that is the basis of all scientific explanation to determine
differences between human beings. In this sense, and not as a simple reflection of the
social circumstances, we agree with the 'Theses on Feuerbach' by Karl Marx, that
it is not consciousness that determines existence, but social existence that
determines consciousness.

For all the above, it is obvious that we are faced with a myth, in
name of which the most abominable crimes were committed and continue to be committed.
It is interesting to now remember some points of the UNESCO Declaration on
racism and racial prejudices, disseminated in 1967:
All the men who live in our time belong to the same species and
they descend from the same trunk.

The division of the species into 'races' is partly conventional or arbitrary and does not imply
no hierarchy and no order. Numerous anthropologists point out the importance of the
human variability but they think that 'racial' divisions have a scientific interest
limited and can lead to an abusive generalization.

In the current state of biological knowledge, we would not be able to attribute the
cultural achievements of the peoples in contrast to genetic potential. The differences
the achievements of the various peoples are fully explained by their history
cultural. The peoples of the current world seem to possess equal biological potentials that
allow them to reach any level of civilization.

Ultimately, as the Argentine scientist Enrique Luis Armoza tells us in his work
"Discriminación y racismo": "En principio se entiende por raza aquello que está relacionado
with the reproductive capacity or reproductive possibility of a species; it pertains to the
fertility of its members. Behold, the entire human species is potentially fertile,
therefore and in principle we conclude that the concept of race could only be applicable to
the somatic characteristics and never linked to a socio-religious classification. To its
Yes, this application to the somatic will depend on the context in which it is used.
The same cars explain to us: "Starting from an arbitrary selection guided by traits
visible or phenotypic criteria, four types of races were classified: white, red or copper,
yellow and black. This criterion is discarded because the concept of race also exists.
if a racial consciousness anchored in community belonging appears, which can
to lead to an action of contempt and segregation. Therefore, science rejects the
term in the human context. Race is a socially defined term and these
definitions differ between societies.

Armoza is even more forceful when he states: 'Historically, there has been a search to divide the
human species in races, for this diagnostic characteristics have been used such
such as skin pigmentation, hair type, lip shapes, nose shapes, height, etc.
But this racial distinction should not exist because it is partial and genetic, since it has no
keep in mind that every natural group of beings has an unavoidable variability, which implies
the impossibility of categorizing individuals in a society... Hate and rivalries
racial notions feed on scientifically false ideas and coexist with ignorance... With the
In order to justify aggression, racism is the widespread valuation of differences.
biológicas en beneficio de una élite dominante y en perjuicio de sus víctimas".
Finally, as we can see, we emphasized one of the forms of racism,
perhaps the most classic, the racism resulting from colonization and not to other forms such as
for example, antisemitism. However, it is necessary to emphasize that regardless of
In its forms, the concept of 'race' is a myth and nothing more.

Theoretical Framework

The differences that can be observed in the physical appearance of men who
belonging to different races do not allow for prejudging the existence of ways of being or
of actions characteristic of the members of each of the human varieties, without forgetting,
Furthermore, the only physical differences that anthropologists have been able to adopt as
practical means of discrimination refers to superficial details; skin color, color
and shape of the eyes and hair, shape of the skull, lips and nose, height, etc. In the
the moment one abandons the field of pure biology, the word race loses all
meaning. Beyond the political division into nationalities, there is no doubt that it can
classify men into groups characterized by a certain community of
behaviors, but it depends on various cultures how they can be established.
groups that match the groups established based on similarities in appearance
corporal and cannot be ordered according to a hierarchy based on anything other than
pragmatic considerations devoid of any absolute value since they are
necessarily tied to our own cultural system; a hierarchy that holds no value, in
summary, more than for a specific period, as cultures are endowed with
mobility, even more than races, and any people capable of one of
very rapid cultural evolution after many centuries of semi-stagnation. It can
one wonders, under such conditions, where this prejudice that leads to
to consider certain human groups inferior due to a racial composition that,
As intended, it inevitably places them at a disadvantage.
Racial prejudice is not hereditary, nor spontaneous; it is a prejudice, that is to say, a judgment without
objective base and of cultural origin; far from being found in things or being inherent to culture
human, is part of the myths originated by interested propaganda, much more
that is based on a secular tradition. Since it is essentially linked to
antagonisms based on the economic structure of modern societies, no
it will disappear unless the peoples transform this structure, just as it happens
with other prejudices that are not the cause of social injustice but rather symptoms. And so
thanks to the cooperation of all human groups regardless of what they are, on a level
of inequality, unprecedented perspectives will open up for civilization.
Racial superiority or inferiority are concepts relative to each culture, and they depend
of their scale of values.
If it is true that races are statistically differentiated social groups from one another
others, it is also evident that their differences have produced the idea that some are
superior to others. The assumption of superiority or inferiority has been maintained, over
Everything, based on the cultural or civilization progress made by each
race.
If we analyze the scientific and technological achievements of Western civilizations
contemporary and compared with those obtained with other races, it will be observed that
the Caucasoids are at the pinnacle of material progress; in this sense the
Mongoloids occupy an intermediate place, while Negroids are found in the
threshold of minimal progress on the evolutionary scale, except for the Australoids, which
they appear linked to him at a lower cultural level considered racially.
These are facts that are worth considering based on different factors. If some of
these racial differences are attributable to the environment and others recognized as due to
genetic inheritance, it is undeniable that this presupposes the existence of a double
initial perspective to assess the phenomenon of racial differentiation; for this reason,
provides a basis for comparison in terms of racial superiority and inferiority
for the culture that must obviously consider the problem from the perspective
relativist, although certain facts must also be assessed based on the acknowledgment of
what is good for some activities is not necessarily good for others.
Likewise, it is worth considering that race-culture correlations always have a character
subjective and obey more to emotional reactions than to fully-fledged situations
objectives. In any case, the correlations made between racial morphology and progress
relative cultural aspects tend to be the expression of viewpoints that are hardly
admitted as convincing in light of strict science. Essentially, it impresses
the idea that when taking stock of the cultural achievements obtained by the races, only
they think of isolated racial groups, that is, the blacks from Central Africa, the
Eskimos or the Austaloids.
But, hardly ever is there thought given to modern populations, where members of all the
races live in a single national society, for example, the United States, where the
races have distinguished individuals in various fields of expression of intelligence.
To such an extent, if what truly distinguishes man from other animals is the
intelligence, it is obvious that all races have intelligent individuals and, likewise, that
the percentages of people who are intelligent in each race vary depending on the
environments in which they live and the cultural stimuli they receive. Thus a society
complex or urban-industrial, like the modern ones, undoubtedly offers better
conditions that any other for the development of complex intellectual functions
of the individuals who live in them and are subjects of their sociocultural possibilities.
Chapter 1
Racismo: actores y víctimas
Racism has historically been a banner to justify expansionist endeavors,
conquest, colonization, and domination and has gone hand in hand with intolerance, the
injustice and violence.
Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Guatemalan indigenous leader
These words of Rigoberta Menchú exemplify the magnitude of the problem of racism.
as a cause of social conflicts. The Nobel Peace Prize calls for the
worldwide awareness, to understand that racism has been a tool used by the
great conquerors in their quest for power, that racism has not
merely nationalist sentiments, but rather these have been the means by which
A few have launched into the power struggle.
Racism has become the banner of empires and peoples, who justify their anger in
against those who are 'different'. The changes we have recently experienced at a level
worldwide, this new era of globalization has made entire peoples relive the
feelings of nationalism, unfortunately in a wrong way. Because of leaders
aspirants to power, these feelings of nationalism have been driven to
through anger, hatred, intolerance, and violence. The purpose of this article is
to exemplify how racism has been the cause of different social conflicts and who have
are its actors and victims.
In order to understand the context of this very serious social problem, we must first know
What are the causes of so much intolerance in our society.
What is racism? Racism is a theory based on prejudice according to which
there are human races that show biological differences that justify relationships of
dominance among them, as well as behaviors of rejection or aggression. The term
"racismo" se aplica tanto a esta doctrina como al comportamiento inspirado en ella y se
is often associated with xenophobia and social segregation, which are its
most evident manifestations.
On this topic, recognized individuals in the global arena have the following opinions:

Racism is a tragedy, but the world can find a cure against it, assured the
former South African president Nelson Mandela to the delegates of the III World Conference
against Racism, which took place in the South African city of Durban.

Racism has often been described as a disease, and it is a problem for

All of us. Racism is a disease of the mind and soul. It kills many.
more than any infection," affirmed Mándela.
"It dehumanizes anyone who touches it," the South African politician continued saying in a
audiovisual message sent to the conference participants. 'The tragedy is that
We have the cure within our reach, but we have not taken advantage of it yet,
Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for his opposition to the racist regime of South Africa,
he said that the defeat of apartheid is a victory. "Apartheid was just a symptom of the
illness. To overcome racism, we must administer a treatment that is
complete and holistic.
Racism is a sin that constitutes a serious offense against God.
words spoken by John Paul II.
Gilberto Rincón Gallardo has emphasized that there is a culture of it in Mexico.
discrimination, openly recognized by the authorities and that, above all, had
disposition, starting from society, to combat it.
Fidel Castro expresses his opinion regarding racism: "The problem of racial discrimination is,
unfortunately, one of the most complex and difficult problems that the
Revolution must address. The problem of racial discrimination is not the problem
The rent is not the problem of the expensive medicines, it is not the problem of the Company.
of Telephones. It is not even the problem of large estates, which is one of the problems
serious issues that we have to face.
Perhaps the most difficult of all the problems we have ahead, perhaps the most difficult of
all the injustices that have existed in our environment are the problem
what it means for us to put an end to that injustice that is racial discrimination,
although it may seem incredible.

There are mental order problems that constitute barriers for a revolution.
difficulties can constitute the most powerful vested interests. We do not
we have to fight only against a series of interests and privileges that have been
gravitating over the nation and over the people; we have to fight against ourselves,
We have to fight very hard against ourselves.
And I ask myself what the difference is between one injustice and another injustice, what difference
There is between the landless peasant and the black man who is not given the opportunity to work. Is it
the black man who does not work does not die of hunger like the farmer who
Do you not have land?

And why does the Revolution have the obligation to resolve injustices, and not?
to be obligated to resolve that?
However, there are people who go to church and are racist, there are people who call themselves
revolutionary and is racist, there are people who call themselves good and are racist, there are people who
it calls cultured and is racist.
And have I come to address this injustice, which I dealt with all the care that a
The ruler must address the problems of his country, because I clearly stated that no.
A law should be necessary to put an end to such an injustice that was arising.
an absurd prejudice, and I am one of those who believe that prejudices are not fought with
laws; they are fought with arguments, they are fought with reasons, they are fought with
persuasion is fought with education.
What is xenophobia? Xenophobia is the hatred or horror of foreigners, while the
social segregation refers to the separation of individuals that make up a
community, as they are understood to be heterogeneous or non-assimilable based on criteria
ideological, ethnic, religious or of another nature.
What are racial prejudices? Also, within this context, it is important
to point out that it is a racial prejudice. It can be said that racial prejudice is the product of
an affective-active state which is never the result of reflection, is that state
affective that we cannot nullify through reasoning not by demonstration, the
Racial prejudice is a state influenced by political and economic circumstances. The
factors that promote racial prejudices are:
Heterogeneity of the population coexisting and competing.
Ignorance, lack of information and communication.
Demographic growth of the discriminated group.
Rivalries and conflicts over work.
Biased propaganda.
What is ethnocentrism? On the other hand, ethnocentrism refers to an attitude in
that cultures believe their racial models are good for everyone and that those who are
Those inferior to them must apply them.
Both racism, ethnocentric feelings, xenophobia, and racial prejudices are
those who constitute this environment of intolerance and hatred that exists among beings of
one same race, the human race. But all of this revolves around four beliefs about
of racism exemplified by Carlos Caballero in his article 'Racism. Genesis and
development of an ideology of Modernity.
The word 'racism' refers to a belief whose fundamental traits would be the
following:
Believing that human beings are fundamentally divided into races. And, in
consequence, to attribute a decisive anthropological importance to the factor of race.

Assign immutable characteristics to races, and believe that the transmitted traits
Hereditary traits are not only physical characteristics but also certain aptitudes and attitudes.
psychological, which are the ones that generate the cultural differences that can be appreciated.

To believe that there is a hierarchy among races, with some, or some of them, being superior to others.
the others.
Understanding the mixing of races as a process of degeneration of the 'superior' races.
The most curious thing about the case is that with the scientific and technological advances we have
developed in this last part of our history, racism has no
foundation for its existence. Recently, a team made up of the professors
Luca Cavalli-Sforza, Paolo Menozi, and Alberto Piazza published the work titled "The History"
 and Geography of Human Genes", in this work the authors deny that there is a basis
scientific racism. Through techniques developed by Population Genetics,
these scientists have reached the undeniable conclusion that there is no basis
scientific method that allows classifying human beings into races. It has been shown that the
biochemical, genetic, and blood diversity among individuals who are assumed to be from a
the same 'race' is even greater than that which exists between 'different races'. The factors
biological factors on which our concept of race is based are only external, the data
provided by new techniques such as: the analysis of phylogenetic trees, of the
nuclear and mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms propose a new scenario where
the concept of race is irrelevant and even non-existent. In light of this new landscape
exposed by molecular biology, some scientists still disagree.
With this reflection, we understand that the racial problem on the surface may be
based on the difference of races, but at no time can we say that it is
a conflict of genetic nature. Men have learned to classify themselves into races,
None of us are born with such knowledge of hierarchy. Racism is a state.
mental induced by those actors after power.
The first racist theory was written by the Frenchman Joseph Arthur, Count of Gobineau in the
year 1853. The most important points that I outline in his famous Essay on the
The inequality of the human races are:
There are superior, dominant branches, which are nothing but branches of the same family, the
aria, and they have brought life to the brightest cultural forms and to the most
powerful.
The decline of those nations and cultures has occurred due to degeneration.
biological of the races, due to miscegenation.

History is nothing but the battlefield where struggles between races are fought.

The social and political context of the time is what gave this Theory a great resonance.
At that time, Europe was experiencing a great political and military boom.
technological, scientific, and cultural. Europe was in the conquest of the world. Racism
it was being used by the white imperialist nations as an ideology of
legitimization of expansionist policies. On the other hand, the scientific context gave it a
important highlight to this first racist theory. Shortly after Gobineau gave to
to know his work, Darwin presented his ideas about nature, where he argued
that in the 'battle for life' only the 'strongest' triumph and that this was the 'engine of the
evolution". Darwin's ideas were immediately popularized and applied to the field
human calling it "Social Darwinism".
Gobineau's theories are a legacy of the Enlightenment, the concept of racism is also
legacy of this period, which is why observers like George L. Moose have not hesitated
in defining racism as the dark side of enlightenment, "the shadow side of
Enlightenment. And for those who believe that racism is a concept of the past, they should read
the works of Louis Dumont, who argues that racism is a typically
modern and deeply related to individualism.
Actors of Racism
Undoubtedly, one of the main actors of racism is the State. In any strategy
that is adopted against racism, the State has a central role. As an example, we have
the worst cases of genocidal and institutional racism of the 20th century: Nazism in Germany,
the apartheid of South Africa, the Rwandan conflict in 1994. In all of them the governments
 they played a predominant role both in the enactment of discriminatory laws and
in the promotion of racist values. One must not lose sight of the fact that the State has in its
fundamental responsibilities such as education, the enactment of laws
justice, the impartial administration of justice, and the maintenance of norms and values of
equity in society.
In addition, states have the duty to protect the rights of citizens of others.
countries that live within its territory. The State has the obligation to:
Enact laws that prohibit racial discrimination.
Establish the conducive mechanisms that stimulate surveillance over the incidence of
racism and racial discrimination within institutions and societies.
Publicly condemn the institutions that commit such a crime.
Ensure that public institutions and state officials are sanctioned who
Justice is denied for racial reasons.
The intra- and interstate conflict is closely associated with political manipulation of
racial ideas and social polarization. Political mobilization combined with differences both
real and imagined among groups occurs frequently when the State
distribute resources by applying ethnic criteria. The cases of Yugoslavia and Rwanda are
representatives. The situation of the Palestinians in Israel is also representative, a country in which the
The state continues to deny equal access to resources and prevents them from participating.
openly in the political system.
Racism can unleash conflicts that affect national identity in various ways: it
affect other nations or groups; accelerate both the physical and social separation of
communities; and makes it impossible to identify with trans-social goals and identities
alternatives. In Rwanda and in Kosovo, for example, extremists took advantage of the
fears and frustrations of the population. The racist discourse was used to deepen the
distrust and "group hatred," which over time led to extreme violence. In
Rwanda, the Hutu militias massacred the Tutsis, and in Kosovo, the expelled the
Albanians. In both cases, men, women, and children were imprisoned and committed.
violations, tortures, and murders. These crimes were essentially political acts of
racist ideology.
The language of hate is more likely to provoke violent conflict when the
government institutions monopolize the source of information and when there are few
public forums that promote the free exchange of ideas. Racist speech, often
through a historical mythology, create a victim culture. A person who feels
victim becomes an aggressor more easily. There are many types of dissemination of
I hate that they allow for the creation of a victim culture, but the racist discourse is particularly
cash.
Victims' Responses

People who suffer from racism respond in various ways. Some communities
internalize the values of the system that oppresses them. Many Hindus from lower castes
they accept their condition for believing that they have been morally guilty in an existence
previous. To some extent, these fatalistic perceptions are also found among the
indigenous communities of Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. On another level, the children or women
they tend to particularly believe that if they suffer discrimination or abuse it is because they are
responsible or partially responsible for the behavior they are subjected to.
Another way for oppressed communities to respond is to isolate themselves from the whole.
from the society that oppresses them. Sometimes they rely on a differentiated culture, and they can
do it in a negative introspective way. This answer also internalizes, although
in a different way, the expectations of society as a whole. Another example is the
division of minority communities in American cities.
Minority cultures can become oppressive. In the United Kingdom, the community
Asian people suffer considerably from racism and have responded by isolating themselves.
culture, which has become authoritarian in various aspects. Its reaction is expressed
mainly at the expense of women, many of whom are denied some of their
fundamental rights. Thus, as we can observe, one of the effects of the
racial discrimination in certain societies is to reinforce intolerance and the
authoritarianism within oppressed cultures.
A very different response to racial discrimination is to hold back. That is, the
people often choose to live within the limits and expectations of society that
surrounds it. An example of this response can be seen in the way that sport
has become the field in which blacks excel. Many groups that suffer
discrimination practices self-censorship, limit their own aspirations and allow that
members who are less capable than those from other groups are advanced, because they recognize the risks
what it entails to compete. The semi-conscious feeling, or privately acknowledged, of fear
e intimidación, que puede no tener causa explícita, rara vez se discute, ni siquiera en el
breast of the oppressed communities themselves. It is one of the issues that should
address the policymakers who wish to tackle racism at its roots.
discrimination.
Another response from the victims is to adopt the stereotypical behavior that the prejudice
waiting for them. In practice, this response can become reality and trap the
victims in the stereotype they have consciously adopted. Some victims of the
racial oppression in turn oppresses those they consider inferior. The victims of
racism are not immune to racist attitudes either. In many cases, people are
those who are treated as inferior seem to feel the need to find others about the
that declare themselves superior. Societies in which this occurs do not only become 'racialized'
but develop racial hierarchies. Racism and discrimination fall in a way
vertical throughout the system, inflicting even greater hardship on the poorest and the
more vulnerable. Apartheid was clearly a system of this type; it is also the
caste system of India. The response of the Albanian Kosovars after the
international military intervention is a recent example. The oppressed groups also
they contribute to maintaining the status quo. It is often difficult for groups
oppressed individuals should cooperate with one another for a common and superior interest. A
an extreme example is offered by some Caribbean societies where stratification
racial is very complex and marked, and in which members of relatively lighter skin
white people are considered superior to those with darker skin in the same society. One thing
It is assigning blame, which can be done rightly, but no solution will be found for these.
problems while the communities in question reproduce and contribute to maintaining
complicated distinctions of color and social condition.
The transformations that the global economy has undergone are being translated into a
marginalization of those who are poor and less capable of taking advantage of the new
opportunities. When the State withdraws from a whole series of social responsibilities,
these same individuals often find themselves in a position of vulnerability still
mayor. At the same time, the portion of the global population that has benefited
unexpectedly from these same changes in the world economy, is being left each
the most isolated day for the poor and for those who suffer the most from all kinds of discrimination is
in their countries or internationally.

To change attitudes, it is necessary to educate and raise public awareness, but it is evident
that this will not be enough either. In many cases, racism is a rational response
to defend privileges. Education by itself will not change the conflict of interests
that makes it function and reproduce. In some cases, a change cannot occur.
positive without economic reforms and without new economic resources. In others,
distinct and more imaginative strategies will be required to destroy the strata of
denial that causes some groups to harass others or ignore their needs.
Doctor in Anthropology and university professor, Karina Pacheco (Cusco, 1970) has
made a promising literary debut with The Will of the Molle, an extensive novel
that combines drama with social reflection. It is the story of the sisters Elena
and Elisa who discover, upon their mother's death, a trunk with letters and
documents that reveal a series of family secrets and the existence of a
maternal brother (Javier) of whom they knew nothing. When following the traces of that
brother they will discover all the injustice and violence –Javier was a Shining Path militant
and died very young - that surround the kind Cusqueño world in which they live.

As Gustavo Faverón points out in his anthology All the Bloods, in the fictions
subversive characters often start from a 'natural affiliation'
"problematic" to reach the "precipice of party affiliation." The will of the
soft develops only the first part of the process - the problematic origin of
Javier – in a melodramatic key, always emphasizing the emotions of the
protagonists. Pacheco's greatest success is the incorporation of this story, and without
that loses its character of an eminently female melodrama, of a diversity
on themes through the stories of secondary characters like Aunt Julia
(racism), grandmother Gema (prejudices and authoritarianism) or the elderly Matilde
extreme poverty.

With this resource, the problems of other novels that have been overcome are achieved.
addressed political violence from the melodrama, as The blue hourfrom Alonso
Cueto. With almost no secondary characters, Cueto multiplies the roles of his
protagonists, leading to the point where in that novel, father and son fall in love with
the same woman. Pacheco avoids those twists in the plot and also the
customary excesses; and despite setting his novel in Cusco, he does not abuse of
the elements of "local color" (traditional festivals, tourist spots), abundant
in other novels of similar themes.

Since it is the first work by an author with almost no literary background, the
the novel continues to present some weaknesses: Javier gets too close to the
stereotype of the hiker as a "social resentful," as it has been described by the
sociologist Félix Reátegui; there are some errors and inaccuracies regarding
the language. However, those details, the will of the mill is a good first
book, a novel about political violence at least comparable to the
awarded
RP 340: Racism in the
Peruvian families
PUBLISHED: 2011-01-24

If you have ever been to a children's party with cake and jellies, if you have ever...
They said "What do you think" when you suspected there were nephews in your family,
favorite cousins or siblings or if you want to know how racism affects life
daily life of Peruvians, you will find that The Will of the Molle, by Karina
Pacheco Medrano is a fascinating novel.

The plot centers on two middle-class young women from Cusco, whose parents
they have passed away. Through some letters, they discover that in the years
seventy, her mother had a lover, but her parents cut it short.
brutally the relationship: the young man was the son of a peasant woman, too mestizo
to be acceptable. They unjustly had him imprisoned and then delivered
to his own grandson to some farmers from Chumbivilcas.

The two sisters begin to evoke children's parties, First Communions,

fights among cousins and other episodes with their grandparents and other relatives
friends appear treating the cousins of skin more like little princes
white and with distance from the darkest. Daughters-in-law and sons-in-law are also
treated according to their skin color.

The novel explores the paradox, so Peruvian, that one person can be
tender and spoiled with her loved ones, but cruel and inhumane with a
household worker or a farmer.
The Will of the Molle brings forth memories in every reader about
how racism was experienced in your own family:

When we went to Cusco, I ended up fighting with my whiter brother.

My friend who lent me the book confesses to me -because my grandparents spoiled him.
so much that they made me feel envy and anger towards him.

My fairest sister was the only one who could say that a meal didn't appeal to her.
she liked. I knew that my mom could always prepare something special for her.
a friend of mine tells me.

The preference for my whiter brother was such that I was left with no choice but to be
smart – declares a future lawyer.

In all these situations, it is impossible to apply the frequent argument of 'no

it is not racial discrimination, but social," because the differences occur within
from the most intimate family environment. While I was reading the novel, I began to think about
How many Peruvians have had racist aunts or grandparents, just like how many.
In some cases, our parents wanted to protect us from racism or sometimes they...
the same ones succumbed to this, unconsciously. I start to think that
It must have been very difficult to face a problem that could not even be addressed before.
to name.
The Will of the Molle presents Cusco as a deeply
hierarchized for racial reasons. Even children know they can mistreat
a classmate if they come from the countryside, speaks Spanish poorly or does not live
with their parents, also a very common cause of mistreatment.

The protagonist also observes that many Cusqueños with Andean features
they are happy to have a "Hispanic surname to cling to in order to survive
in Peru.” In the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, all the characters
they seemed determined to be less Indian. 'My Cusco legs boasted
of having a wider forehead, because Indians almost have no forehead," agrees
a friend.

That's why, when the narrator manages to find the family of the first love.
from her mother, a painful lack of communication appears: she is unable to speak
Quechua, even though he has listened to that language all his life. Many
middle-class people from Cusco (or from Huamanga or Huaraz) live like this, isolated
of people who are very close, as if unconsciously they or their
parents would have decided it wasn't worth communicating with beings
inferiors.

Towards the last chapters, the novel becomes weaker, because the author leaves
to be based on the world he knows, to imagine a series of crimes
somewhat unrealistic, with the somewhat forced introduction of Shining Path and
the state repression. It may seem somewhat fatalistic that several characters
discriminated people have become hikers... but at the same time,
we should think about how much suffering may have existed behind many
senderistas to commit such heinous crimes.

Another limitation of the novel is some passages that leave the literary style.
to become almost a sociological reflection, like a text by Nelson Manrique
or an RP. However, these are minor weaknesses against the
the depth with which Karina Pacheco addresses racism, a topic that for
many Peruvian literati have been taboo. Even in indigenous novels,
the abuses of the local bosses seem to be an economic or social problem, which
could be overcome through Agrarian Reform, economic development and the
boost to rural education.
The Will of the Molle shows how racism persists despite changes
social and is manifested in daily life, even in the most routine lunch
with grandma...

What would happen if more people dared to give a similar testimony?

According to its structure, the essay must be presented in a certain order:

Introduction: it expresses the theme and objective of the essay; it explains the content and the
subtopics or chapters covered, as well as the criteria applied in the text, is 10%
the essay and spans about half a page. Its specific objective is to capture the attention of
the readers.

Development of the topic: it contains the exposition and analysis of it, personal ideas are proposed.
and are supported by information from necessary sources: books, magazines, the internet, interviews and
others.

It constitutes 80% of the essay; it spans about 4 to 5 pages, although we must

remember that the length is shaped according to the ideas that are developed (each paragraph is
It consists of a main idea and several secondary ones). It contains the entire developed topic,
using the internal structure: 60% synthesis, 20% summary, and 20% commentary.

Conclusions, in this section the author expresses his own ideas on the topic, he allows himself
give some suggestions for a solution, conclude the ideas that were worked on in the development of
theme and propose lines of analysis for later writings. They account for the other 10% of the
essay, about half a page

Bibliography, at the end the references of the consulted sources that were used for
gather information and support ideas or criticisms; these sources can be books, magazines,
internet, interviews, television programs, videos, etc.
1. Title
2. Author
3. Introductory part
4. Development
5. Conclusion or closing
6. Bibliography

Remember: An essay must answer the following questions:

What is it? = general objective

o ¿Cómo? = Método
or Where? = space
o ¿Cuándo? = Tiempo
o ¿Por qué? = Justificación

What are the steps to write an essay?

Select and define the topic: this is necessary in order to begin the search for
information that theoretically supports the content of the essay.

Information search: It allows us to select texts, authors, sources, etc. to start

the documentation stage

Reading: this should be done with a work attitude; it is a reading of

study. At this point, it is necessary to carry out the following activities:

The underlining is done by locating the main ideas of the authors; it is

commonly known as a summary, which will serve to support the essay with
textos o frases al pie de la letra, entrecomillados.

The analysis: consists of the classification of information, organizing it and

understand her.

The synthesis: it is the most important step, as it involves knowing how to express the
ideas of the authors in one's own words. To have the concept, the
the idea is the objective of this moment and to know how to express it orally or by
written, using your own style. From here, the writing of the paragraphs begins that
they will make up our essay.

The comment: it is a personal contribution, accompanied by reflections,

critiques, comments, and proposals, generally written as the conclusion of the essay.
What should the structure of an essay be?

According to its structure, the essay must be presented in a certain order:

Introduction: it expresses the topic and the objective of the essay; it explains the content and the
subthemes or chapters covered, as well as the criteria applied in the text, is 10%
of the essay and covers about half a page. Its specific objective is to capture the attention of
the readers.

Development of the topic: it contains the exposure and analysis of it, and personal ideas are proposed.
and are supported by information from necessary sources: books, magazines, internet, interviews and
others.

It constitutes 80% of the essay; it covers about 4 to 5 pages, although we must

remember that the length is shaped according to the ideas that are developed (each paragraph is
composed of a main idea and several secondary ones). In it goes the entire developed topic,
using the internal structure: 60% synthesis, 20% summary, and 20% comment.

Conclusions, in this section the author expresses his own ideas on the subject, he allows himself
give some solution suggestions, close the ideas that were worked on in the development of
theme and propose lines of analysis for future writings. They account for the other 10% of the
essay, about half a page

Bibliography, at the end the references of the consulted sources that were used for
gather information and support ideas or criticisms; these sources can be books, magazines,
internet, interviews, television programs, videos, etc.

Last year I took the methodology! I wish you good luck

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