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.
that others. Racism is something that has been around for many years because
The white race always had power and they took those of the dark race.
like slaves keeping them tied, beaten and humiliated. Then,
let's stop and look for a moment at this crowd, are they all
discriminating against one another?

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

teenagers, which causes a great fear of not being able to express what is happening to them and
These people can end up in a very bad situation out of fear of saying what is happening.
Also in many places it is seen how some people find it impossible.
to get a job, a place at any educational institution, a medical appointment
or simply a small favor on the street due to the racism that exists in the
society enduring in many cases mistreatment and mockery from others.

Racism can be defined as a method of racial, social, and

a culture that consists of belittling the differences among people.
Many criticize those who are different, I am different, I fight against racism.
But that's okay, people say, you have to defend others, to the
What is mistreated and emotionally hurt, and what do they do to stop it?
Telling someone else to do it, telling them to do it because one mentally believes.
not to be discriminatory, believe to be good.

Racism is one of the problems of global significance, 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 such that
It was given to young people in Africa and after a few years it spread to the world.
whole.

In conclusion, racism should not be used anywhere, nor against anyone.

person since it can affect a lot in the psychological aspect of the affected person.
All human beings are equal and have the same rights,
no one can define 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, thus increasing the confusions.
This phenomenon does not belong only to the past, it is everyday, fueled by the defending ideologies.
ofsocietiesFundamentally based on the exploitation of themanbythe man. The topic is
also current since in recent years it has spread worryingly 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 drown
Moroccans in the waters of the Seine; the fascists who inRussiaattacking Latin American students;
thediscriminationinSpainagainst the 'sudacas' (South Americans); etc. Although in thissubject, the
The U.S. is far ahead.
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 various capitalist countries but also greater
virulence and these characteristics tend to generalize. The deceiverconceptnew world order
they already have them in their possession and structurally integrated.
A brief review of thehistoryussamplethat in the West racism has taken on forms of the most
violent, aggressive, and subtle. A whole was developedconstructionideological based on theories
apparently scientific to justify ethnocides, genocides, massacres, tortures, lynchings, theft,
pillaging, exploitation, oppression, domination, alienation, etc.
Consequently, fighting against racism is an integral part of the class struggle. It is a combat
essentially political for achangeradical ofstructuressocial structures that now maintain oppression and the
exploitation of workers, especially the proletariat.
Moreover, the entire fight against racism cannot be limited to promoting egalitarian ideas, even in
societies where the historical conditions that allowed the emergence of racism were eradicated and
his/her posteriordevelopment. This is the case, as it is not easy to remove certain prejudices from a man after
theintegrationto hispersonality.
This last aspect goes beyond the historical, political, economic, and sociological framework, as we are already entering into
the plan of thepsychology. For this reason, the works of acquire greater importanceinformationtruth and
scientific, as well aseducationpermanent as complements in the fight to eradicate
definitely racism.

Originofracism
Racism cannot exist outside of history, that is to say, independently of development and succession.
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 complete understanding of the phenomenon and the way
to erase it from theearth.
It would be too lengthy to develop our point of view 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 indicated by Herodotus 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 too much distance.
However, it is necessary to emphasize that there are nodatafirms regarding 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 peoples with nearby elements
to thelanguageo analysisracist, we insist that they are not determining factors to consider his work as such.
Racism is a dreadful product of the modern world. It was engendered by Western civilization that
imposed as a consequence of colonial conquest, especially when throughthesissupposedly
scientific began to divide humanity intogroupsstarting from phenotypes(colorfrom theskin, shape of the
nose, hair texture, thickness of the lips, etc.). That is, to classify the human species based on
hereditary anatomical characters. Thus, arbitrarily, those theses claimed that aethnicitypossessed
characteristics of beauty,intelligence, superiority and others of inferiority.

Read more: [Link]

"Race" as a myth

The racist operates from a framework that accounts for the existence of differences in physical characteristics between
individuals. Obviously, rejecting and even destroying another infunctionof those differences seems 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 ourcodegenetic there would be a certain biological determinism
able to explain, for example, theintelligencein agroupdetermined and its absence in another. Explain the
inequalities among men based on genetic claims is as absurd as trying to understand
theconflicts"raciales" sin estudiar los conflictos en primer término y no las "razas".
For some biologists, 'race' refers only to the partgeneticswhich accounts for differences
physical differences between human beings and does not talk about 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 thesocietyhuman.
This theoretical proposal 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 scheme of
classification. However, it is so arbitrary that humanity could be classified into so many
"races" as it pleases the anthropologist.
There wasevolutionand based on it, we must interpret the current diversity of the human species, and
not under pseudoscientific schemes. Theprocessesrecognized genetic change inducers
scientifically they are: theselection, the mestizaje, mutations, and genetic neglect. This last factor
it is valid in the origin of human communities. Since there are no 'races' as entities
biológicas, se puede afirmar que el racismexists independently of races. Therefore it is
an integral understanding of the relationships between the assertions of Biology and the social.
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 rather
only their genes, the DNA molecules found in the fertilized egg. Every organism
vivo goes through aprocesshistorical ofdevelopmentwhat is the basis of all scientific explanation for
determine differences between human beings. In this sense, and not merely as a simple reflection of the
circunstancias sociales, coincidimos con las "Thesisabout FeuerbachCarlos Marx, which is not
theconsciousness"It is not consciousness that determines existence, but social existence that determines consciousness."
Given all the above, it is obvious that we are faced with amyth, in whose name
They committed and continue to commit the most abominable crimes.
It is interesting now to recall some points from the UNESCO Declaration on racism and prejudice.
racial, disseminated in 1967:
All the men who live in ourtimethey belong 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 the "racial" divisions have ainterestlimited scientific and can lead to a generalization
abusive.
Inthe statecurrent biological knowledge, we would not be able to attribute the cultural achievements of
the peoples differ in genetic potential. The differences between the realizations of the various
towns are entirely explained by theirhistorycultural. The peoples of today's world seem to possess
biological potentials equal that allow them to reach any level of civilization.
Ultimately, 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
ofreproductionor the reproductive potential of a species; it concerns the fertility of its members. I
here that all of humanity is potentially fertile, therefore and in principle we are left with the
The concept of race could only be applicable to somatic characteristics and never linked to a
social-religious classification. In turn, this application to the somatic will depend on the context in which it occurs.
use
The samecarsStarting 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 exiled because the concept of race exists if a racial consciousness anchored in appears
a community belonging, which can lead to aactionof disdain and segregation. Thus,
so much,la ciencia rejects 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 states: "Historically, there has been an attempt to divide the human species into
races, for this purpose diagnostic features such as pigmentation have been [Link], type
of hair, lip shapes, 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 variability
inevitable, which implies the impossibility of categorizing individuals in a society... Hate and the
racial rivalries are fed by scientifically false notions and coexist with ignorance... In order
To justify aggression, racism is the widespread valuation of biological differences.
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 else.

RacismintheU.S.
In the most developed country ofsystemthe capitalist of the world, the U.S. of North America, is
interesting to study racism to more clearly see the close relationship that exists between
thestructureseconomic issues and racism.
In a country that calls itself the '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 who also suffer from the scourge.
First of all, racism in the U.S. has been a problem for more than three centuries and, as in other
parts, is closely related to economic and social factors.
Its origin begins with the "trafficking".(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,
theclassmercantil accumulated enormous wealth, transforming it into capital, establishing ties.
betweencapitalcommercial and industrial capital. During the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, banking capital
secured the profits of the big onesbusinessesdeprived of that origin. The "trafficking" also favored the
development of European economies.
In the U.S., toprinciplesfrom the 17th century, it emerged as a necessity theemploymentof the workforce
"black" as the original inhabitants had not resisted the conditions ofworkimposed by
thestrength. The ownMontesquieudeclared: "The peoples ofEurope, after having exterminated 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 U.S. proclaimed on July 4, 1776 did not bring thefreedomfor all your
inhabitants. On the contrary, after the war, the extermination of the first inhabitants resumed (bad
called "Indians") at the same time as "the trade" and theslaverythey were developed into 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
liberated in function of the freedom of the "blacks," as that was simply not the fundamental problem.
Oneletterwritten in 1862 by AbrahamLincolnHorace Greeley gives us reason: "If I could - he said
Lincoln - to save the Union without freeing any slaves, he would do it. This phrase frees me from all comment.
Despite the passage of time and the enormous economic and technological transformations that have arisen
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, similarly 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.
Howlogicresponse to that situation of oppression, theresistanceof African Americans has originated a
history of struggles and rebellions. Malcom X, Martin Luther King, the Black Power(PowerBlack), Louis
Farrakhan is widely known through theliterature, thecinema, themediaofpress, etc.
The Black Power struggle deserves special mention. It was a response to the failure of the"integration"
undertaken under the control of bourgeois power. He was clear that the governmental apparatus was the enemy.
In addition, it established the existing relationships between theproblemsinteriors of the U.S. and those of the Third
World, which led to a greater politicization of itsactionsagainstpoverty, 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
North American cities. These documents adopted valuable positionspolicies: report
of theimperialismand its action in Indonesia, South America, the Congo, Southern Africa, Central America and
the Caribbean; complaint of theVietnam Warinterpreted as a racist war; the support was resolved
economic to the rebelling 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 requires us to be able to control our African American communities, to be able to lead
our own businesses, that we have a decision-making power regarding politics and
theeconomy. Similarly, 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 onepowerforeign, theUnited States, and of its representatives" (Statement made
inPuerto Rico).
As a consequence, we seek to transform the power relations in the world. The exploited should
I can start now to say his word. It is one of the reasons why we refuse to fight in
the lines of the American army against the Vietnamese people. The American army exploits the
African American masses. He uses them to fight against our own brothers. He tells us that we are going to
defend "democracy", but we understand all the hypocrisy of this statement. That's why
we fiercely oppose the conscription of young people in anynationalitythat are like
we, oppressed. If we need to fight, we will fight, but for our country, for the liberation of
our people.
These words of Carmichael deserve to be appreciated as an alternative proposal to the solution.
"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 mostly a problem of relationships
human, but rather a problem of exploitation sustained by society as a whole, whether actively or
passively, that is, by 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 more
of a million people over Washington with slogans very different from those of S. Carmichael, it is
Undoubtedly, from 1967 to 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. The African Americans more
Lucid individuals understand that their struggle is nothing other than the revolutionary transformation of society.
North American, including all thegroupsethnic.
It could not be otherwise, since today thelawsstate and federal laws that hindered integration
Although barriers for African Americans were abolished, social barriers still exist and many times are even greater.
stronger than the legal ones. It's no longer just a confrontation with the Ku Klux Klan, whose presence
it debunks every day the assertions about the existence of democracy in North America, as it
they continue burning churches of thecommunity"black". In practice, the current conditions in which
The majority of African Americans are just as concerning as three decades ago.
It couldn't be any other way, for 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 have a higher chance of being murdered than of
any other cause. While the infant mortality rate of "whites" decreases, that of the
Afro-Americans increase. In the south, nationalist and xenophobic militias appear trying to impose their
dementedplanof 'racial purity'.
But it is not only the 'blacks' 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
approved Amendment 167 which denies medical assistance andeducationto illegal immigrants and their children.
For all of this, therevolutionSocialism in the U.S. is also a target. And it is not just a matter of
not just "blacks", "whites" or "Chicanos", but of all the exploited of the capitalist system. I have highlighted
some positions of the leaders of the Black Power, also taking into account that they understood that
theviolencerevolutionary is an indispensable component in the fight for freedom,justiceand by the
triumph of the revolution, necessarily overcoming ethnic barriers to propose actions in
terms of class struggle and not otherwise. All elseinterpretationleads us to delay the
triumph and make itgamethe common enemy: thecapitalism.

RacismindependentAmerica
Due to the complexity of the topic we are addressing, we will not be able to see the problem in its entirety here.
of racism in dependent America.
Racism can be found in different stages of human history and its arguments
pseudoscientists emerged in the 19th century. Vacher de la Pouge and the count of Gobineau are the
outstanding proponents of those theses.
By way ofsynthesis, regardingLatin America, it can be said that the entire colonial experience is
fundamentally supported on theideologyof racial inferiority. This allows to confirm that the
Racism is an integral part of the foundations of our societies. And by remaining on the periphery
from the core countries, where capitalism acts as a system ofproductiondominant, our
societies generate different types of marginalization, segregation, and exclusion.
As in other regions, in Latin America racism is managed by small groups that hold the power.
economic and political power in order to preserve their privileges. There is also a whole
onestructureracist mentality 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
just an example of the objectification of human beings. And every social relationship that aims to objectify others
Individuals is racism.
The data illustrates the brutal dimension of the racist scourge in America. Between the 16th and 19th centuries,
they forcibly took about 45 million people from the African continent, of whom 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 apopulationclose to a hundred
millions of people. There were great cultures (Inca, Aztec, Taino, etc.) with a social system and
own religion. After a century and a half, through the European 'civilizing' action aided by
theChurchCatholic, only less than forty million survived, that is, more than sixty were exterminated.
millions of human beings.
Latin America was built on an immense cemetery, on 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 persist. The most serious thing is that this
history of ourorganizationeconomic, political, social and cultural is still a hidden past and many
denied times.
Certainly, the only valid answer to end that scourge lies in the socialist revolution and
theconstructionof a new society, of the"new man" what was he talking aboutChe Guevara. Cubait is the
a more vivid example of this hope in our region. While it is true that the triumph of the revolution
Socialism did not mean the immediate and complete elimination ofmechanicsAbout racism in Cuba, there is no doubt.
What is the only society in the American continent that has achieved true feats to defeat it.
Currently, with theprivatizationsand the implementation 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 consequence of this, the region faces the greatest
rate ofunemploymentof its history and thepovertycauses havoc among three quarters of its
population. Along with these problems, there is also a recorded increase in behaviors.
ofdiscrimination.
A stronger feeling of hatred towards foreigners has emerged. It is clear that
thisbehaviordiscriminatory is not sustained solely by the mistaken concept of 'race', but that the
hostility towards foreigners has a clear economic basis. For example, it is common
to hear, from some workers, phrases like: 'the little guys 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
Underlying everything is the fear of losing the source of work 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 it blame the foreigner, both as 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
Dominant production relations are capitalist.
Another aspect of racism in Argentina is the extreme admiration for cultural manifestations.
European and Yankee, belittling the culturenative. About 400,000 Mapuche Indians, indigenous people.
from the Patagonian south, 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 became 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.
by a thousand), according to the director of the base hospital of that locality. The doctor assured that such duplication is
is due to the increase of themalnutritionin thechildren, in the context of 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
onelawprovincial (nº 6.373) for the protection of those communities.
Thesciencedemonstrated that the concept of 'race' is not applicable togenrehuman and that he does not have it himself
nothing to do with culture, society ornation, because thematerialismhistorical-dialectical explained to us it has been
these terms are derived from a historical development of class struggle. However, some time ago
We need to have a clear awareness to avoid simplifying the racist issues in our region.
Isolate the phenomenon of racism from the struggle for national and social liberation towardssocialism, I would have
negative consequences following the revolutionary triumph. Unfortunately, the scourges of this scourge
sometimes we find them even among several militants of the Latin American left. And we should not
waiting for the triumph of the revolution to combat them, as it is an obstacle that hinders
ourobjectives.

RacismandcurrentScience
Unfortunately, not all scientists have been on the side of truth throughout history. The
the complicity of numerous researchers was repeatedly manifested in such abhorrent acts
like the crimes that humanity had to endure. And it is not just a matter of the past but also of
present.
To get an idea of that complicity and its relevance, we consider the cases of the researchers.
American Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein. These "scientists" have devoted themselves to gathering a lot
amount of data to demonstrate a supposed difference in the average intellectual capacity of the
"whites" with respect to the "blacks."
In 1996 they published their "discoveries" claiming a superiority of IQ (intelligence quotient) of
the 'whites'. They did it through a series of IQ tests above 110. Below this category
they claim that there are 125 million people with an IQ that varies by avalueclose to 90. And,
Obviously, for them there are 12 million people made up of 'blacks' and other minorities that do not.
they possess a sufficient IQ. And their IQ would be so insufficient that they cannot ascend socially. Even,
they claim it is a waste of time andmoneysubsidizing or maintaining the intellectually poor, already
that will forever remain in the world of crime, ofunemployment, of thealcoholism, etc.
For these pseudoscientists, it is a biological determinism that implies ainheritancefrom a CI that
would forever assign the social status of aindividual. These American researchers
they intend to explain situations with supposedly genetic reasoningderivativesof structures of
exploitation.
Conclusion
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 has nothing to do with the
reality of the 'investigated' people. These researchers (Murray and Hermstein) have no objectivity.
scientific, and therefore deserve my condemnation.

The introduction

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 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 in
worrying form in different parts of the planet. For example, neo-Nazis and 'skinheads'
In Germany, they set fire to immigrant shelters; 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 Latino students; discrimination in Spain
against the 'sudacas' (South Americans); etc. Although in this matter, the U.S. maintains
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 the 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
in the most violent, aggressive, and subtle ways. A whole construction was developed.
ideological based on seemingly scientific theories to justify ethnocides,
genocides, massacres, torture, lynching, theft, looting, exploitation, oppression
domination, alienation, etc.
Consequently, fighting against racism is an integral part of the class struggle. It is a
essentially political struggle 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 were eradicated
they allowed the emergence of racism and its subsequent development. This is so, as it is not
It's easy to remove certain prejudices from a man after integrating them into his personality.

This last aspect goes beyond the historical, political, economic, and sociological framework, for
we are already entering the realm of psychology. For this reason, the importance of the
true and scientific information work, as well as ongoing education
as complements in the fight to definitively eradicate racism.
General Objective
This social research work consists of individuals generating a
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 cataloged hierarchically, resulting in the
economic, political, and social advantage of one group in relation to others.

Historically, racism has been used 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 the 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 claimed racial grouping. There is an opinion
growing, but somewhat controversial, that racism is a system of oppression -- a network
of racist beliefs (whether explicit, tacit, or unconscious), practices,
organizations and institutions that come together to discriminate and marginalize a class of
people who share the same racial designation, based on that designation.
Racism is also referred to as pseudoscience, as an anthropological doctrine or ideology.
politics, which defends the existence of several races of human beings and the inferiority of
some in relation to 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 have
they describe themselves as racist, so the identification of 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, regardless of development.
and succession of social formations as a product of the class struggle. Throughout the
Throughout history, there were different efforts to establish rational relationships and/or explanations.
about racism. The merits of the rationalists of the 18th 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
land.
It would be too lengthy to develop our viewpoint on the origin of racism.
if we wanted to go back to the beginnings of Western civilization.
We only remember that "the Egyptians considered all the peoples who did not
"they spoke their language like barbarians" as indicated by Herodotus in "Inquiries II". The Greeks, at
They were also convinced of their superiority and the supremacy of their civilization.
Several 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, no
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
IV before Christ, Aristotle in his work 'Politics' developed a theory about the
slave towns with elements close to racist language or analysis, we insist that no
are decisive to consider his work as such.
Racism is a dreadful product of the modern world. It was spawned by civilization.
Western that was imposed as a consequence of colonial conquest, especially when
through supposedly scientific theses humanity began to be divided into groups
starting from phenotypes (skin color, nose shape, hair texture, thickness of the
lips, etc.). That is to say, to classify the human species based on anatomical traits
hereditary. Thus, arbitrarily, those theses claimed that one ethnicity possessed
characteristics of beauty, intelligence, superiority and others of inferiority
Analysis
All this begins many centuries ago, but it is more evident in the
the colonial era, in the 16th century, when the New Spanish society was divided into
various groups, based on the color or ethnicity of the people. The Spaniards were owners of the
most of the lands, mines, and wealth were dominated by the castes (mixes of Indian descent,
Spanish and black).

Type of breed occupation

Eran dueños de la mayor parte de tierras, minas y

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 castes.

They worked in mines, in the 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 artisans, employed in the workshops,
they owned lands which were taken from them and they had
that worked for the Spaniards, Creoles, and mestizos. They lived
in the misery and enslavement of the indigenous people there was always
Indigenous prohibited by law.
 Heavy work in the mines, the sugar refineries, the
livestock farming and domestic service.
Black They were slaves.

Problem Statement
The racist operates from a framework that accounts for the existence of differences in characteristics.
physical characteristics between individuals. Obviously, rejecting and even destroying another based on those
Differences seem irrational, but the problem is not so simple and deserves study.

Indeed, for the racist, physical differences signify inequalities among men.
and these would be natural and inevitable. That is to say, in our genetic code there would exist a
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 arguments are as absurd as trying to understand 'racial' conflicts.
without studying the conflicts in the first instance and not the 'races'.

For some biologists, 'race' refers only to the genetic part that accounts for
of physical differences between humans and does not talk about 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
generations and defined its genetic heritage as the sum of DNA molecules
of the components of human society. This theoretical framework has no 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 for the development of some
classification scheme. However, it is so arbitrary that one could classify the
humanity in as many "races" as the anthropologist pleases.
There was evolution and based on it, the current diversity of must be interpreted.
human species, and not under pseudoscientific schemes. The provoking processes of
scientifically recognized genetic changes are: selection, interbreeding, the
mutations and genetic neglect. This latter factor is valid in the origin of the
human collectives. Since there are no 'races' as biological entities, it can be
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 cannot be modified 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
development history 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
determine consciousness.

Given all that has been said above, it is obvious that we are in the presence of a myth, in
name under which some of the most abominable crimes were and are still being committed.
It is interesting now to remember some points from the UNESCO Declaration on
racism and racial prejudices, spread 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 know how 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 as
they allow them to reach any level of civilization.

In short, 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 the reproductive potential of a species; it concerns the
fertility of its members. Behold, the entire human species is potentially fertile,
therefore, in principle, we conclude that the concept of race could only be applicable to
the somatic characteristics and never linked to a social-religious classification. To its
At times, 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 features
visible or phenotypic criteria, four types of breeds were classified: white, red or coppery,
yellow and black. This criterion is dismissed because the concept of race exists.
if a racial consciousness anchored in a community belonging appears, that 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 emphatic when he states: "Historically, there has been an effort to divide the
human species into races, for this, diagnostic characteristics have been used.
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 does not have
keep in mind that every natural group of beings has an unavoidable variability, which implies
the impossibility of categorizing individuals in a society... Hatred and rivalries
Racial ideologies are nourished by scientifically false notions and coexist with ignorance... With the
In order to justify aggression, racism is the widespread valuation of differences.
biologicals for the benefit of a dominant elite and to the detriment of its victims.
Finally, as we can appreciate, we emphasized one of the forms of racism.
perhaps the most classic, racism resulting from colonization and not to other forms like
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 the preconception of the existence of ways of being or
of actions typical of the members of each of the human varieties, without forgetting,
Moreover, 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 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 is based on various cultures how such can be established
groups, that coincide with 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 linked to our own cultural system; a hierarchy that has no value, in
summary, more than for a certain period, as cultures are endowed with
mobility, even more than races, and any people being 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 neither hereditary nor spontaneous; it is a prejudice, that is, 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
que basado en una tradición secular. Puesto que está ligado esencialmente a
antagonisms based on the economic structure of modern societies, no
it will disappear as long as the towns do not transform this structure, just like what 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, whatever they may be, on a level
of inequality, unprecedented perspectives will open up for civilization.
Racial superiority or inferiority are concepts relative to each culture and depend on
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, on
everything, based on the cultural progress or civilizational achievements made by each
race.
If the scientific and technological achievements of Western civilizations are analyzed
contemporary and are 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 position, while Negroids are found in the
threshold of minimal progress on the evolutionary scale, except for the Australoids, who
they appear linked to him at a lower cultural level considered racially.
These are facts that are worth considering in light of different factors. If some of
these racial differences are attributed 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; therefore,
provides a basis for comparison in terms of racial superiority and inferiority
for the culture that, obviously, must consider the problem from the point of view
relativist, although certain facts must also be assessed based on recognition of
what is good for some activities is not necessarily good for others.
Likewise, it should be noted that race-culture correlations always have a character
subjective and obey more to emotional reactions than to fully established situations
objectives. In any case, the correlations that are made between racial morphology and progress
relative cultural, tend to be the expression of viewpoints that are difficult to
admitted as convincing in the light of strict science. Fundamentally, it impresses.
the idea that when making an assessment of the cultural achievements obtained by the races, only
they think of isolated racial groups, that is, the blacks of central Africa, the
Eskimos or the Australoids.
But, modern populations are hardly ever considered, where members of all
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, it undoubtedly offers better
conditions that are any other for the development of complex intellectual functions
of the individuals who live in them and are subjects of their socio-cultural possibilities.

Chapter 1
Racism: actors and victims
Racism has historically been a banner to justify expansionist enterprises,
conquest, colonization, and domination have 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
world awareness, to understand that racism has been a tool used by the
great conquerors in their eagerness to obtain power, that racism has not
merely nationalistic feelings, but 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 the level of
worldwide, this new era of globalization has caused entire peoples to revive the
feelings of nationalism, unfortunately in a mistaken manner. Due to leaders
power-hungry, these feelings of nationalism have been driven to
through anger, hate, intolerance, and violence. This article aims to
to exemplify how racism has been the cause of different social conflicts and who has
it has been 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 present biological differences that justify relationships of
dominance among them, as well as behaviors of rejection or aggression. The term
"Racism" applies both to this doctrine and to the behavior inspired by it and is
often relates to xenophobia and social segregation, which are its
most evident manifestations.
On this topic, recognized individuals in the global arena express their opinions:

Racism is a tragedy, but the world can find a cure for it, assured the
former South African president Nelson Mandela to the delegates of the III World Conference
against Racism, which was held 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,
It dehumanizes anyone who touches it,
audiovisual message sent to participants at the conference. 'The tragedy is that
"We have the cure within our reach, but we have not yet taken advantage of it," he added.

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
disease. 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 in Mexico there is a culture of
discrimination, openly recognized by the authorities and which, above all, had
disposition, starting from society, to combat it.
Fidel Castro speaks about racism: 'The problem of racial discrimination is,
Unfortunately, one of the most complex and difficult problems is that of the
Revolution has to 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's not even the problem of latifundium, 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, is the problem
what it means for us to put an end to that injustice which is racial discrimination,
although it may seem incredible.

There are mental order problems that constitute barriers for a revolution.
difficult as they can represent 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 must fight against ourselves,
We have to fight very hard against ourselves.
And I wonder what the difference is between one injustice and another injustice, what difference
there is between the landless peasant and the black person who is not given the opportunity to work. Is it
the black person who does not work does not die of hunger in the same way as the peasant who
Do you not have land?

And why should the Revolution have the obligation to resolve injustices, and not will it?
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
She calls herself cultured and is racist.
And have I come to address this injustice, which I addressed with all the care that a
the ruler must address the problems of their country, because I stated clearly that not
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 understood to be heterogeneous or not assimilable based on criteria
ideological, ethnic, religious or of another nature.
What are racial prejudices? Also, within this context, it is important
it should be noted that it is a racial prejudice. It can be said that racial prejudice is the product of
an affective-active state that is never the result of reflection, it 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 beneath them have to 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 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
following:
Believing that human beings are fundamentally divided into races. And, in
consequence, to attribute to the race factor a decisive anthropological importance.

Assign immutable characteristics to races, and believe that the transmitted traits
Hereditary traits are not only physical characteristics but also certain abilities 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 that we have
developed in this last part of our history, racism has no
basis for its existence. Recently, a team made up of 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 foundation.
scientific way to classify human beings into races. It has been proven that the
biochemical, genetic, and blood diversity among individuals that are assumed to be from a
the same "race" is even greater than that which exists between different "races". The factors
the 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 the face of this new scenario
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 a 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 outlined in his famous Essay on the
Inequality of the Human Races are:
There are superior, dominant branches, which are nothing but branches of the same family, the
aria, and that have given life to the brightest cultural forms and to the greatest nations.
powerful.
The decay of those nations and those cultures has occurred due to degeneration.
biological aspects of races, due to mestizaje.

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

The social and political context of the time was what gave this Theory great resonance.
At that time, Europe was experiencing a great surge both politically and militarily.
technological, scientific, as well as cultural. Europe was in the conquest of the world. Racism
it was being used by the imperialist white nations as ideology of
legitimization of expansionist policies. On the other hand, the scientific context provided it with a
important emphasis on this first racist theory. Shortly after Gobineau gave
conocer su obra, Darwin expuso sus ideas acerca de la naturaleza, en donde argumentaba
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 the Enlightenment, "the shadow side of the
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 ideological
modern and deeply related to individualism.
Actors of Racism
Without a doubt, 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 in 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. We 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 their territory. The State has the obligation to:
Enact laws that prohibit racial discrimination.
Establish the favorable mechanisms that stimulate monitoring of 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 that
They deny the administration of justice for racial reasons.

Intra- and inter-state conflict is closely associated with political manipulation of

racial ideas and social polarization. Political mobilization combined with differences in both
Real as imagined among groups occurs frequently when the State
distribute resources applying ethnic criteria. The cases of Yugoslavia and Rwanda are
representative. The situation of the Palestinians in Israel is also representative, a country where 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 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 were expelled.
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 has a greater potential 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
a través de una mitología histórica, crea una cultura victimal. Una persona que se siente
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.
Responses from the Victims

People who suffer from racism respond in various ways. Some communities
they internalize the values of the system that oppresses them. Many Hindus from lower castes
they accept their condition because they believe they have been morally guilty in an existence
previous. To a certain extent, these fatalistic perceptions are also found among the
indigenous communities of Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. On another level, children or women
they tend to believe very particularly that if they suffer discrimination or abuse it is because they are
responsible or partially responsible for the behavior they are subjected to.
Another form of response from oppressed communities 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 negatively introspective way. This response 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 black people excel. Many groups that suffer
discrimination practice self-censorship, limit their own aspirations, and allow that
members less capable than those from other groups are ahead, because they recognize the risks
what it means to compete. The semi-conscious feeling, or admitted in private, of fear
intimidation, which may not have an explicit cause, is rarely discussed, not even in the
breast of the oppressed communities themselves. It is one of the issues that should be
approach the policymakers who want to tackle racism at its roots
discrimination.
Another response from the victims is to adopt the stereotypical behavior that prejudice.
waiting for them. In practice, this response can become a reality and trap the
victims in the stereotype they have consciously assumed. Some victims of the
racial oppression in turn oppresses those who are considered inferior. The victims of
racism is not immune to racist attitudes. In many cases, people to
Those who are treated as inferior seem to feel the need to find others about the
to declare themselves superior. The societies in which this occurs not only become 'racialized'
but develop racial hierarchies. Racism and discrimination occur in the form
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
caste system of India. The response of the Albanian Kosovars after the
international military intervention is a recent example. Oppressed groups also
contribute to maintaining the status quo. It often proves difficult for groups
oppressed individuals cooperate with one another for a common and higher interest. A
an extreme example is offered by some Caribbean societies where stratification
race is very complex and marked, and in which members of relatively lighter skin
whites are considered superior to those with darker skin in the same society. One thing
it is to assign blame, which may be done rightly, but a solution to these will not be found
problems while the communities in question reproduce and contribute to maintain
complicated distinctions of color and social status.
The transformations that the global economy has undergone are translating into a
marginalization of those who are poor and less able to take advantage of the new
opportunities. As the State withdraws from a whole series of social responsibilities,
these same people often find themselves in a position of vulnerability
mayor. At the same time, the portion of the global population that has benefited
unexpectedly from these same changes in the global economy, is becoming each
day most isolated from the poor and 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 may not 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 lecturer, Karina Pacheco (Cusco, 1970) has
made a auspicious literary debut with The Will of the Molle, an extensive novel
that unites drama with social reflection. It is the story of the sisters Elena
and Elisa who discover, upon the death of their mother, 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. In 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 Cusco 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
molle develops only the first part of the process – the problematic origin of
Javier - in a melodramatic tone, always highlighting 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
about themes through the stories of secondary characters like Aunt Julia
(racism), Grandma Gema (prejudices and authoritarianism) or the elderly Matilde
(extreme poverty).

With this resource, it is possible to overcome the problems of other novels that have
addressed political violence from the melodrama perspective, likeThe blue hourof Alonso
Cueto. Almost without secondary characters, Cueto multiplies the roles of its
protagonists, making it so that in that novel father and son fall in love with
the same woman. Pacheco avoids those twists of the plot and also the
customary excesses; and although he sets his novel in Cusco, he does not overdo it
the elements of 'local color' (traditional festivals, tourist spots), abundant
in other novels with similar themes.

Being the first work of 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 has been described by the
sociologist Félix Reátegui; there are some errors and inaccuracies regarding
to the language. Nevertheless, those details, the will of the mule 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 brothers or if you want to know how racism affects life
everyday life of Peruvians, you will find that The Will of the Molle, by Karina
Pacheco Medrano is a fascinating novel.

The plot revolves around two young middle-class girls 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 interrupted it
brutally the relationship: the young man was the son of a peasant, too mestizo
to be acceptable. They had him imprisoned unjustly and then handed over
to his own grandson to some farmers from Chumbivilcas.

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

fights between cousins and other episodes involving their grandparents and other relatives
friends appear trying to treat the cousins of skin like little princes more
white and distant 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 proud with her loved ones, but cruel and inhumane with a
housekeeper or a farmer.
The Will of the Molle brings forth memories in every reader about
how racism was experienced in their 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 whitest sister was the only one who could say that a meal did not please her.
I liked it. I knew that my mom could always prepare something special for her.
a friend tells me.

The preference for my whiter brother was such that I was left to be
smart – declares a future lawyer.

In all these situations, it is impossible to apply the frequent argument of 'not

it is racial discrimination, but social," because the differences occur within
from the most intimate family environment. As I read the novel, I started to think about
how many Peruvians have we had racist aunts or grandparents, just as in how many
in cases our parents wanted to protect us from racism or sometimes they
the same succumbed to it, unconsciously. I start to think that
It must have been very difficult to face a problem that previously couldn't even be addressed.
to name.
The Will of the Molle presents Cusco as a deeply
hierarchized for racial reasons. Even children know they can mistreat
to a classmate if he comes from the countryside, speaks Spanish poorly or does not live
with their parents, also a very common cause of abuse.

The protagonist also observes that many Cusqueños with Andean features
they are happy to have a 'Hispanic surname to cling to for survival
in Peru." In the ancient capital of the Inca empire, all the characters
They seemed determined to be less Indian. 'My Cusco friends bragged
of having a wider forehead, because Indians have almost 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 they have heard that language all their life. Many
middle-class people from Cusco (or Huamanga or Huaraz) live like this, isolated
of people who are very close, as if unconsciously they or their
parents would have decided that it was not worth communicating with beings
inferior.

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

Another limitation of the novel is some passages that deviate from the literary style.
to become almost a sociological reflection, like a text by Nelson Manrique
or an RP. However, these are minor weaknesses compared to the
the depth with which Karina Pacheco addresses racism, a topic that for
many Peruvian writers have been taboo. Even in the indigenist novels,
the abuses of the local bosses seem like an economic or social problem, that
could be overcome through Agrarian Reform, economic development and the
boosting rural education.
The Will of the Molle shows how racism persists despite changes
social issues manifest in everyday 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 topic and the 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%
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 exposition and analysis of it, the author's own 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 more or less 4 to 5 pages, although we must
remember that the extension is shaped according to the ideas that are developed (each paragraph is
compone de una idea principal y varias secundarias). En él va todo el tema desarrollado,
using the internal structure: 60% synthesis, 20% summary, and 20% comment.

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

Bibliography, at the end the references of the consulted sources that served for
recabar información y sustentar las ideas o críticas; estas fuentes pueden ser libros, revistas,
internet, interviews, television programs, videos, etc.
1. Title
2. Author
3. Introductory section
4. Development
5. Conclusion or closing
6. Bibliography

Remember: An essay must answer the following questions:

o ¿Qué es? = objetivo general

o ¿Cómo? = Método
or Where? = space
Oh, when? = Time
o ¿Por qué? = Justificación

What are the steps to write an essay?

Seleccionar y delimitar el tema: esto es necesario para poder iniciar la búsqueda de

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 in a work attitude; it is a reading of

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

Underlining is done by locating the main ideas of the authors; it is the

commonly known as a summary, which will serve to support the essay with
texts or phrases literally, in quotation marks.

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

understand it.

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

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

Critiques, comments, and proposals are 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 specific order:

Introduction: it expresses the topic and the 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%
of the essay and spans about half a page. Its specific purpose is to capture the attention of
the readers.

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

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

remember that the length is determined by the ideas that are developed (each paragraph is
it consists of a main idea and several secondary ones). It includes 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, conclude 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 the ideas or critiques; these sources can be books, magazines,
internet, interviews, television programs, videos, etc.

Last year I passed in methodology! I wish you luck.

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