Category Archives: Racism

Today in Dubious (But Deserved) Awards

Posted on December 20, 2015 by

Given the history of racism in Brazil, and ongoing structural and social racism, I imagine the competition was stiff. Still, Maranhão politician Fernando Furtado seems to have justly earned the title of “Racist of the Year”: A Brazilian lawmaker who … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Indigenous Peoples, Racism

Lynchings, or On Racism in Brazil in 2015

Posted on July 9, 2015 by

A few days ago, in the northeastern city of São Luís in the state of Maranhão, Cleidenilson Pereira da Silva and an adolescent attempted to rob a store. While an attempted theft in one of Brazil’s smaller states rarely makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Race in Brazil, Racism

Around Latin America

Posted on September 11, 2013 by

-Yesterday, Chile marked the fortieth anniversary of the coup that overthrew democratically-elected president Salvador Allende and ushered in the 17-year military dictatorship that killed over 3000 people and tortured tens of thousands. Even while the date was commemorated, the search … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Argentina's Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), Around Latin America, Augusto Pinochet, Brazil, Chile, Coups in Latin America, Cuba, Guatemala, Guatemala's Civil War, Guerrilla Movements in Latin America, Human Rights Violations, Indigenous Peoples, Labor in Latin America, Multinational Corporations in the Americas, Protests in Latin America, Racism, Strikes, The "Disappeared", Torture, United States

How Not to Deal with Criticism

Posted on April 2, 2013 by

A couple of weeks ago, there was controversy and anger when Marco Feliciano, an evangelical congressman who had publicly made homophobic and racist comments, became the head of the Congress’s Human Rights Commission. After a few weeks of criticisms, Feliciano … Continue reading →

Posted in Brasília, Brazil, Latin American Politics, LGBT Rights & Issues, Racism

Reminders of Racism in Modern Brazil

Posted on March 23, 2013 by

When I was in Brazil, I’d occasionally encounter people who repeated the Freyrean idea that Brazil isn’t racist in the ways the US was due to the greater variation in skin-color in Brazil and the absence of Jim Crow-style laws. … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Indigenous Peoples, Race in Brazil, Race in the Americas, Racism, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo | 2 Comments

The First Day of the Ríos Montt Trial: Rigoberta Menchú, Requests for Delays, and Racism

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

Mike Allison at the excellent Central American Politics blog is currently in Guatemala during the trial of Efraín Ríos Montt for charges of genocide and human rights violations. He was able to attend some of the first day’s proceedings yesterday, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Guatemala, Guatemala's Civil War, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Indigenous Peoples, Racism

Around Latin America

Posted on December 18, 2012 by

-While Hugo Chávez’s health is increasingly in question as he underwent surgery for cancer yet again, his political vision appears to remain alive. In gubernatorial elections yesterday in Venezuela, his political coalition won 20 of the 23 elections for state … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 World Cup, Around Latin America, Brazil, Colombia, Democracy in the Americas, Elections in Latin America, Environmental Issues in the Americas, Futebol (Soccer), Honduras, Indigenous Peoples, Land Struggles & Issues, Latin American Militaries, Latin American Politics, LGBT Rights & Issues, Paraguay, Peasant Movements, Peru, Race in the Americas, Racism, Uruguay, Venezuela

Racial Stereotyping in Brazil

Posted on October 31, 2012 by

With the story of a blonde girl begging in Mexico (and the attention it raised) this past weekend, I commented that the story tapped into some of the broader forms of racial prejudice that exist throughout much of both North … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Inequalities in the Americas, Latin America, Poverty, Race in Brazil, Race in the Americas, Racism | 1 Comment

Racial Stereotyping in Mexico

Posted on October 28, 2012 by

The US certainly isn’t the only country in the continent combating ongoing racism. In Mexico, the sight of a blonde girl begging for money in the street revealed one of the ways racial prejudice operates there: The flurry of internet … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Rights, Inequalities in the Americas, Latin America, Mexico, Poverty, Race in the Americas, Racism | 1 Comment