POLS 5720 - Race & Ethnicity in Latin America

This course will focus on the historical constructions of race and ethnicity in Latin America and its consequences for understanding contemporary politics and society. We will follow the historical evolution of these ideas and concepts as social constructs, tracing their origins and variations in Mexico, Brazil, the Andes, and the Caribbean, to name a few. We will also examine the social and political forces (domestic and international) that shaped evolving conceptions of ethnicity and race—and ultimately nationality—in the Americas. We will conclude with the modern period, considering how this region of the world once deemed exceptional for its celebration of race mixture and colorblindness transitioned to one that promotes affirmative action policies and contends with growing ethnoracial mobilization in variety of social and political domains.