RACE IN COLONIAL SPANISH AMERICA

I. Introduction: From binary to diversity

Caveat: "race" as a social construct not a biological fact

II. Race in Theory: The Caste system

A. Classifications (chart on board)

B. Special Laws

1. Indians

a. obligations: tribute (head tax), forced labor
b. special "protections": local governance, communal land, legal protections in court

2. Spaniards

a. limpieza de sangre

i. Required to hold position in government or church
ii. Access to higher education

b. gracias al sacar (legal loophole to be declared "Spanish")

3. Castas

a. defined by what they were not: neither privileges of Spaniards, nor the obligations/protections of Indians
b. some local ordinances: sumptuary laws (restrictions on dress, carrying arms)

C. Representations of Race

1. Casta Paintings, 18th century, esp Mexico
2. How did class, gender, and color affect these depictions of race?
3. Study of marriage records in Mexico City showed that more often the wife was from “higher” caste category.

III. Race in Practice (Completed on Nov. 10, 2009)

A. Human Tradition Examples: Catalina and Pedro de Ayarza

1. In a few sentences summarize what you see as the key point about racial identity in colonial Latin America conveyed by this life history.

2. What struck you as most surprising or interesting or confusing about this case?

B. Ambiguities

1. People’s status not necessarily fixed for life
2. witnesses would have to consider more than physical appearance (also occupation, language, dress etc.) and frequently came to different conclusions

C. When did race matter?

1. Incentives to move in and out of Indian and Spanish categories, if one was on the borderline already
2. Non-elites may have held racial prejudices but usually interacted with people from various groups (i.e. not a rigidly segregated society).
3. Although racial identity not fixed, dramatic social mobility unlikely; the elite remained largely of European descent.

IV. Conclusions

A. Racialist ideology did exist
B. Did degree of ambiguity and flexibility undermine social hierarchy or make the social structure more stable?

ID Terms:

• limpieza de sangre
• gracias al sacar
• creole
• mestizo
• mulatto
• zambo
• morisco
• castizo

Questions:

How did definitions of race in colonial Latin America differ from those in British North America?

How did class, gender, and color affect depictions of “race”?

How did race work in everyday life?

Images:

Images viewed in class

A UCSB powerpoint of a complete set of casta paintings on the web.

Site maintained by Sarah Chambers and Todd Rowlatt.

Last updated November 5, 2009
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