By Trina Reney Bryant

During an open floor discussion at the Latino/a Student Cultural Center (LSCC) on Feb. 6 – as the smell of Colombian food permeated the air- Dr. Carlos de la Torre told students that racial democracy in Latin America is a myth.

“In Latin America, the absence of legal segregation does not mean that there has been no discrimination,” de la Torre said, a visiting associate professor of sociology at Northeastern University. “The way discrimination works in Latin America is the way that discrimination works today in the United States. It is not as overt as it once was in the past.”

Dr. de la Torre argued that those who perpetrate the myth of racial democracy are often the ones in power. As a result, those in Latin America and in the United States are sometimes under the impression that racism only exists in North America. And the myth that Latin America and Brazil is and has been a ‘racial democracy.’

“The idea of racial democracy was something constructed by the elite. While the white elite in the United States feared interracial relations, the elite in Latin American countries thought of race in a different way. They encouraged the influx of Europeans from selected backgrounds and encouraged racial mixing with the hope that they could make their nation whiter,” de la Torre said.

However, despite the creation of the mestizo, or mixed race, discrimination is still visible when looking at the skin color of the poor and the wealthy in Latin America and Brazil. According to the article “Facing up to the Failure of Racial Democracy in Brazil” published on Africana.com on Nov. 28, 2001, vast inequalities exist between Brazil’s white minority and darker majority. De la Torre pointed out that politicians are trying to address the problem of discrimination in the workplace and schools by implementing a type of affirmative action. Former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso and current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are in support of this policy. However, the cultural mixing has made it difficult for officials to define the program and to identify who is black, mestizo or white.

“The idea of creating mestizos made identifying oneself as black, Asian or indigenous difficult. If you focused on, for example, your ‘blackness’, you were not considered by the masses as part of the ‘povo’ [meaning people in Portuguese],” de la Torre said. “For a program like that [affirmative action] to work you have to create a racial identity which can be a form of segregation.”

The racial mixing that is a part of Latin America, de la Torre said, has also made it very difficult for Latinos/as of all complexions within the United States to define themselves in categories like African American, Asian American or white. While the United States has defined racial identities, in Latin America the government did not take an active role in creating these identities.

Elena M. Quiroz, director of Latino/a Student Cultural Center, agrees.

“In the United States everything is defined as black and white, but the term Latin American really encompasses many cultures,” Quiroz said while pointing to a student who by America’s definition is Asian, but considers herself a Latina.

One student asks how globalization has impacted race in Latin America. De la Torre believed that globalization has had both positive and negative effects.

“On one hand, Americans can exploit their ideas on race. At the same time, for those who are able to see shows like ‘Cosby’ and other shows where minorities are in leading roles, it can be inspiring. One thing is for sure is that [globalization] is creating a momentum for organized discussion on race,” he said.

Professor de la Torre also talked about his area of concentration, the plight of Afro-Ecuadorians who are struggling to define themselves and deal with prejudices that Latin Americans of darker complexion often face. He argued that events and movements such as the Civil Rights Movement have aided Afro-Ecuadorians in their struggle.

Daniel Comboni, who was committed to the struggle against slavery and encouraged the Catholic Church to become more multicultural, has also helped Afro-Ecuadorian and other minorities in Latin American countries and other parts of the world, look at race and identity in various contexts.

At one point the discussion got heated when students addressed how religion can sometimes influence how people look at race.

“I think the discussion was good,” said Ana Diaz-Caneja, a junior journalism major, after the discussion. “If we had more time it would be nice to elaborate more on other aspects like religion. I think religion can sometimes have a lot to do with racial issues, in the sense that it can be used to control movements.”

“The Death of Racial Democracy: A Look at Contemporary Latin American Racial Politics” is just one of the many events that are a part of the Social Cultural Series, or Series Socioculturales, that the LSCC is bringing to Northeastern’s campus for the winter and spring quarters.

“We believe in the importance of educating oneself about different cultures and the Latin American culture really includes a lot of cultures,” Quiroz said. “There’s just a myriad of things to learn about cultures and education is the only way to beat prejudice. College is a wonderful opportunity for learning.”

During the winter the LSCC will focus on race, especially race within the Latin Culture, Quiroz said. But for the spring there will be a concentration on different countries.

“These types of discussions are good for those who want to understand race on a worldwide level and to understand how race impacts white, black, mestizos etc. We all have to live together regardless and talks like this helps people from different backgrounds come together and get on the same level,” said sophomore psychology major Rico Savage.

Thursday, during activities period the LSCC will host another discussion titled, “Can’t we all just get a long?: Cultural dynamics in relationships” Guest speakers will include Elisa Castillo, Ph.D., a psychologist at the Center for Counseling ‘ Student Development at Northeastern University, Dejota Apostol, safety system coordinator of ResLife at NU; and Sharyn Hinto, Ujima Scholars counselor at NU.

There will also be ethnic food available for those who attend.

“We provide not only food for thought, but food for the stomach as well. We cover the physical and mental in one shot,” Quiroz said with a smile.

For information on future events, contact Elana Lau or Alejandra Lombardo at 617-373-5845 or stop by the Latino/a Student Cultural Center located at 104 Forsyth St.