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More than ‘A Hidden Race’: The Complexities of Blackness in Mexico and Peru

In the PBS film series Black in Latin America, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes on the ambitious task of depicting blackness in six countries – the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru – to a primarily ‘American’ audience. Given that Latin America and the Caribbean have the largest concentration of persons of African descent outside Africa, the documentary is an important one. Gates’ coverage of ‘blackness’ in these countries is comprehensive, spanning from the time of slavery to the present, with a primary focus on the cultural contributions, social experiences, and identities of individuals of African descent in these regions. However, Gates’ research traditionally has not focused on race in Latin America and, as scholars positioned more centrally in this field, we found some of his characterizations and treatment of the topic to be problematic. In this and the following commentary articles, scholars of race in the featured countries engage in a critical analysis of the documentary. We begin with an examination of Gates’ presentation of blackness in Mexico and Peru. In contrast to the other countries featured in the series, Mexico and Peru fall within mestizo America; their populations are mainly comprised of mestizos and Indigenous peoples and they have relatively small populations of African descent. Moreover, blackness is marginalized in the historical narratives and national ideologies (state-sponsored belief systems) of these countries. Consequently, many people are unaware of the nations’ African heritage. The film endeavors to expose this hidden history. Replete with rich visual displays, the Mexican portion of the documentary addresses a range of issues that contextualize the Afro-Mexican experience. Gates discusses the historical context, cultural influences, and the contemporary situation of this population. Regionally, he focuses on the two areas of Mexico with the largest concentration of Afro-Mexicans – Veracruz and the Costa Chica, a region that runs along the coasts of Guerrero and Oaxaca. Also incorporating dynamic visual imagery, the Peru segment delves into the Afro-Peruvian experience, placing substantial emphasis on the history of slavery. Gates highlights the fact that at least 100,000 African slaves were brought to Peru and that, in colonial times, Africans and their descendants made up between 30 and 40 percent of Lima’s population. The film makes note of the urban character and more relaxed nature of slavery in Lima, as Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, 2013 Vol. 8, No. 1, 76–82, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17442222.2013.768462