Histories of Race in Latin America and the Caribbean

This interdisciplinary course examines the meanings, origins, and trajectories of race in Latin America and Caribbean societies. Since the onset of European imperialism, racial hierarchies have shaped asymmetrical relations of power in colonial and postcolonial societies. However, racial identifications have also informed indigenous and anti-slavery movements across the Americas. This course traces continuities and changes in colonial and modern depictions of race from Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, the Andean region, and Brazil. We will study a wide array of materials, including legal documents, essays, films, paintings, contemporary performance art, narratives, photographs, and selected historical accounts.

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