Black children looking at the camera

Questions about whether racism exists in Peru to Peruvians walking on the streets of Lima. While some of them recognize racism, other do not.

Cajon and Afro-Peruvians instruments playing

"What should we, Black people, do if we do not even know how to write? To clean the bathroom in the big hotel and sweep?" Poem “Muerte en el ring” by Nicomedes Santa Cruz. The poem reflects on the social condition of oppression of Blackness in Peru.

Cajon and Afro-Peruvians intruments playing

"Racism is maybe the worst heritage that we have from the colonial society. It is a way of judging people by the color of their skin rather than by what is inside. It is more about the external appearance than what we have as humans. And it is true that racism has changed in a certain sense. Before, racism justified that the men of African origin were enslaved, and we used to say yes because they did not have certain features. As a consequence, it was supposed to be right in that situation. Later, with the formation of our Republic, racism was not the same to justify that the African men were slaves, but second-class citizens. For instance, this person cannot join the Navy. not because he is Black, mind you, but because, as you know, one must be "respectable"; one must have the right family background and a solid income. And naturally, he doesn't fit the bill. Instead, the attitude is: "Well, you're Black. You're fine for sports, or maybe for dancing." Thus, racism has shifted somewhat in its tone and manner of expression, but it remains fundamentally unchanged in its essence. Consequently, we are still effectively dragging this legacy behind us because this mentality persisted, the old hacienda system endured, and we continue to inhabit the poorest areas, leaving our social status essentially unchanged. In reality, to speak of the poor in Peru is, by and large, to speak of Black people; there is a very strong correlation between poverty and race in our country."

Jose "Pepe" Luciano brings attention to the changes in racism from the colonial period to the early 90s.

"I went to Lima to look for work, you see. So, another employee, since there were several of them, came to attend to me. Then another employee walked in and said, "Alright," then, stay put; let the lady of the house speak with you. The moment the lady saw me, the only thing she said was, "What have you come here for?" I replied, "Ma'am, you know... I've come to work. I saw your advertisement, and I'd like to apply". But the lady said no. She told me, "No." I asked her, "Ma'am, why? You need an employee!" She replied, "Well, you know how it is. " She tried to change the subject, perhaps so as not to hurt my feelings or cause me offense. But in the end, she came right out and told me that "dark skin simply didn't fit into the environment they lived in."

In this testimony, by a Black woman, we can not only understand the experience of racism and the lack of opportunities that Black women faced, but also find in domestic labor a way of finding development opportunities.

"Indeed, racism does exist in Peru, and it exists because our avenues for advancement are limited. To gain access to any given sphere, we are regularly compelled to prove that we are superior to everyone else. That is to say, while everyone must exert effort to access something or achieve a specific objective, as doing so always requires work, the effort *we* must expend, at any level, invariably exceeds that of the average person. In short, opportunities are scarce precisely *because* of racism. For instance, if a white person seeks employment at a company, they are accepted; a Black person, however, might not be. This is a frequent occurrence. Let's take, for example, a job application submitted to a government agency: people of color face discrimination. Ultimately, I believe that equal opportunities do not exist for people of color and white people; for the former, every opportunity and everything they have had to accomplish has required far more effort than it has for anyone else."

Susana Matute Charun, a politician and activist, reflects on the implications that racism has in limiting the opportunities of Black people.

"There is a fair amount of discrimination; for instance, when people with darker skin apply for a job at a government agency, they face discrimination."

Experiences of racial discrimination narrated by a Black man.

"Everything I had to, I had to work harder with more effort."

In this testimony, Susana reflects on the extra effort she had to put in to accomplish things as a Black woman in Peru.

"I was going to take care of some business at a bank in a municipality; white people get served first."

Experiences of discrimination narrated by a Black man.

"They said, "Look, brother, I don’t want to let you down, but I'm gonna tell you the truth, you got here cuz you Black"

"The problem was only in place. I thought for a long time, well, I didn’t realize that it was my skin.”

In this testimony, Susana reflects that she did not completely understand the weight of the color of her skin in her social interactions. It is not about the color of her skin being something bad, but the social construction that Blackness has based on the color of the skin.

Afro-Peruvian music, while images of Afro-Peruvian communal practices

The stereotypical representations of Blackness and whiteness in public media. Afro-Peruvians are represented through stereotypical images such as the "Mammy figure", while whiteness is portrayed as successful, beautiful, and clean.

"I see that as absolute racism. They don’t appear in commercials for quality jeans, shampoo, soap, or sneakers. Black people don’t get into that; that’s where white people get in.”

The person reflects on the representations of Afro-Peruvians in the media.

“Generally, what happens in the art world is that people say, ‘Okay, Black people are good for doing this kind of thing.’ And often, the stereotypes we talk about prevent you from envisioning a Black person in any other way.”

Song "Negro"

"There are people, and I’m talking about white people, who teach this in children; I’ve experienced it myself. I’ll be walking along, and people say to their kids, “Look, there’s a Black person.” So the children start saying, “Black, Black,” and that shouldn’t happen."

This testimony by a Black man is interesting as it is the same experience that Franz Fanon reflects on in "The fact of Blackness" to talk about how Blackness is constructed with no ontological resistance, meaning that Blackness is dehumanized.

"When I get on the bus, as soon as I’m near someone with a bag, they clutch it right there. They think I’m a thief."

This testimony reflects on the criminalization of Blackness in Peru.

Song "Pa gozar con el ritmo" by Victoria Santa Cruz

"A long, long time ago, back when I was still just a little kid, I was always hearing my aunts tell me: "Now, don't go getting involved with a Black woman, no, not with a Black woman! You have to marry a white woman so your kids turn out good-looking... and not like Machi."

This testimony by a Black man reflects on the politics of blanqueamiento, whitening, and the colonial idea that it is necessary to have lighter children in order to delimit Blackness. Additionally, the testimony claims that lighter-skinned children are considered more beautiful, which also reflects a beauty standard rooted in whiteness.

"Maybe what I am about to say can be a harsh critique of our own Black community. But I think that some of us have believed in the tale that because we have Black skin, we are less than something. It is the idea that because of our skin, we have fewer ways of thinking, but not in everything. A larger part of our community has believed that without resistance to those ideas. "

Susana reflects on the internationalization of the idea that Blackness is less than human.

Song “Lucio Cotito” playing

"Some people, they look at it, they see your art. But others... others, I think. They just see the body, or I don't know, but everyone... everyone, I believe, approaches it by looking at your skin."

Sandra reflects on how her body is reduced while she performs dances and her artwork.

"I am Negra, and mind you, "A" changes the gender. I am a woman, and being a woman entails a specific kind of struggle in relation to the broader social group, primarily because of how society as a whole perceives the term. To reach a certain level, I have to spend an immense amount of time relentlessly pushing at things until people finally grasp that I am capable of doing the job because I actually know how to do it. First, I have to make others look past the color of my skin, and second, I have to make them look past my gender. People simply refuse to accept me for who I am. That is to say, quite simply, a woman cannot give orders to a group of men."

Susana reveals the intersection of gender and race and how she has to navigate a world that reduces her to her gender and race

"When people see a white person with a Black person or a Black person with a white person, they really do turn their heads or look on in astonishment.”

Esther “Mamaine” Cartagena reflects on the racism in interracial relationships.

“Based on our own experience as a couple. The rejection we’ve felt hasn't simply been a matter of the excuse used. People point out that we aren't married, and they claim that is the reason for like a veto. But in reality, the underlying issue is racial. No one seems able to believe that ours is a relationship involving a deeper, more tender bond. one characterized by mutual understanding on a cultural level, shared interests, and common tastes. They see it as nothing more than sex. Just sex. So how do we know this? Because of how people approach us, whether they direct their attention toward Óscar or toward me, it’s always the same dynamic. The assumption is either that I picked him up, or that he picked me up, as if we are merely potential conquests, readily available.”

An interracial couple shared their experiences and the racist assumptions about them as a couple.

"Another element that has consistently shaped everything is the fact that this racism is imprinted, indeed, deeply embedded, in the very attitudes of the people themselves. It is the people who claim that the central problem facing Lima, or the country, is the presence of the Indians."

This testimony reflects on the racial politics in Peru, where indigenous and Black communities are seen as the worst in the racial social hierarchy.

"Based on my travel experience, I believe that, unfortunately, Peru is one of the most racist countries I know. I think the racism here against the cholo is worse or more visible than the racism against Black people. When it comes to Black people, it is more hidden, covert, and subtle.”

This testimony connects to what scholars have mentioned that racism in Peru is hidden.

"And so, I discover that, in the midst of this journey, learning how to be Black is difficult. It is hard, and at times, it is painful."

Susana's testimony reflects on what it means to be a Black woman in a racist society as Peru.

"This is what concerns us now: how do we create a different Peru for our children and grandchildren, one in which the suffering we have endured since our arrival 500 years ago disappears from this land once and for all? It is a difficult task, but we are working. We are fighting to ensure that, little by little, this becomes a country with a much more breathable atmosphere. A place where African people, their descendants, can live in harmony with others. and where we can finally recreate and live our culture with all the rights and significance it rightfully deserves. Ultimately, I have the right to be Black, and I have the right to feel good about being so. Democracy, in the end, means liberating the individual from the shackles that stifle and marginalize them. Thereby enabling their full self-realization. That is the work we are engaged in, and that is the path we will continue to follow.”

Jose “Pepe” Luciano reflects on the future of how to eradicate racism in Peru.

Images of Afro-Peruvian communal practices.

Afro-Peruvian music playing in the backgroud