First Published in 1994. In nearly all racially and ethnically heterogeneous societies, there is overt national conflict among parties and social movements organized on the basis of race and ethnicity. Such conflict has been much less evident in Latin America. Scholars have pondered the nature of race and ethnicity with regard to both Afro- American and Indo-American societies, though research on Brazil has been particularly prominent. Special attention has been given to the relationship between social class and race and ethnicity.

The Spanish and Portuguese empires that existed in the Americas for over three hundred years resulted in the creation of a New World population in which a complex array of racial and ethnic distinctions were embedded in the discourse of power. During the colonial era, racial and ethnic identities were publicly acknowledged by the state and the Church, and subject to stringent codes that shaped both individual lives and the structures of society. The legacy of these distinctions continued after independence, as race and ethnicity continued to form culturally defined categories of social life. In Race and Ethnicity in Latin American History, Vincent Peloso traces the story of ethnicity and race in Latin America from the sixteenth century to the contemporary period. In a short, synthetic narrative, he lays the groundwork for students to understand how the history of colonial racism is connected to the problems of racism in today’s Latin American societies. With features including timelines, plentiful maps and illustrations, and boxes highlighting important historical figures, the text provides a clear and accessible introduction to the complex subject of race and ethnicity in the history of Latin America.

'An excellent source on past and present debates, and a coherent and insightful set of proposals concerning methodology'.International Affairs'More than merely providing a student's textbook. [Wade] covers the main themes and offers a comprehensive overview of the relevant debates ... an excellent textbook.'European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies'Wade's latest book is intelligent and easy-to-read, and represents a significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of race and ethnicity in Latin America.'Patterns of Prejudice

Pigmentocracies: Ethnicity, Race, and Color in Latin America

National Colors analyzes the politics and practices of official ethnoracial classification in the censuses of nineteen Latin American countries over nearly two centuries. It shows that, in addition to domestic politics, the ways that states classify their citizens are strongly influenced by shifting international criteria for how to construct modern nations and promote national development.

Praise for the first edition of Dictionary of Latin American Racial and Ethnic Terminology: "Essential for any library that has Hispanic patrons or users who read or listen to even a smattering of Spanish: in today's multicultural environment, almost every academic library should own this book."--Choice "A major contribution to the understanding of historical and contemporary concepts of race and ethnicity in Latin America and, to a certain extent, in the United States."--Ethnic Studies "The most thorough and trustworthy lexicon of Ibero-American ethnic descriptors ever published. It will serve many a scholar as the point of departure for primary-source fieldwork in one of the most fascinating semantic fields of Western-Hemisphere Spanish and Portuguese."--Language "For the first time, a detailed etymology of Spanish and Portuguese words used for racial and ethnic purposes in Latin America. . . . Cites sources for word usage and, where possible, provides the context in which the word is used. An invaluable reference work for researchers in race and ethnicity."--Library Journal This thoroughly revised and updated version of Thomas M. Stephens's popular and respected dictionary now features terms of the French American and American French Creole Caribbean. In addition, it introduces new symbols and abbreviations and cross-references more terms between and among Spanish, Portuguese, and French than in the first edition. Stephens also has combined some terms whose only difference was a matter of spelling, intercalated the definitions for terms he has re-alphabetized, and updated definitions. Without altering his earlier book's successful form and style, Stephens here has radically augmented the content of a classic reference work. Thomas M. Stephens, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Rutgers University, is the author of Dictionary of Latin American Racial and Ethnic Terminology (UPF, 1990)and has published various articles on language and ethnicity.

The Spanish and Portuguese empires that existed in the Americas for over three hundred years resulted in the creation of a New World population in which a complex array of racial and ethnic distinctions were embedded in the discourse of power. During the colonial era, racial and ethnic identities were publicly acknowledged by the state and the Church, and subject to stringent codes that shaped both individual lives and the structures of society. The legacy of these distinctions continued after independence, as race and ethnicity continued to form culturally defined categories of social life. In Race and Ethnicity in Latin American History, Vincent Peloso traces the story of ethnicity and race in Latin America from the sixteenth century to the contemporary period. In a short, synthetic narrative, he lays the groundwork for students to understand how the history of colonial racism is connected to the problems of racism in today's Latin American societies. With features including timelines, plentiful maps and illustrations, and boxes highlighting important historical figures, the text provides a clear and accessible introduction to the complex subject of race and ethnicity in the history of Latin America.