Latin American Studies Association

fSUMMER 2007o| VOLUME XXXVIIIrum| ISSUE 3 IN THIS ISSUE

On the Profession

What’s Your eth? by JUDITH M. MAXWELL Ambigüedades y auto-reconocimiento by JAVIER SANJINÉS Race Counts by GEORGE REID ANDREWS The Problems of Measuring Race and Ethnicity by PAULINE ALBERTO and JESSE HOFFNUNG-GARSKOF

Debates Desde Otros Saberes

by VIVIAN NEWDICK

Develamos el mito de la democracia racial en Puerto Rico by JOCELYN A. GÉLIGA VARGAS Investigadores comunales de Tuara guían la elaboración de diagnóstico para la demarcación y titulación de su territorio by EDWIN TAY L O R and MARK EVERINGHAM Produciendo saberes desde la religiosidad y la memoria by EDIZON LEÓN CASTRO Um inventário da tradição Wajãpi, articulando “dois caminhos” by DOMINIQUE TILKIN GALLOIS Maintaining a Healthy Organization in the Face of Political Repression by ODILIA ROMERO HERNÁNDEZ Territorios de vida, alegría, y libertad... Un diálogo de saberes por la defensa del territorio by LIBIA ROSARIO GRUESO and ARTURO ESCOBAR President Charles R. Hale, University of Texas, Austin [email protected]

Vice President Eric Hershberg, Simon Fraser University [email protected]

Past President Sonia E. Alvarez, University of Massachusetts, Amherst [email protected] Table of Contents Treasurer Kevin Middlebrook, University of London [email protected]

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 1 Helen Safa | Recipient of Silvert Award for 2007 For term ending October 2007 2 From the President | by CHARLES R. HALE José Antonio Aguilar Rivera, Centro de Docencia e Investigación Económica 4 From the Associate Editor | by ARTURO ARIAS Elizabeth Jelin, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas ON THE PROFESSION Lynn Stephen, University of Oregon

6 What’s Your eth? | by JUDITH M. MAXWELL For term ending April 2009 Alcida Rita Ramos, Universidade de Brasília 9 Ambigüedades y auto-reconocimiento | by JAVIER SANJINÉS Guillermo Delgado, University of California/Santa Cruz José Rabasa, University of California/Berkeley 12 Race Counts | by GEORGE REID ANDREWS 15 The Problems of Measuring Race and Ethnicity Ex Officio Neil F. Harvey, New Mexico State University by PAULINE ALBERTO and JESSE HOFFNUNG-GARSKOF María Socorro Tabuenca Córdoba, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh DEBATES Philip Oxhorn, McGill University

Desde Otros Saberes by VIVIAN NEWDICK FORUM EDITORIAL COMMITTEE 18 Develamos el mito de la democracia racial en Puerto Rico Editor by JOCELYN A. GÉLIGA VARGAS Charles R. Hale, University of Texas, Austin 19 Investigadores comunales de Tuara guían la elaboración de diagnóstico para la Associate Editor Arturo Arias, University of Redlands demarcación y titulación de su territorio | by EDWIN TAYLOR and MARK EVERINGHAM

20 Produciendo saberes desde la religiosidad y la memoria | by EDIZON LEÓN CASTRO Managing Editor Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh 22 Um inventário da tradição Wajãpi, articulando “dois caminhos” Guest Editor by DOMINIQUE TILKIN GALLOIS Vivian Newdick, University of Texas, Austin 23 Maintaining a Healthy Organization in the Face of Political Repression by ODILIA ROMERO HERNÁNDEZ LASA STAFF 24 Territorios de vida, alegría, y libertad... Un diálogo de saberes por la defensa Membership Coordinator Jenna B. Bielewicz, University of Pittsburgh del territorio | by LIBIA ROSARIO GRUESO and ARTURO ESCOBAR Congress Coordinator María Cecilia Q. Dancisin, University of Pittsburgh ON LASA2007 Communications Specialist 27 Report from the Program Chairs | by NEIL HARVEY and MARÍA SOCORRO TABUENCA Ian Downing, University of Pittsburgh

27 On Montréal | by MARIANNE NIOSI Assistant Director for Institutional Advancement Sandra Klinzing, University of Pittsburgh 28 Some Tips on Language Etiquette in Montréal | by VICTOR ARMONY Executive Director 30 Session Highlights Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, University of Pittsburgh

Administrative Coordinator LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Israel R. Perlov, University of Pittsburgh

32 Comentario al Dr. Hosokawa | by MIDORI IIJIMA The LASA Forum is published four times a year. It is the official vehicle for conveying news about the Latin 33 Centering the Periphery, Non-Latin Latin Americanisms: The Case of Austria American Studies Association to its members. Articles by GERHARD DREKONJA-KORNAT appearing in the On the Profession and Debates sections of the Forum are commissioned by the Editorial Committee and deal with selected themes. The Committee welcomes PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NOTES responses to any material published in the Forum. Opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors 34 In Memoriam | ÁLVARO FÉLIX BOLAÑOS and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Latin American Studies Association or its officers. Direct subscriptions to the LASA Forum only, without LASA membership, are $50.00 per year.

ISSN 0890-7218 SPECIAL RECOGNITION Helen Safa Recipient of Silvert Award for 2007

Helen Safa is Professor Emeritus of Dr. Safa’s intense interest in Latin American men in the region, regardless of race, no Anthropology and Latin American Studies at and Caribbean studies was reflected in her longer function as adequate providers. Dr. the University of Florida. She has been first major monograph, The Urban Poor of Safa initiated a three-year fellowship active in LASA since the early 1970s, when Puerto Rico, published in 1974, and in The program at Florida, funded by the she was first elected to the Executive Myth of the Male Breadwinner: Women and Rockefeller Foundation, on Afro-American Council. She has not missed a single Industrialization in the Caribbean, which Identity and Cultural Diversity, culminating Congress since 1974 and has served on appeared in 1995. The latter monograph in a conference and a special issue of Latin numerous Task Forces (later to become compares women industrial workers in American Perspectives entitled Race and Sections) and advisory committees. In 1982 Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican National Identity in the Americas. Dr. Safa she was elected LASA Vice President, and Republic, demonstrating how women have edited that issue while a resident scholar at served her Presidential cycle though 1986. become major contributors to the household the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio study Her primary initiative was to secure funding economy in each of these countries; the center in Italy. through the Ford Foundation for the first impact of that contribution, however, is exchange agreement with Cuba, which shown to be weakened by a public In addition to her books, Dr. Safa has subsequently grew into and remains a major patriarchy that continues to view women as published over 60 articles and book chapters component of LASA Congresses. Dr. Safa supplemental wage earners. Sex and Class on issues of poverty and urbanization, also was instrumental in the founding and in Latin America and Women and Change in gender and development, social movements, growth of the Gender and Feminist Studies Latin America, both co-edited with June mestizaje, and family structure. She has Section, which helped transform LASA from Nash, reveal Safa’s continuing interest in the been a visiting professor at Dartmouth, a largely North American male organization social impact of women’s paid labor force Columbia, the Kellogg Institute of the in the 1960s and early 70s into the more participation. With support from the Social University of Notre Dame, the Dominican sexually, racially, and regionally diverse Science Research Council, she co-organized Studies Institute at City College, organization it is today. She is on the with June Nash one of the first inter- Northwestern University, the University of editorial board of the Latin American American conferences on women and Utrecht in the Netherlands, and, with the Research Review and other scholarly development, and her participation in the support of the Fulbright Program, the journals. international women’s movement Universidad Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona and contributed to another co-edited volume the Universidade Federal da Bahia. She Dr. Safa has sought to enlarge the scope of with Eleanor Leacock entitled Women’s received an award as a founder of Puerto Latin American Studies in her own academic Work, supported by the Wenner-Gren Rican anthropology and a pioneer in Puerto institutions, first at Rutgers University and as Foundation. Rican women’s studies from the Puerto Director of the University of Florida’s Center Rican Association of Anthropology and the for Latin American Studies from 1980 to Throughout her work, Dr. Safa has pursued American Ethnological Society. For her 1985. A major focus at Florida has been on an interest in the causes and consequences scholarly achievements, she also received the research in the Caribbean, taking advantage of inequality, focusing on class issues in her 2003 Conrad Arensburg award from the of the University’s rich library resources earlier work on poverty and urbanization, Society for the Anthropology of Work of the there and the state’s proximity to the region. moving to gender in the 1970s and 1980s in American Anthropological Association. Through the Caribbean Migration Program, the previously cited volumes, and now funded by the Ford and Tinker Foundations, incorporating race. The intersection of class, she encouraged students from the Caribbean gender, and race inequalities is strongly to do graduate work in Florida; she also evident in the Caribbean, even in the family, invited scholars from the region to serve as where Dr. Safa argues that the prevalence of visiting professors. Safa also served as chair ìmatrifocalî or female-headed households of the advisory committee for the American can be explained by the difficulties black Republics of the CIES and on the review men confront in becoming providers. These panel of the Inter-American Foundation difficulties have been enhanced since 1980 doctoral fellowship program. by structural adjustment and globalization, so that now many lower and middle-income

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President’s Report by CHARLES R. HALE | University of Texas, Austin | [email protected]

As the 18 months of my presidency come to Milagros Pereyra-Rojas, our Executive a close, I am pleased to report on some key Director, who along with her staff deserve initiatives that have come to fruition in this the lion’s share of the credit for producing period. It is fitting that I post this column LASA2007. from Central America, where some 20 years ago I developed a basic orientation toward I am quite sure that the intellectual content attention are: “Empire in Question: The Latin American scholarship that later I of the Congress will meet and surpass Case of Venezuela” organized by Greg would bring to the LASA presidency. This expectations, thanks to the energy and Grandin, who made a special effort to orientation embodies a preference for commitment of the LASA members who capture a wide range of views on the Chávez research problems that the subjects of our have organized more than 1,000 panels, government and U.S.-Venezuela relations; investigations view as important, for workshops, and special events. Here I will and “The Struggle for Immigrant Rights: methods that emphasize collaboration and mention just a few components of Activist Voices Form the Front Line” on horizontal relations, and for scholarly rigor LASA2007 that particularly stand out. I am immigration politics in the United States, combined with an explicit commitment to extremely pleased to introduce an innovation organized by William Robinson and social justice. Work in the LASA leadership in this year’s program: a four-part series featuring three major actors in the as well as in conversations with colleagues in called “Diálogos Políticos” which features immigration rights mobilizations of 2005 many Latin American countries—most intellectuals who currently are political and 2006, with comments by two leading recently Brazil and Cuba—has affirmed not actors and will discuss their work in immigration scholars. only how widely shared these elements are, connection with the Congress theme, “After but also how differently they are interpreted the Washington Consensus.” The roster I am also thrilled to highlight plans and practiced. One of the biggest challenges includes three prominent Latin Americans: associated with regular features of the of the LASA president, in my view, is to Álvaro García Linera, Vice-President of Congress. It is a special honor for me to know how to take firm action consistent Bolivia; Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada, congratulate Helen Safa, recipient of the with one’s principles and stated President of the Cuban National Assembly; LASA2007 Kalman Silvert Award. Professor commitments, while at the same time and Matilde Ribeira, Minister of Racial Safa has been a central figure in numerous respecting the broad pluralism of positions Equality in Brazil. The fourth participant in LASA initiatives over her long and within our Association on a given the series is Canadian global justice activist industrious career, a leader in feminist and substantive issue. Neither the firm action and writer Naomi Klein, whose new book, gender studies, in critical race theory, and in nor the pluralism can be sold short, and Disaster Capitalism, will be released the the articulation of Caribbean scholarship judgments eventually will be made about our week of the LASA Congress. within LASA—all crucial to the health and success in combining the two. growth of our Association. I encourage you The Congress also features an exciting series to attend the special session honoring Helen, Another equally great challenge is to of plenary sessions, listed in full at the front which will feature a multi-generational panel guarantee the highest possible level of of the program. Here I will mention four. of scholars speaking on her scholarship, membership satisfaction regarding the Aída Hernández Castillo (CIESAS, Mexico) pedagogy, and her contributions as a citizen- organization and quality of the Congress. has organized a featured plenary session scholar. We also have the great privilege of By the time this Forum reaches your hands, titled, “De la Investigación-Acción hosting the eminent Colombian scholar, LASA2007 will be just weeks away, and I Colaborativa a las Metodologías Orlando Fals-Borda, who will deliver the want to share with you my excitement for Dialógicas,” on feminist collaborative LASA/Oxfam America Martin Diskin what we have in store. First, however, a research methods in Latin America; and Memorial Lecture for 2007. Professor Fals- note on Congress organization: our Arturo Escobar and Marisol de la Cadena’s Borda has inspired generations of younger Association is blessed with a Secretariat that session on “Co-laborando conocimientos y academics across the Americas, myself provides, each 18 months, an incredibly políticas alternativos” promises a spirited included, with his pioneering writing on and efficient, procedurally transparent, and yet dialogue among intellectuals working at the practice of “investigación-acción.” In remarkably adaptable system for making the crossroads of scholarship and social recognition of the ten-year anniversary of the Congress a logistical success. I have movement activism. Two invited plenary Lectureship, Diskin committee chair Brinton discussed many aspects of this system with sessions that are sure to attract major Lykes and I have made the event into a

2 double session to provide space for further Gutmann, are hard at work on a delegation and Citizenship among Indigenous and Afro- reflection on the prospects for investigación to Oaxaca, Mexico to investigate alleged descendant Peoples.” comprometida in our times. violations of academic freedom of scholars and intellectuals, in the context of social Welcome to Montréal! Enjoy this incredibly Please note, also, an important innovation in conflict and government repression there. rich and diverse intellectual fare, and please the Congress format, which we have devised The mandate of this delegation was take full advantage of the opportunities, in hopes of rejuvenating membership extensively debated and finely crafted by our both formal and informal, to participate in participation in the Business Meeting. It will Executive Council, and it stands as a first LASA governance. We want to hear your be held at the normal time (Friday 8:00 pm, case in a newly established set of guidelines voices: what has been good and worthwhile Grand Salon – Fairmont Hotel), with the for a “Committee on Academic Freedom,” in the efforts of LASA over the past 18 usual items, though in a more compressed which I hope the LASA EC will pass in its months, what has been lacking, and how we format, to allow time for a substantive pre-Congress meeting this September. The might do better. My final column, written statement by incoming LASA president Eric decision to send this delegation to Oaxaca just after the Congress, will reflect on Hershberg focused on the future of our was not unanimous: EC member José precisely these questions. Association, followed by a question and Antonio Aguilar (CIDE, Mexico) cast a answer period. Please attend this session to reasoned dissenting vote.1 I hope that José hear our new president’s plans and priorities Antonio and other skeptics, as well as those 1 In the previous Forum (38:2), I represented the and to participate in important matters who support the principle of LASA taking vote in favor of the delegation as “unanimous regarding our Association’s governance! this sort of action, will attend the session (one abstention”). This was a mistaken (Thursday 2:00 pm, Fundy – Hilton Hotel) reference to the vote on the draft guidelines Finally, there are three additional where Gutmann and his colleagues report on of the Committee for Academic Freedom. initiatives—involving much groundwork, their findings, and engage the audience in a The Oaxaca vote was 9 for, 1 against. extensive discussion, abundant time and discussion of academic freedom in Oaxaca. My apologies for this error. José Antonio energy, and generously donated resources— asked that he be identified as the dissenting which I believe will make this Congress an I conclude this Congress preview with a brief vote, and I am glad to honor this request. especially important and high-quality note on Otros Saberes, an initiative to which scholarly event. First and foremost, I take I and many others, most notably EC member this opportunity to extend a warm and Lynn Stephen, have devoted major energy hearty welcome to our Cuban colleagues, over the past two years. The first phase of who will be attending the LASA Congress in the Initiative will culminate with a double an unfettered manner for the first time since session at the Congress (Saturday 10:00 am, the year 2000! As of this writing it is not Grand Salon – Fairmont Hotel) at which clear how many of the over 200 accepted in teams of civil society- and academy-based the program will be able to attend, but it is scholars will present preliminary results of sure to be a significant number of important their collaborative research, carried out over academics, who will greatly enrich the the past year. After the Congress they will Congress with scholarship on Cuba, Latin participate in an intensive two-day America, and U.S.-Latin America relations. workshop on their experiences with Without pretense of addressing all the collaborative research methods. In these complexities involved in the complete pages you have a preview of their integration of Cuban scholarship within presentations, with deep thanks to Vivian LASA, I am deeply gratified that we have Newdick for her work as special editor of overcome the first and foremost barrier: this section. We have high hopes that these categorical U.S. government prohibitions on culminating activities will confirm the freedom of travel and scholarly exchange. founding premises of this Initiative, and Second, as I write this column, a delegation make a resounding argument for Otros of five LASA scholars, chaired by Matthew Saberes Phase II, focused on “Gender, Rights

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Associate Editor’s Report by ARTURO ARIAS | University of Redlands | [email protected]

Just prior to the convening of LASA’s XXVII result, LASA keeps data on nationality and the Núcleo de História Indígena e do International Congress in Montréal, Canada, discipline, but none on identity. In this Indigenismo. Odilia Romero Hernández, we decided to feature in this edition of the respect, our basic question would be, what member of the Central Committee of the Forum two issues of major import for categories should be used to define Latin Frente Indígena de Organizaciones LASA’s ongoing internal debate. Some of the American racial-ethnic identity if any Binancionales (FIOB) Los Angeles, articles in the Debates section are part of the should/could be used at all, and, if none, California and Coordinator of Women’s ongoing research concern “Otros Saberes,” why not? Issues wrote the fifth article, “Maintaining a led by President Charles R. Hale. Otros Healthy Organization in the Face of Political Saberes seeks to strengthen existing As with past issue-areas, questions are raised Repression.” The sixth and last article is networks of civil society-based knowledge here about the boundaries of traditional “Territorios de vida, alegría, y libertad...Un producers by allowing them to formulate fields of study, their premises and methods, diálogo de saberes por la defensa del research topics crucial to their work, recruit their knowledge systems, and their values. territorio”. This article is co-authored by university-based researchers to work with Disciplines are challenged to rethink their Libia Grueso Castelblanco, a member of the them on these topics, and enhance their roles in the context of the fluid national coordinating committee of Proceso capacity to use research to advance their transformations of the times, and continually de Comunidades Negras of Colombia and organizational goals. This initiative reposition themselves vis-à-vis the many Arturo Escobar, Professor of Anthropology refocuses LASA’s traditional political complex issues they face instead of and Director of the Institute for Latin approach, which in the past had centered retrenching to safer, more traditional American Studies at the University of North more on the dynamics of the political boundaries that only address the past. Carolina, Chapel Hill. Vivian Newdick, a governing structure of Latin American doctoral candidate in Anthropology at the nation-states and the social forces opposing The first essay in the Debates section, University of Texas at Austin, compiled and it, to one highlighting civil society-based “Develamos el mito de la democracia racial edited these articles for the Debates section knowledge production, an initiative that puertorriqueña” is by Jocelyn A. Géliga and wrote the introduction, “Desde Otros attempts to bring alternative knowledge Vargas, Associate Professor of English at the Saberes”. The authors of the articles have producers more centrally to university-based University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. The received grants from the Otros Saberes research agendas, and deepens LASA’s second article, “Investigadores comunales de initiative and will participate in an intensive capacity to participate in and influence Tuara guían la elaboración de diagnóstico workshop prior to the Montréal Congress. contemporary policy and political debates. para la demarcación y titulación de su All have committed to work toward This effort also provides research grants to territorio” is by Edwin Taylor and Mark publication of their findings in both the teams comprised of both indigenous- and/or Everingham. Edwin Taylor is the director of United States and in Latin American venues. Afro-Latin- and university based- knowledge the Instituto de Estudio y Promoción de la The first phase of Otros Saberes was focused producers. Autonomía of the Universidad de las on indigenous and Afro-Latin issues and Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe de future rounds will involve other civil society- Linked to Otros Saberes, and to the mandate Nicaragua (URACCAN). Mark Everingham based knowledge producers in such areas as of LASA’s Strategic Plan, the On the is an Associate Professor in the Department gender, environment, worker and peasant Profession section explores the possibility of of Political Science and Social Change at the rights, and youth cultures. measuring racial and ethnic categories in University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. The Latin America. We were interested in third article in this section is written by The On the Profession section begins with exploring in this edition the fact that the Edizon León Castro, Director of the Fondo Judith Maxwell’s “What’s your eth?” Plan commits LASA to be more Documental Afro-Andino of the Universidad Professor Maxwell begins by stating that representative of the racial-ethnic diversity of Andina Símon Bolívar. It is titled people classify criteria on many scales, the Latin American region. While these “Produciendo saberes desde la religiosidad y mobilizing them to structure countless categories are fairly well established in the la memoria.” The fourth article, “Um interactions. In many instances these are United States (although far from inventário da tradição Wajãpi, articulando deployed to differentiate otherness from a uncontested), in Latin America the practice ‘dois caminhos,’” is written by Dominique community or group to which a subject of categorizing peoples according to racial- Tilkin Gallois, professor of Anthropology at belongs. Though race as a classification has ethnic identity is much more fluid. As a the University of São Paulo and Director of been debunked, Professor Maxwell points

4 out how it still is an active cultural construct gathering such data is that all racial itself, where “counting race for purely in many places. This leads her to ask, identities, and many (perhaps most) ethnic repressive purposes” shifted to “counting for “What hinges on ethnic or racial identity?” identities, are the creation of post-1500 purposes of addressing historical She points out a variety of issues, from deep- Western imperialism.” Social realities, inequalities,” is seen as valid precedent. The rooted social benefits that allow groups to however, force us to live with classifications authors recognize the legacy of colonialism maintain their cohesion, to assimilation to and, in any case, “societies that gather as leaving an imprint on race, even as they the colonizers’ cultures. All this leads her to census or survey data on race are in a far caution LASA about “any system that would conclude that ethnic identity matters, but better position to identify, and try to remedy, assign fixed identities that members would that deciding what classifications to employ patterns of inequality than societies that do carry with them beyond the initial survey.” is challenging. After all, she claims, not.” For all these reasons, international Pauline Alberto is Assistant Professor of identities are strategically deployed and organizations have added racial data to History and Romance Languages and ethnic and racial terms do not connote the censuses and surveys, and the resulting data Literatures at the University of Michigan and same things throughout Latin America—an have proven to be an indispensable resource. Jesse Hoffnung-Garskof is Assistant idea that will reappear in all articles on this As Professor Andrews’s states, LASA’s Professor of History and American Culture section. The author concludes that the only increasing international standing complicates at Michigan. alternative is for LASA members to self- the process of gathering racial and ethnic classify. Professor Judith Maxwell is chair of data, given that “they prove to be highly the Department of Anthropology, Tulane variable by time and place, so that the same University. word can have quite different meanings and applications in different moments and Professor Javier Sanjinés makes a similar settings.” Professor Andrews notes that in an argument in “¿Usar o no categorías étnic- organization such as LASA, there is a high raciales? Ambigüedades y auto- potential for “miscommunication and reconocimiento.” He sees all classifications misunderstanding” but that there is as “dudosamente objetivas y, por ende, reasonable agreement on the use of certain criticables.” To his understanding, whatever categories listed in his article. He concludes classifications are indeed employed should by stating that “I am a firm believer in the have at least three traits: “a) el de las normas value and importance of racial data; but like jurídicas vigentes; b) el de las categorías racial labels themselves, that value varies in sociales, y, c) el de los indicadores different settings.” Professor George Reid operativos.” Professor Sanjinés then Andrews is UCIS Research Professor of proceeds to explore each of these, before History at the University of Pittsburgh. drawing conclusions similar to those of Professor Maxwell, namely that “la mejor In the fourth article in this section, “The forma (to classify) es a través de dos o más Problems of Measuring Race and Ethnicity,” preguntas que respondan a más de una Pauline Alberto and Jesse Hoffnung-Garskof dimensión del concepto, incorporando la open with a cautionary note. They are pregunta en base al auto-reconocimiento.” concerned about the bureaucratization of Professor Sanjinés is Associate Professor of racial and ethnic categories that mean so Spanish in the Department of Romance many different things in the various Languages and Literatures, University of countries of Latin America. They write that Michigan. “the question of whether and how to count race in an organization like LASA, based in George Reid Andrews’s “Race Counts” the United States but composed largely of questions whether LASA should gather data Latin Americans, is made even more on its membership in the first place. He complicated by the history of U.S.-Latin states that “the main argument against American relations.” Inside the United States

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ON THE PROFESSION

What’s Your eth? by JUDITH M. MAXWELL | Tulane University | [email protected]

Humans are classifying animals. Many less severe than others. In Toby Keith’s song In Guatemala, for example, ethnic identity origin stories show the power of creation in “High Maintenance Woman,” he laments comes into play everyday. When a woman naming, in identifying something or someone that “a high maintenance woman” (an wakes up in the morning, she must rapidly as a token of a type. Eototo, of the Hopi, attractive apartment owner) “don’t want no decide her identity for the day. Will she put creates animals by naming them; Ptah, of the maintenance man,” even if he has “all the on a skirt and blouse or an uq and po’t? If ancient Egypt, orders the world by naming right tools.” But there is the popular myth she is indigenous by heritage and still living the things and beings in it. In Genesis, of the blue collar worker or criada who wins in an autochthonous community, deciding to Adam is given dominion over the animals by the heart and hand of a white collar or old- wear Western clothing may draw criticism, learning their names. Platonic Greek money elite. stares, reduce merchants willingness to philosophy invented the science of barter, and limit conversation on buses. If etymology in the hope that by knowing the Though “race” as an anthropological she is non-Indian, living in an urban area, “true name” etymon of something/someone classification has been debunked through deciding to wear indigenous clothing will one would gain control over it/them. studies which document as much physical draw questions from kin and co-workers, and cultural variation within “races” as though a woven blouse (po’t) alone or re- People classify themselves and others by across them, “race” is still an active cultural tailored indigenous cloth may bring many criteria and on many scales: kinship, construct. In Louisiana one must state (and expressions of approval. natal community, occupation, social class, prove) one’s race in order to get a marriage ethnicity, “race”, religion, political party, license. Race shows up as a category on the Of course more is at stake than wardrobe sexual orientation. These scales are United States Census. The category “race” and peer fashion pressure. Access to mobilized to structure various interactions. is activated in political campaigns. Despite education, health care, jobs, political office, Kinship is often used to determine whom anti-discriminatory regulations, perceived police protection and legal process is one should seek for a marriage partner, racial categories affect housing patterns, unevenly distributed between indigenous and whom one can ask for financial aid, whom employment opportunities, police strategies non-indigenous Guatemalan citizens. Last one can joke with, whom one can ask about and court rulings. August a family from Tecpán Guatemala sex, and whom one can go to, to have an journeyed into Guatemala city before dawn, “ow-ie” kissed and made “all better.” “Ethnicity” usually refers to a group identity so that they could baptize their three sons Membership in a shared natal community based on a shared sense of origin, rooted in (ages 23, 18 and 13), having been unable for can be mobilized for work levies kin, and place. In parts of Latin America, years to have this rite performed in their (sandbagging against floods, cleaning the term etnia is used to refer to groups of home community because the children had irrigation ditches, neighborhood watches), indigenous people, sharing a heritage Mayan names and the Tecpán priest refused for festivals (town patron saint day language and/or a heritage. Ethnic identity to baptize them with “names of animals” (in celebrations, block parties, founders’ day), is mobilized to compete for development and fact none of the names in question had and for support of schools (bake sales, book human rights resources. animal referents). drives). What hinges on ethnic or racial identity? In Why would you maintain an ethnic Classifications aren’t just about sharing the United States recognized indigenous affiliation or identity in the face of traits, genes, or activities, affirming an in- groups have rights as internal “nations;” discrimination? Clearly there are deep- group. They also differentiate “us” from they have rights to lands, self-governance rooted social benefits that have allowed “them”. If you aren’t “kin,” then you are and casinos. They have the right to issue groups to maintain their cohesion despite NOT part of the family. In some places, this and travel under their own passports. They more than 500 years of pressure to limits entry to the home, or to places more have the right to maintain their languages, assimilate. The “classic” scenario of intimate than the formal parlor. If you are customs, and religious practices. Indigenous assimilation is that promoted by colonial not “from here,” then you can’t be trusted to groups without federal recognition are powers: assimilation to the colonizers’ understand how local society works. When typically engaged in legally pursuing such cultures. In the United States indigenous “othering” limits the possibilities of the status. children were taken from indigenous homes “others,” the classifications are said to be and fostered with white families or sent to discriminatory. Some discriminations are Indian boarding schools where their native

6 languages, dress, and religious practices were This “blending” of categories shows that In those areas of Latin America with heavy prohibited. Despite varying policies of the “racial” categories are about sense of self pre-contact indigenous populations, the Spanish crown towards education and and sameness, cultural principles and careful blood quotient categories of colonial proselytization in the native languages of practices, and not necessarily tied to times have simplified to a two-valued Latin America, the over-arching policy has physiognomy. opposition. In Mexico, despite la raza been to teach Spanish and to insist on it for ideology, chief divide is between mestizos political office, legal documentation (though Many of the colonial racial classifications and indios. In Guatemala, the duality is there may be copies in native languages), seemed on the surface to be “about” characterized as ladinos and indígenas and education (though bilingual education is “blood.” Moreau de Saint Méry (1797) lists (though indio is still a pejorative term). In now spreading). the categories of race found in Haiti, based Bolivia and Peru, it is cholos and indios. on an assumption of 128 “parts”: blanc These categories are largely cultural. Of course, not all pressure to assimilate 128 parts white; negre 128 parts black; comes from the hegemonic powers. With mulâtre 64 black, 64 white; sacatre 8-32 The 1995 Peace Accord on Indigenous the “final” court settlement of the Hopi- white; griffe 24-39 white; marabou 40-48 Rights in Guatemala (Minugua 1996) Navajo land dispute, many Navajo families white; quateron 71-100 white; métif 101- lists traits that would make someone an faced having to move from their hogans. 112 white; mamelouc 113-120 white; indigene, thus eligible for its protections. Responding to Navajo protest and quateronné 121 to 124 white; sang-mêlé These traits are (1) indigenous language; (2) mobilization of the press, the Hopi president 125-127 white. indigenous descent; (3) indigenous cultural replied that they did NOT have to move, practices/dress; (4) indigenous cosmology; they could simply become Hopi. Tellingly In Guatemala racial mixing included (5) self-attribution. Though essentialist no Navajo chose this option. indigenous populations as well as black and descriptions are out of favor among European. Mörner (1971) documents the anthropologists and the Guatemalan census Ethnic identity matters. It matters to following: español, indio, mestizo, castizo, has not listed determinants for indigeneity individuals and it seems to matter to negro, mulato, morisco, albino (offspring of since 1953 (dirt floor houses, indigenous institutions, both governmental and non-, as a morisca and a Spaniard, not one lacking dress, sandals rather than closed shoes, goods and services may be distributed along melanin), torna atrá, lobo, zambaigo, indigenous language), Guatemalans often ethnic lines, or, inversely, a government may cambujo, albarazado, barcino, coyote, make initial “racial” attributions on the wish to ensure that no favoritism among chamizo, coyote mestizo, ahí te estás basis of appearance and language. The ethnicities is displayed. (offspring of a coyote mestizo male and a salience of such exterior markers is eroding. mulata). An urban joke features two male office The United States Census in 2000 listed the workers, who meet at a bus stop on Sunday, following “racial” options: (a) American Wagley (Harris and Wagley 1958) notes that each accompanied by his wife, who is Indian or Alaska Native; (b) Asian; (c) Black in Brazil different terms included branco, wearing indigenous clothing. The first man or African American; (d) Native Hawai’ian sarará, cabo verde, cabra, mulato and preto. says to his co-worker, “I didn’t know you or other Pacific Islander; (e) White; and (f) were Indian.” The second replies, “Oh? “some other race”. This last category will In Peru, the 1940 Census listed the Just look at my wife.” be eliminated in 2010 “to increase categories: white, mestizo, Indian, Negro comparability.” Also in 2000 the survey and Yellow (Chinese and Japanese) (Parró, If we grant that ethnic/racial classifications allowed people to self-designate as having p. 15). However, in processing the forms the are useful and that efforts to “increase roots in “two or more races.” This was census takers found they could not tell a diversity” require some knowledge of the treated as a separate category rather than co- difference between whites and mestizos (only current group composition, what counting with categories (a-f). Interestingly, 13 percent of the sample self-designated), so classifications should we use? Taking the in 2000 many people who checked “other” they simply combined these categories. Only Americas as the target population, which specified their “race” as a religious group, one percent of the population was either labels and whose should be used? The e.g. Sunni, Zoroastrian. Negro or Yellow. Final figures showed 53 colonial labels reflect both Eurocentric percent of the population to be prejudice and the desire of the elites to keep white/mestizo and 46 percent to be Indian. power in their hands and to control the

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MAXWELL continued…

labor pool supplied largely by other he might be indigenous, Guatemalan or ethnicities. Terms tend to be value laden, K’iché. A registration form asking for with whites and their labels at the top of the ethnicity might get any number of responses scale, though in is a commonplace adage in from Bribri to Canardly (“can hardly tell”). Brazil that “money lightens the skin”. One could go for broad categories linked to social theories: hegemon vs. subaltern. Still Still we know that in-groups are positively some members may reject the positioning of valued and out-groups distrusted. an autochthonous identity as “sub.” One Kindergartners in the New Orleans Recovery could also allow for the possibility of noting District schools (Walton personal both “descent” and alignment, e.g. “of communication) use the following European descent but aligned with original classification, based loosely on color: blue peoples of the Americas,” though this black, boot black, dark, chocolate or brown, perhaps smacks of the trite “some of my best high yellow, bright (divided into red, high friends.” yella, and bright bright), mix, café au lait, pass the paper bag test, passé blanc. White A first approximation for mapping the is defined by the children not as “color” but current ethnic diversity of the LASA as “mean people.” An overarching membership, with an eye toward increasing classification, based on class and descent, variety, could be simply to ask people to fill rather than color is Creole vs. Black. in the blank: ethnicity ______. Former Mayor “Dutch” Morial was famous The variation could then be analyzed to see among New Orleans African-Americans for if any “natural” groups emerge. A second having been “creole” in high school and survey might offer a series of labels and college, but switching to “black” when he track responses: indio ______, indígena entered politics. ______, native ______, autochthon ______, of European descent/heritage Identities are strategically deployed. Which ______, of African descent/heritage identities are strategic for members of ______, mestizo ______, criollo LASA? Ethnic and racial terms are not ______, creole ______, ladino uniformly deployed throughout Latin ______, mixed ______, America. Indio is an activist’s term of choice American ______, other (please specify) in Chiapas, but an insult on out-group lips ______. The results of the two surveys in Guatemala. Ixto, another term for might indicate to categories which, if not Indians in Guatemala, is derogatory no completely complementary and exhaustive, matter the speaker. In some Francophone LASA members might willing self-ascribe. areas, indigene is seen as colonial and paternalistic, with autoctone as the preferred term. The terms Native American and First Nations are not widely used outside the United States. Hegemons are variously known as white, Caucasian, blanco, branco, mestizo, criollo, creole, Krio, cholo, y/o ladino. Other ethnic terms include chino, sambo, negro, bozal. Self-identification varies as the scope of contrast expands or contracts. Dr. Enrique Sam Colop (personal communication) notes that at any given time

8 ON THE PROFESSION

Ambigüedades y auto-reconocimiento by JAVIER SANJINÉS | University of Michingan/Ann Arbor | [email protected]

¿Usar o no categorías étnic-raciales? factores: a) el de las normas jurídicas (OIT). En este Convenio, aprobado en vigentes; b) el de las categorías sociales, y c) Ginebra en 1989, y ratificado como Aunque las categorías étnicas y raciales están el de los indicadores operativos. principal instrumento jurídico internacional claramente delimitadas en los Estados Revisémoslos, sin detenernos en detalles. por la mayoría de los Estados Unidos, no por ello dejan de ser latinoamericanos, se estipula, en su artículo dudosamente objetivas y, por ende, Es imposible pensar en categorías étnico- 1°, que la identificación étnico-racial es un criticables. Los formularios oficiales, tanto raciales sin revisar lo que las normas tema de “conciencia” y de “autopercepción” de las reparticiones gubernamentales, como jurídicas establecen en torno a quienes son de los sujetos identitarios. Ello lleva a tratar los que las instituciones públicas y privadas considerados como sujetos de derecho. el segundo factor arriba expuesto, es decir, el emplean para la identificación étnica, Desde el prisma legal, definir criterios para relacionado con las categorías sociales, tanto muestran una taxonomía relativamente identificar a los diferentes sectores sociales, objetivas como subjetivas. simple y genérica que podría calificársela de particularmente a las poblaciones indígenas “rotulación negativa” porque no contempla largamente postergadas, es un hecho Hablar de categorías sociales implica dos los derechos de aquellos sectores ineludible. Es necesario revisar las reformas factores identitarios: a) aquéllos que indican minoritarios que no se encuentran legales producidas en América Latina una forma propia de vida, y b) la propia debidamente autoidentificados en dichos durante las últimas décadas para determinar conciencia, es decir, la autopercepción de los formularios. las nuevas formas de identidad nacional que sujetos identitarios. Los primeros, como la los países están adoptando. No es lo mismo lengua, el territorio, y otros datos objetivos, La propia categoría “Hispanic”, con la que afirmar el “plurinacionalismo” que el responden a una situación “en sí” de gran terminamos clasificados la gran mayoría de “multiculturalismo”, tal cual éste es importancia para ponderar el peso los latinoamericanos, es reduccionista practicado en los Estados Unidos. Si el demográfico de las distintas poblaciones, porque se desentiende del importante factor primero está asentado en un sistema jurídico mientras que la segunda es una situación de la “autopertenencia”, tema que que promueve la interacción transversal de “para sí” que conlleva un inevitable factor consideramos fundamental cuando de los ciudadanos, aceptando la presencia de subjetivo. delimitar categorías étnico-raciales se trata. “naciones” dentro de una nación, el segundo, es decir, la teoría moderna del Las categorías sociales “blanco”, “mestizo”, Si el asunto de las categorías étnicas y multiculturalismo, se traduce en un “mulato”, “indio” y “negro”, están todas raciales es un tema conflictivo que no está multietnicismo en el que el intercambio de atravesadas por la mirada colonial que apropiadamente resuelto por la las diferentes etnias simplemente no se da. establece las diferencias y las nomenclatura empleada en los Estados De esta manera, el armazón jurídico jerarquizaciones a partir de las cuales se ha Unidos, en América Latina el tema se torna norteamericano responde al de una sociedad constituido tradicionalmente el poder. No todavía más complejo, precisamente porque multiétnica que padece, sin embargo, de un es, pues, gratuito el hecho de que el sector las identidades étnico-raciales son mucho aislamiento interétnico. Por el contrario, en “blanco-mestizo” hubiese ejercitado su más fluidas, y debido a la enorme varios países de América Latina la norma dominación política y social sobre las otras importancia que tiene hoy garantizar la jurídica se va adaptando a situaciones categorías sociales, fundándose en estas plena vigencia de los derechos ciudadanos. creadas por una fuerte presión social de divisiones raciales. En términos de las Surge, entonces, la pregunta: ¿qué categorías naturaleza étnico-racial, que invoca un identidades étnico-raciales nos parece deberían ser empleadas para definir dichas pluralismo que hoy en día va más allá de la indispensable superar estas divisiones identidades? Y, en consecuencia, ¿cuáles impenetrable exigencia de la unicidad categoriales. A fin de promover la deberían ser las que LASA debería tomar en excluyente. conciencia y la identidad de los encuestados, cuenta si decide llevar a cabo un registro las prácticas estadísticas están optando por étnico-racial de sus afiliados? En América Latina, las nuevas reformas la lengua y por el territorio como marcas legales tienen como marco de referencia la claves del modo propio de ser que distingue La respuesta a un tema complejo no puede definición amplia que sobre los grupos a unos grupos sociales de otros. Por eso, ser de efecto reducido. Nos parece que la étnicos-raciales, incluidos los pueblos cuando los pueblos, “invisibilizados” por definición de estas categorías debería indígenas y tribales, da el Convenio 169 de quienes otorgan identidad desde el poder, contemplar por lo menos tres tipos de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo mantienen su lengua y su territorio, no hay

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SANJINÉS continued…

duda de que también retienen distintivos sentimiento que tiene la gente sobre esta perfecciona, naturalmente, por medio del apropiados para ponderar su peso reivindicación. último de los factores enumerados: los demográfico y su evolución en el tiempo. indicadores operativos, es decir, los Por lo mismo, en sociedades sometidas a la Dato preponderantemente subjetivo, la instrumentos mecánicos que permiten la dominación colonial, mantener—y, a veces, autopertenencia puede estar fundada en identificación. incluso recuperar—la lengua y el territorio elementos objetivos, como el lugar de propios ha constituido una situación “en sí” nacimiento y la ascendencia familiar, pero su Si LASA decide adoptar un registro étnico- que las luchas de las organizaciones sociales carácter subjetivo y “para sí” está asentado racial, tendrá que tener en cuenta la manera tienen hoy muy en cuenta. En realidad, en el sentir del momento. De este modo, la cómo los factores objetivos y subjetivos han estos objetivos de la lucha identitaria son propia conciencia de pertenencia no se ocupa sido tratados en los censos y en las encuestas parte central de la estrategia de mantener, tanto de la identidad—del registro racial nacionales. Entendiendo que no existe la desarrollar y transmitir su cultura y asegurar supuestamente objetivo—como de la propia solución perfecta, nos parece, sin embargo, la pervivencia del grupo social con una identificación de los sujetos respecto a su que se debe tener particular cautela en identidad específica. Naturalmente, el grupo social de pertenencia. Esto quiere identificar y clasificar de acuerdo a lo que idioma no es el único factor de identificación decir, además, que la identidad social y la censos y encuestas han tradicionalmente de los sectores sociales insuficientemente autoidentificación no son datos “pétreos”, llamado “raza”. Nos parece que este representados. Pero dejar de hablar la inamovibles, sino una construcción social registro refuerza implícitamente la imagen de lengua no significa dejar de pertenecer a un que se va haciendo y rehaciendo como situaciones discriminantes en que son los determinado pueblo o grupo étnico. resultado del juego de relaciones e incluso de otros quienes tildan a alguien de “algo”. Entonces, otro factor objetivo como el diversas estrategias de sobrevivencia y de Por ello, optamos por aconsejar la territorio pasa a ser la marca clave de la convivencia. Hay que tener muy en cuenta construcción de registros que clasifican pertenencia, del propio modo de ser. el carácter peyorativo que a veces conllevan teniendo en cuenta la autopertenencia términos como “indio” o como “indígena”. concreta que recupera las demandas A los factores “en sí” aquí someramente Las cargas afectivas están ahí y condicionan evitando los rótulos genéricos. De otro descritos, habrá que añadir los factores las respuestas de los encuestados. Al modo, quizás sea más prudente dejar de “para sí” que subrayamos porque nos parece efectuar categorizaciones étnicas y raciales, el elaborar registros de identidad étnico- que son de suma importancia en la tema de la autopercepción ayuda a disolver raciales. construcción de las categorías identitarias. reacciones negativas. No suscita la misma Como veremos a continuación, es a partir de reacción preguntarle a alguien si es “indio”, Debemos incidir nuevamente en el tema de ellos que los registros raciales, deleznables y que preguntarle si es “guaraní” o “maya”. la naturaleza multiétnica y plurilingüe de parciales, son superados por registros de La diferencia es clara: si “indio” es una gran parte de las naciones latinoamericanas, pertenencia más específicos y no nomenclatura racial reductiva y marginante, hecho que las distingue del multiculturalismo simplemente genéricos como son las “dada” por otros que nos recuerdan el ejercitado en los Estados Unidos. denominaciones “indígena” o “mestizo”. hecho colonial, “maya” o “guaraní” son entidades concretas que reflejan mejor la Lo multiétnico va ligado a la toma de La importancia de este conjunto de factores, percepción propia, es decir, cómo los conciencia de los pueblos indígenas otrora relacionada con la conciencia y con la encuestados se identifican a sí mismos. postergados. Su lucha no está únicamente autopercepción de los grupos sociales, ha Inclusive términos mucho más positivos ligada a principios abstractos como el sido enfatizada por el Convenio 169 de la como “mestizo” pueden funcionar más respeto a los derechos humanos, sino OIT que hemos mencionado. Lo como escapatoria que como una identidad relacionada con la necesidad concreta de ser recuperamos para remarcar que si la lengua positiva. Por ello, nos parece que la reconocidos como seres humanos. Ha sido y el territorio son rasgos objetivos que autopertenencia es un elemento decisivo a la toda una evolución censal la que se ha marcan el “en sí” de los grupos sociales que hora de definir a un grupo identitario no producido a fin de incorporar preguntas que luchan por la reivindicación de sus solamente por elementos objetivos (el vienen de dos vertientes distintas: la identidades étnicas y raciales, la propia idioma), sino por la aceptación expresa de lingüística tradicional y la autopertenencia. conciencia de pertenencia añade el los individuos que aceptan ser parte de una Así, la pregunta abierta: ¿qué idiomas y determinada comunidad. Esto se dialectos sabe hablar? ha sido seguida por la

10 pregunta: ¿a qué pueblo o comunidad respondan a más de una dimensión del pertenece? En este sentido, los censos y las concepto, incorporando la pregunta en base encuestas más exitosos han sido aquéllos que al auto-reconocimiento. Lo contrario, han dedicado sus esfuerzos a la selección, redundará en la construcción de registros ampliación y precisión de preguntas que que, como los que rigen en los Estados toman en cuenta los factores objetivos y Unidos, terminan dando ese “rótulo subjetivos que hemos indicado. De este negativo” que debería ser eliminado desde modo, preguntas sobre el origen étnico, con todo punto de vista. respuestas precodificadas de acuerdo con los registros raciales archiconocidos, deben ser seguidas por otras que tienen en cuenta la Fuentes bibliográficas autopertenencia a determinado tipo de comunidad. Hay que ser plenamente CELADE, CIDOB, FNUAB y ICI. Estudios conscientes de que los resultados van a ser demográficos de pueblos indígenas (Serie E, N° notablemente distintos si se emplean sólo 40) 1994. categorías genéricas desprovistas de datos Molina B., Ramiro y Xavier Albó, Gama étnica más concretos de autopertenencia. Es de y lingüística de la población boliviana, La Paz: notar que el empleo del término “indígena” PNUD, 2006. ha cambiado por el de “originario”, hoy aceptado por las legislaciones latinoamericanas.

El empleo generalizado del término “mestizo” conlleva también su propia paradoja. En encuestas pasadas, llevadas a cabo en varios lugares de América Latina, se observa la dificultad de saber si, al optar por “indígena” o por “mestizo”, los encuestados se decidieron correctamente por una o por la otra. No marcar la primera pudo ser el resultado de ese rechazo que hemos indicado, producto de las discriminaciones seculares. Pudo también ser que los encuestados se decidieron por la categoría “mestizo” debido a que en ellos primó el estilo de vida más “modernizado”, o incluso la ocupación o el nivel de ingresos. No era entonces de extrañar que fuese la duda la que diese lugar a encarnizadas polémicas de si la población era mayoritariamente indígena o mestiza.

Por todo lo indicado, lo prudente sería levantar registros que definen la identidad étnico-racial evitando las ambigüedades señaladas. Se sugiere que la mejor forma es a través de dos o más preguntas que

11 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

ON THE PROFESSION

Race Counts by GEORGE REID ANDREWS | University of Pittsburgh | [email protected]

Should LASA gather data on the ethnic and of racial inequalities in education played a than 25 years earlier, but considerably higher racial composition of its membership? And central role in the 1954 Supreme Court than the early 1980s. (Townsend 2002; if it does gather such data, what racial and decision overturning segregation in the Hoffer 2005: 49) ethnic categories should it use? United States. Data on racial inequality in education, earnings, employment, life AHA gathers such data as part of its general The main argument against gathering such expectancy, and other social indicators have mission of tracking trends in the historical data is that all racial identities, and many proven equally valuable to activists pushing profession. That mission, however, is (perhaps most) ethnic identities, are the for racial remedies in Brazil. somewhat different from LASA’s. Though it creation of post-1500 Western imperialism. seeks actively to promote international Nowhere in the world is that unhappy past For all these reasons, the UN, World Bank, exchange and collaboration among more visible than in Latin America, where Inter-American Development Bank, and historians around the world, AHA’s primary present-day black, brown, indigenous, other international organizations have called role is to represent the interests of the mestizo/mestiço, ladino, white, and other on Latin American governments to add national historical community in the United racial and color labels have deep historical racial data to their censuses and household States. LASA was founded in the 1960s roots in the experience of Spanish and surveys, and in recent years some with a similar goal: to represent the field of Portuguese rule. (Wade 1997) By asking its governments have responded. The resulting Latin American Studies in the United States. members to apply those labels to themselves, data are an indispensable resource to But it has evolved greatly over time and now will LASA be working to further reinforce scholars, activists, and policy makers seeking aspires to serve a genuinely global and cement in place a colonial inheritance to understand and remedy patterns of community of scholars who study Latin that most of us would prefer to leave inequality in their countries. (Ferreira 2002; America. behind? Putnam 2004; DANE 2005) LASA’s increasingly international character Our preferences are one thing, however, and Does it make sense for an academic greatly complicates the issue of gathering the social realities with which we live are association to gather racial data on its racial and ethnic data. As much quite another. Racial identities, practices, members? My own disciplinary association, distinguished scholarship by LASA members structures, and prejudices are as deeply the American Historical Association, believes has shown, ethnic and racial labels are a vast embedded in societies today as they were that it does. In addition to gathering data conundrum. A baffling mixture of vague one, two, or three centuries ago. While on its members, the AHA also tracks the indeterminacy and rock-hard specificity, their having little or no basis in biology, they have racial composition of students earning use is dependent on innumerable social and very strong foundations in historical and Ph.D.’s in history at U.S. universities each cultural cues and contexts; as a result, they cultural memory and present-day social year. Those data show some interesting prove to be highly variable by time and practice. Racial identities and hierarchies changes over time. Minority representation place, so that the same word can have quite will not disappear during our lifetimes. We (African Americans, Hispanics, Asian- different meanings and applications in therefore need to pay close attention to Americans, and Native Americans) among different moments and settings. them, to study them, and to ask questions new history Ph.D.’s (those earning Ph.D.’s in about them. a given year) was at its highest in the late This is even more the case when one crosses 1970s, peaking in 1979 at 16 percent. national boundaries. Latin American Statistical data on race and ethnicity are a Minority representation among new Ph.D.’s members’ primary ethnic identification when principal tool for such study and analysis. then declined in the first half of the 1980s to they are in the United States—Hispanic— Societies that gather census or survey data 10 percent, rebounded in the second half of does not exist in their home countries. on race are in a far better position to that decade (to 14 percent in 1987), fell Conversely, my own ethnic identification in identify, and try to remedy, patterns of again in the early 1990s and has been on the Latin America, as explained to me jokingly inequality than societies that do not. Racial increase since 1993. In 2004, the most by an Uruguayan friend—“más gringo no data are also powerful weapons in the hands recent year for which published data are puede ser”—disappears when I return to the of groups and social movements seeking to available, 15 percent of new Ph.D.’s in United States and am surrounded by people combat racial inequality. Census data history were earned by members of racial who are, in fact, even more gringo (less demonstrating the extent and consequences and ethnic minorities—a level slightly lower

12 familiar with Latin America and less tuned all, to other social markers (national origin, data very difficult. When an open-ended into local usage there) than I am. gender, income, etc.) recorded on the approach of this kind has been used in membership form? One wonders what such Brazilian surveys and censuses, respondents What racial and ethnic identifiers would data would show, just as one wonders what have replied with over 100 racial and color LASA ask its members about: the ones racial census data would look like in labels. However, three-quarters of applied to us when we go abroad, or the countries that do not currently gather them. respondents assign themselves to one of two ones we use in our home countries? categories (white or moreno), and another Probably the latter. But in either case, how If LASA were to gather such data, what 22 percent to five other categories. (Telles helpful will it be to know the racial and racial and ethnic terms would we ask 2004: 82-83) One wonders whether LASA ethnic composition of this highly diverse, members to use? Even within national members would display a similar tendency to multinational community of scholars? What communities, which have at least some basic cluster in a few common categories. use will we make of the findings? How will shared understandings of racial labels and we even evaluate the findings? What if, for their meanings, the politics of racial labeling LASA members would also be free, of example, we find that members of LASA and categorizing can be highly contentious. course, not to respond to this question, and who identify themselves as white outnumber (Nobles 2000) In a cross-national, cross- some would doubtless take that option. members who identify themselves as non- cultural organization like LASA, this will be Members from Brazil, Canada, the United white by a factor of X? Against what even more the case, with high potential for States, and other countries that routinely standard do we measure X? Against the miscommunication and misunderstanding. gather data on race or color are accustomed racial and ethnic composition of the Nevertheless, there is sufficient convergence to selecting racial labels for themselves; but countries from which LASA members come among racial categories used in American (in members from countries that do not gather (most of which lack census data on race)? the hemispheric sense) censuses to suggest racial data may bridle at such a request. Against the ethnic and racial composition of the following categories as a starting point Which brings me to a final suggestion: other academic associations (most of which, for discussion: before deciding whether to gather racial and again, probably lack such data)? If against ethnic data, LASA needs to consult its Afrodescendiente/afrodescendente/ countries, do we add those countries members. This proposal cannot be imposed African-American together to produce a hemispheric total? Do from above; rather, it needs to be put to a we trace national groups of members back Asiático/asiático/Asian vote and decided democratically. I am a firm to their countries of origin? Or do we look believer in the value and importance of racial Blanco/branco/white somewhere else entirely? data; but like racial labels themselves, that Indígena/indígena/Native American value varies in different settings. Meanwhile, to what government or Governments and official agencies badly Mestizo/mestiço (or moreno)/racially mixed institution do we take our findings? Toward need racial data, since they can’t keep make what purpose, and with what policy Otro (especificar)/outro (especificar)/ informed decisions on social and economic recommendations? After the last 20-30 other (specify) policy without them. International years of agitation by indigenous and black professional associations’ need for such data movements, what Latin American Another option would be to use a is less pressing. With the Otros Saberes governments are unaware that nonwhites are completely open-ended format, with no pre- initiative, and its various Sections and under-represented in higher education in established categories. Rather, members Congress tracks devoted to research on their countries? How much substance would be asked to enter whatever racial and ethnic issues, LASA is already would data on LASA members really add to racial/ethnic term or terms that, in their hard at work in this area. If its members those debates? minds, most accurately describe them. The want to supplement those initiatives by advantage of this procedure is that it gathering racial data on themselves, then But still, one is curious: what ethnic and provides maximum freedom to respondents fine, let’s do it. And if they don’t want to racial terms would LASA members use to and more accurate information on how they gather such data, then fine, let’s not. describe themselves? How many such terms see themselves; the potential drawback is would they use, and what kinds of terms? that the resulting diversity of responses Having attended many Congresses over the And how would those terms correlate, if at might be so great as to make analysis of the years, and not a few Grandes Bailes, I

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cannot resist closing with some hypotheses References to be tested against the data that LASA may someday gather. DANE (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadísticas). 2006. Colombia: Una nación (1)For reasons given above, I suspect that multicultural. Su diversidad étnica. Bogotá: non-responses will be significant, perhaps as DANE. high as 20-25 percent. Ferreira, Luis. 2002. “Desigualdades raciais no mercado de trabalho e políticas sociais (2)Among those who do respond, how many universais: Uma comparação entre Uruguai e will opt for “white”? I would guess 70-80 Brasil,” Pós: Revista Brasileira de Pos- percent. Two factors might hold that Graduação em Ciências Sociais 6 (2002): 57-92. number down: first, some respondents might Hoffer, Thomas B., et al. 2005. Doctorate decide to enter their nationality (e.g., Recipients from United States Universities: Argentine, or Brazilian) rather than a color Summary Report 2004. Chicago: National or racial term. This would correspond to a Opinion Research Center. tradition in much of Latin America of conceptualizing nationality in terms of a Nobles, Melissa. 2000. Shades of Citizenship: national “race.” Second, some respondents Race and the Census in Modern Politics. may want to signal their support for Latin Stanford: Stanford University Press. American ideals of race mixture (see below, Putnam, Lara. 2004. “La población point 4). afrocostarricense según los datos del censo de 2000.” In Luis Rosero Bixby (ed.), Costa Rica a (3)Afro-descendent (or variants thereof) and la luz del censo del 2000. San José: Centro indigenous (or variants thereof, including Centroamericano de Población de la Universidad specific indigenous ethnic groups) combined de Costa Rica, pp. 375-98. will be 5-10 percent, probably closer to 5. Telles, Edward E. 2004. Race in Another America: The Significance of Skin Color in (4)In addition to “no response,” the other Brazil. Princeton: Princeton University Press. wild card in this exercise will be terms denoting race mixture: mestizo, moreno (in Townsend, Robert B. 2002. “The Status of Brazil), and others. Some members may opt Women and Minorities in the History for these terms for reasons suggested in point Profession,” AHA Perspectives (April). 2 above. Others, however, will find it Consulted at difficult to turn their backs on whiteness. http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/200 2/0204/0204pro1.cfm.

The more I think about it, the more I would Wade, Peter. 1997. Race and Ethnicity in Latin like to see these data. I hope we get the America. London: Pluto Press. chance to.

14 ON THE PROFESSION

The Problems of Measuring Race and Ethnicity by PAULINE ALBERTO | University of Michigan | [email protected] and JESSE HOFFNUNG-GARSKOF | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | [email protected]

There are many reasons why we, as action policies for higher education and similar to the U.S. category “black”). historians, might worry that LASA would government posts turns precisely on the Creating statistics that count all African take it upon itself to measure race and question of whether a focus on race descended people as “negro,” they argue, ethnicity among its members. One is the (particularly on “blackness”), and on race- will make the realities of Brazilian racism impossibility of designing a set of based quotas, stems from a U.S. experience more evident. In other contexts, such as bureaucratic categories that could reflect the rather than a Brazilian one. In the eyes of Argentina, activists recognize that the failure complexity of individual identities. This is opponents, the fact that affirmative action (since the late 19th century) to count particularly daunting in an organization with seems to come from the United States is indigenous and African-descended people a membership from many societies, each evidence that the project is ill-suited to has helped make those populations invisible, engaged in distinct conversations about race, Brazil’s distinct dynamics of racial buttressing a discourse of a homogeneous color, and ethnicity, and each with different identification and politics. This argument is white nation. Yet if there are obvious ways expectations about how such identities or in keeping with long-standing claims that in which counting race and/or color markers will be counted. In the United Brazil is fundamentally different from the differently might help to combat varied States and Puerto Rico, for instance, the United States in its racial formation and kinds of racism in Latin America, such census and a wide range of social institutions relations. The idea that Brazil has a flexible projects run the risk of opening an even count “race,” a set of categories based on system of color identification, extensive wider gap between official ways of counting descent. Some countries in Latin America, racial and cultural mixture, and absence of and popular forms of identity. Most like Brazil, count by “color” as well as legal discrimination, unlike the United Brazilians whom activists in the Movimento recognizing the ethnic category “indígena.” States, has been a source of pride for many Negro would like to count as “negro,” for Other countries, like Argentina and elite and non-elite, white and non-white instance, do not see themselves as such. For Venezuela, do not count either color or race Brazilians. These arguments are common in many activists, this general reluctance to regarding people of European and African many other parts of Latin America. accept the category of “negro” reflects a descent, but do recognize membership in Differences between racial formations and false consciousness produced by national indigenous communities. Meanwhile, systems of counting race in the United States myths of mixture and racial harmony. In popular ideas about racial or ethnic identity and Latin America, both real and imagined, this situation, counting by race provides an vary widely from place to place, and often have long been at the center of official and opportunity for activists to educate African- stand at odds with official methods of popular Latin American ideologies of descended people about their true identities. counting. Not only do most attempts to national identity and integrity. measure race and ethnicity do an imprecise As historians of race in Latin America, we job of reflecting the various ways that people Those who support race-based affirmative are both strong proponents of the idea that in the Americas imagine themselves, but as action here in Brazil respond that these race is a social construct that operates most scholars now believe, these institutional claims to national difference hide practices differently in different local contexts and at attempts at counting do not measure any of systematic (if not legalized) discrimination different historical moments. We underlying “reality” of racial or ethnic that have historically functioned in much the particularly do not believe that popular identifications. They generally reflect much same way as anti-black discrimination in the identities in Latin America are simply false more closely the ways that politicians and United States. This kind of argument too is consciousness, or the result of mystifying bureaucrats imagine race and project it onto familiar in many Latin American contexts, discourses that hide underlying racial diverse populations. where projects to expose racial inequalities “realities.” But by the same token, we are seek explicitly to challenge historical claims skeptical of Latin American discourses that The question of whether and how to count about racelessness or racial harmony. In try to fix and naturalize “national” or race in an organization like LASA, based in some contexts, activists look favorably on “Latin” racial systems in opposition to the the United States but composed largely of racial enumeration as a means to United States. While race indeed operates Latin Americans, is made even more demonstrate racial inequality. Brazil’s differently in different places, local racial complicated by the history of U.S.-Latin Movimento Negro, for instance, has systems grew out of parallel institutions and American relations. As we write this article attempted since the late 1970s to replace the common international discourses, and they we are in Brazil, where pitched debate over color categories “preto” and “pardo” with were always substantially constituted the implementation of race-based affirmative “negro” (a race- or descent-based category through contact with one another. In

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defining and debating racial questions, Latin not in a position to radically transform these condition for collecting this sort of Americans have borrowed, translated, and structural barriers. But we fully support its information, since simply asking members to combined a range of ideas about racial stated goals of increasing outreach to, and choose from a set of fixed categories is likely identities and politics. Anti-racist causes— membership from, three major historically to create feelings of alienation for many who even ones that make use of discourses of excluded groups: indigenous people, Afro- might look at the list and not recognize “blackness”—are no more foreign to Latin Latin people, and U.S. Latinos. To that end, themselves among its options. We know America than racial hierarchies. We should strategically adopting the project of counting from personal and anecdotal experience that not avoid taking stock of race or talking seems necessary, for how are we to know many Latin Americans experience this about race among ourselves for fear of what is needed or what is working if we do feeling when first presented with the racial imposing a U.S. concern where it does not not take stock of who we are? categories on forms and applications in the belong. United States. Indeed, when the United We support such an attempt, and have some States added the category “some other race” Still, even if we can set aside our concerns ideas about how to begin the conversation. to the census in 1990, two-fifths of Latinos about counting race, color, and ethnicity, we First, we strongly oppose any system that immediately began to select it—about the might ask the question, “Why ought we to would assign fixed identities that members same percentage as chose the category count them?” We should count them, we would carry with them beyond the initial “white.” What is more, an open-ended believe, because the shift in the United States survey. If we count race, color, and ethnicity, question seems more likely to help provide from counting race for purely repressive it should only be toward the goal of creating an overall picture of how our members see purposes, to counting for purposes of a portrait of the whole organization, not to themselves in ways that checklists cannot. addressing historical inequalities, is a useful create official categories of membership Perhaps too, this method can uncover one. As members of an American institution marked or conditioned by these descriptors. dimensions of diversity that the organization (in the continental sense), we ought to This may seem self-evident, but given the has not yet considered, but ought to—we recognize that all of our many societies varied ways that these categories are particularly would be interested in thinking emerged from processes of colonization and deployed in our many societies, it is worth about the issues of class origins and of nationalism that placed European cultures being absolutely clear on this matter. The nationally displaced and marginalized groups and varied formulations of whiteness above Dominican government, for instance, assigns aside from Latinos in the United States both African and indigenous cultures and color categories on national identification (Bolivians in Argentina and Haitians in the phenotypes. Although the precise meanings cards, and that identification potentially Dominican Republic come to mind). of whiteness, blackness, indigeneity, and influences every interaction with the state. mixture may vary widely according to local LASA should make it plain that it is not On the other hand, an open-ended question contexts, all of our societies have historical collecting racial profiles of individuals, and would produce complicated results. The and ongoing structural barriers that that it will only store the collected famous 1976 household survey in Brazil, disproportionately bar people who are not information in aggregate, not as part of which allowed respondents to write in their white and not culturally European from individual membership files. Moreover, we own color identifications in addition to higher education and academia. Our believe that giving this sort of information official ones, produced 136 different institutions of higher learning have been should be entirely optional for members. categories. LASA wants to measure its own especially resistant to indigenous forms of success at including three main groups that knowledge production. At the same time, Second, we suggest that two questions about are likely to be underrepresented—people the asymmetrical relationship between the race, ethnicity, and color be posed to the who report African ancestry, membership in United States and Latin America has helped membership. The first should be wholly indigenous communities (to which we to create a population of more than 40 open-ended. It should explain LASA’s stated recommend adding “or indigenous million people of Latin American descent goal of mapping the diversity of its ancestry”), or Latino identities in the United living inside the United States. While this membership in the interest of inclusiveness. States. But an open-ended survey on its own group is heterogeneous in terms of class, It should then allow each member to write in would likely provide data that addressed color, and nationality, as a whole its a description of her racial or ethnic identity such categories only indirectly. It seems to members experience extremely restricted (or to leave the space blank). We feel that us a greater act of imposition to use the access to higher education. LASA is perhaps open-ended self-identification is a crucial process of tabulation to try to sort members’

16 DEBATES

Desde Otros Saberes

by VIVIAN NEWDICK | University of Texas, Austin | [email protected]

many self-definitions into these categories, Los artículos presentados aquí fueron proyecto de revitalización cultural se apoyó than to provide the categories up front, redactados por los y las coordinadores de los en la uso y análisis de la tecnología, como la explain the reason for including them, and proyectos becados por la iniciativa “Other fotografía y el video (Géliga Vargas y León allow members to self-select as many or as Americas/Otros Saberes.” Representan un Castro) y en el caso los Wajãpi una few as they recognize. We therefore suggest inventario de los logros y retos encontrados consideración, “[d]as especificidades das a second question, inviting members to be después de aproximadamente diez meses de formas de transmissão de conhecimentos, active participants in the tabulation process. trabajo intensivo, trabajos muchas veces sobretudo aquelas que diferenciam a We hope that since this choice would not interrumpidos y por acontecimientos oralidade da escrita” (Gallois). Algunas de establish an official racial condition of nacionales, tales como atentados contra las fotos producidos por los equipos de membership, and since it would follow an miembros de la organización protagónica— investigación se publican aquí. open-ended opportunity to express complex el caso del Frente Indígena de identities, the stakes for this last question Organizaciones Binacionales (FIOB) de Los íntimos escenarios de “a transformação would not seem very high. Nevertheless, we Oaxaca y California—o por ofensivas dos conhecimentos” sin embargo forman think both questions should be optional, and paramilitares en territorios de poblaciones parte de los grandes cambios nacionales we suggest that the second include a box participantes el en trabajo, como es el caso marcados por las leyes de reconocimiento allowing members to express opposition to de Proceso de Comunidades Negras (PCN) étnico. Varios proyectos de Otros Saberes the project of counting by race. de Colombia. confrontan los legatos problemáticos de estas leyes y establecen líneas de acción e In short, we believe that the benefits of Sin embargo estos artículos muestran las investigación para retar la delimitación de painting a self-portrait of our institution for posibilidades que tiene la membresía de las poblaciones indígenas y negras. Para el these goals and under these conditions, while LASA de incidir en los procesos y debates movimiento negro de Colombia “el Censo including spaces for disagreement and políticos principales en las Américas desde la convierte en campo de lucha” a partir de la debate, outweighs our significant concerns colaboración horizontal con organizaciones lectura de los resultados del 2005, y “el about the processes and histories of críticas de la transformación social. El equipo visibilización y censo contribuye a counting. If any group can thoughtfully conjunto de ensayos representa, en diferentes articular el énfasis del PCN en la diferencia consider the pitfalls of counting color and escalas, momentos cruciales en la política de con una agenda centrada en los derechos y la race among a multinational membership cultura y territorio en las Américas, desde los igualdad” (Grueso Castelblanco y Escobar). (without falling into the trap of imagining espacios de cercanía y familiaridad de la En las regiones autónomas de Nicaragua, racelessness in Latin America), it should be revitalización cultural, hasta la formulación el diagnóstico comunal formulado por the members of LASA. de programas de acción política para investigadores Miskitus busca establecer las reformular leyes nacionales y confrontar bases del territorio comunal del pueblo de embates globales. Estos proyectos fueron Tuara pero se encuentra con el límite del seleccionados tanto por la firmeza de la funcionamiento de la autonomía, ya que metodología de la colaboración, como por la las comisiones gubernamentales no son representatividad de procesos dirigidos por imparciales (Taylor y Everingham). Por lo pueblos afrolatinos e indígenas. tanto los resultados de la investigación formarán parte de una crítica del régimen En tres proyectos la colaboración se apoyó autónomo actual sostenida empíricamente en el “nutrido archivo de la memoria desde abajo. personal y colectiva de afrodescendientes [e indígenas] contemporáneos para componer Cada proyecto interpretó el mandato de otras historias” tanto (trans)nacionales, Otros Saberes de la investigación como es el caso de Puerto Rico (Géliga colaborativa y horizontal de forma diferente. Vargas), como del conocimiento En el caso del FIOB, las líderes buscan poner discusivamente silenciado, como son los la investigación al servicio de la casos de las poblaciones afroecuatoriana organización, que tiene que integrar más (León Castro) y Wajãpi (Gallois). Cada jóvenes y mujeres a los cuadros de liderazgo

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“for the survival of the organization” Develamos el mito de la democracia racial preliminar con una típica bohemia. Los (Romero). La Asamblea Comunal de la en Puerto Rico testimonios que en primera y tercera persona comunidad de Tuara aprobó la metodología se comenzaron a narrar esa noche de la investigación y la mayoría de las by JOCELYN A. GÉLIGA VARGAS develaron—si bien de forma tentativa, actividades fueron realizadas en Miskitu, ya University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez vacilante y fragmentaria—el mito de la que el equipo contaba con coordinadores [email protected] democracia racial, articulando con principales Miskitu-hablantes. En el caso de elocuencia vital las experiencias de racismo y la comunidad de Aguadilla en Puerto Rico, La historia oficial puertorriqueña ha blanqueamiento, auto-negación y auto- el proyecto convocó un equipo de construido un sujeto nacional singular y afirmación, represión y resistencia que investigación de la historia oral unitario que combina armónicamente los socavan los pilares de la construcción afropuertorriqueña que ha tomado vida denominados “elementos” taínos, españoles imperante y monolítica de la propia y, como la mayoría de los proyectos, y africanos. La “puertorriqueñidad” se puertorriqueñidad. “Aquí decimos que ‘el continuará después del cierre de las figura oficialmente como la suma de estas que no tiene dinga tiene mandinga,’2 diz que actividades becadas. partes, cada una definida de forma aceptamos nuestra ‘diversidad’ pero lo negro esencialista y ordenada en una jerarquía que se define siempre desde la mentalidad En Colombia, donde la colaboración reduce la afrodescendencia al estadio de lo blanca: el negro es bruto, el negro es sucio, horizontal entre académicos y miembros del primitivo, lo exótico, lo subordinado. A el negro es fuerte”, apuntó uno de los PCN se convirtió en un tema principal de la través de la historia oral, “Testimonios asistentes iniciando un debate en torno a las investigación, se vislumbra el reto afropuertorriqueños: un proyecto de historia ideologías raciales dominantes. Corrientes epistemológico de Otros Saberes. El equipo oral en el oeste de Puerto Rico”, apela al arraigadas en parte porque “desde chiquito a de experiencia metodológica del diálogo de nutrido archivo de la memoria personal y uno le enseñan a bajar la cabeza” y “por saberes exploró el terreno difícil de la colectiva de afrodescendientes querernos y por protegernos” nuestros colaboración que atraviesa oficios y contemporáneos para componer otras padres nos dicen “no, tú no eres negro”. mantuvo las categorías analíticas del PCN historias—parciales, plurales y populares— como puntos de partida. Exponen una que han sido tradicionalmente enmudecidas. Al calor de este debate se incubó una premisa central de Otros Saberes: colaboración que ha madurado “preguntas como: ¿qué se piensa?, ¿desde A la sombra de los modelos que condicionan progresivamente desde entonces. Una dónde?, y ¿con quién? surgen como los diseños de investigación académica, en la tercera parte de los asistentes a ese primer elementos esenciales para estrategias propuesta que presentamos a la iniciativa grupo focal se ha embarcado en la tarea de efectivas de colaboración” (Grueso Otros Saberes establecimos que generar, junto a los investigadores Castelblanco y Escobar)—una colaboración empezaríamos nuestra investigación con dos académicos, un archivo testimonial de clave en la era del levantamiento de grupos focales dedicados a relevar los ejes historias de vida de afroaguadillanos. Por conocimientos descentralizados, temáticos que orientarían dos proyectos diversas razones, atinentes tanto a la transformadores, generados desde el paralelos de historia oral en los municipios trayectoria histórica de los afrodescendientes compromiso. de Aguadilla y Hormigueros (ambos en el en Hormigueros como a las posibilidades de oeste de Puerto Rico). Los líderes dedicación de los investigadores académicos comunitarios que co-gestaron nuestro y los representantes de la sociedad civil, la proyecto convocaron a estos grupos.1 colaboración entablada en esta localidad tomó otro giro que ha dependido de la cabal Quebrantando no sólo nuestras expectativas participación de estudiantes de la sino también las convenciones de la Universidad de Puerto Rico-Mayagüez—un metodología del grupo focal, al encuentro significativo componente de nuestra inicial de Aguadilla en septiembre 2006 investigación que no podemos desarrollar en acudieron cerca de 30 personas: este breve artículo. Nos enfocamos entonces trabajadores, estudiantes, profesionales, en la colaboración en curso en Aguadilla, jubilados, deportistas, escritores, ex–militares donde hemos trabajado colectivamente con y hasta un músico que amenizó la tertulia representantes de la sociedad civil en el

18 Testimonios afropuertorriqueños: un proyecto de historia oral en el oeste de Puerto Rico

DESDE OTROS SABERES continued…

Investigadores comunales de Tuara guían la elaboración de diagnóstico para la demarcación y titulación de su territorio

by EDWIN TAYLOR URACCAN [email protected]

and MARK EVERINGHAM University of Wisconsin [email protected] diseño total de la investigación: guías de En los próximos meses nos proponemos entrevista, criterios de selección de los trabajar colectivamente en la producción de Los objetivos principales del proyecto narradores, materiales informativos sobre el materiales educativos basados en los “Comunidad Indígena Tuara en el Proceso proyecto, etc. Luego de capacitar a estos proyectos testimoniales desarrollados en Autonómico en la Costa Caribe líderes comunitarios en la metodología de la Aguadilla y Hormigueros, así como una guía Nicaragüense” eran principalmente dos: la historia oral, el registro de notas de campo, metodológica que sirva para orientar a otros elaboración de un diagnóstico para la y el uso del equipo de grabación, nos dimos individuos y/o grupos a reproducir nuestro titulación del territorio de esta comunidad, y a la tarea de generar los testimonios de proyecto en otras localidades. Después de un análisis de las formas de autogobierno diecisiete narradores, 11 hombres y 6 LASA2007 anticipamos organizar eventos existentes para su mejor articulación con Ley mujeres. Al presente, hemos completado un comunitarios en ambas localidades para de Autonomía. Se puede decir que estos dos total de trece entrevistas y hemos iniciado presentar los resultados de nuestra objetivos se cumplieron, construidos sobre dos archivos foto- y videográficos: uno para investigación colaborativa. Según lo auguró una base sólida de colaboración entre documentar el proceso mismo del desarrollo una de las asistentes al primer grupo focal de académicos y comunitarios; sin embargo, el de la investigación colaborativa y el otro Aguadilla: nos proponemos “dar a la impacto de la producción de este para complementar las historias de vida de audiencia—incluso a los blancos—que se conocimiento puede ser coartado por lo/as entrevistado/as. exponga, lea, y escuche estos testimonios un problemas que residen en la política espejo para que se miren, se vean y se territorial regional, fuera del marco del En su conjunto, las voces e imágenes que reconozcan en esa experiencia que ha sido proyecto original. Por lo tanto este proyecto hemos registrado hasta el momento en negada y silenciada”. forma parte de un proceso histórico que ambas localidades demuestran que la transciende el año de investigación. historia afropuertorriqueña se escribe cotidiana y arduamente “desde abajo”. Los Notas El territorio de la comunidad de Tuara es de resultados preliminares de la investigación aproximadamente 18,000 hectáreas, trascienden las fronteras geográficas 1 Nuestro equipo básico contó con dos habitada por 78 familias de la etnia Miskitu. establecidas tradicionalmente en nuestro país investigadores académicos, Dr. José Irizarry En este territorio se está llevando a cabo el para acuartelar la negritud en determinados Rodríguez y Dra. Jocelyn Géliga Vargas, y un proyecto becado por Otros Saberes, guiado pueblos de la zona este (Loíza, Carolina) y colaborador principal de cada lugar: Carlos por las autoridades de la comunidad de Delgado Lassalle de Aguadilla y Edwin Albino sur (Ponce, Guayama), y revelan la presencia Tuara (la Asamblea Comunal), con el apoyo Plugues de Hormigueros. viva de la denominada “raíz africana” en de la Universidad de las Regiones todos los rincones de nuestro archipiélago 2 Dicho popular que refiere de forma Autónomas de la Costa Caribe de Nicaragua (incluida la zona oeste donde radicamos estereotípica, superficial y generalizada a la (URACCAN) y además de la colaboración nuestro proyecto) así como en las diásporas presencia de raíces y/o influencias africanas en de Mark Everingham de la Universidad de puertorriqueñas. la totalidad de la población puertorriqueña. Wisconsin, Green Bay.

En el marco de la Ley 445, en el mes de Septiembre del año 2006 se inició con la

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TAYLOR and EVERINGHAM continued… DESDE OTROS SABERES continued…

hace en español y se traduce. Las familias de Produciendo saberes desde la religiosidad y Tuara participaron de forma masiva para la memoria dar la información, así mismo durante las reuniones para las entrevistas grupales. by EDIZON LEÓN CASTRO Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar Para que el pueblo de Tuara logre la [email protected] titulación, dos organizaciones gubernamentales tendrían que coordinarse: La religiosidad siempre ha sido un elemento la Comisión Intersectorial de Titulación y cohesionador, constructor de colectividades y Demarcación (CIDT) y la Comisión de ordenamiento cultural, un dispositivo que Nacional de Demarcación y Titulación busca a través de sus prácticas perpetuar (CONADTI). Un problema principal es la valores, mandatos, y códigos que permitan la Comunidad indígena Tuara en el proceso autonómico debilidad que ha mostrado CIDT y cohesión social. Desde esta perspectiva el de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense CONADETI: siempre están en disputa proyecto “Saberes propios, religiosidad, y interna y no se están llevando a cabo las luchas de existencia” busca responder dos actividades de demarcación. Por otro lado preguntas fundamentales: ¿Cómo entender la elaboración del diagnóstico de la los miembros de CIDT y CONADETI son religiosidad en las comunidades comunidad, cual contendría información oriundos de otros territorios (Diez afroecuatorianas como base de su filosofía, histórica, demográfica, y socioeconómica. Comunidades y Tawira) que están en disputa cosmovisión, y lugar de construcción, Como parte de la metodología de trabajo se con Tuara y tienen sus intereses personales transmisión, y aprendizaje de saberes entre conformó un equipo de trabajo integrado cual podría interferir en la toma de decisión, generaciones? Y ¿qué implica la religiosidad por académicos e investigadores comunales durante la verificación, entrega de titulo y como estrategia de existencia identitaria, (autoridades y líderes comunales amojonamiento del Territorio de Tuara. Por sociocultural, epistémica y organizativa? comprometidos con su comunidad y lo tanto, se espera aprovechar los espacios de conocedores de la historia y del territorio).1 analísis de Otros Saberes, y la relación de La mayor apuesta en este proyecto es colaboración cercana y contínua con Tuara, construir respuestas a estas preguntas de El equipo técnico organizó un taller de para articular los resultados de este proyecto manera colectiva, a partir de la generación capacitación para la planificación de las con los retos que presenta la coyuntura de procesos participativos y pedagógicos de actividades del proyecto, así mismo del política en las Regiones Autónomas de la investigación, mediante la recreación de diseño y aprobación de la metodología de Costa Atlántica Nicaraguense. saberes religiosos que parten de prácticas trabajo. Al concluir el taller se tenía un plan culturales cotidianas, que forman parte de la de trabajo y el equipo se dividió en dos Existencia misma de las comunidades grupos de trabajo: uno tenía la tarea de Nota afroecuatorianas como: el nacimiento, recopilar datos demográficos y prácticas curativas, fiestas religiosas y la socioeconómicos y el otro grupo datos 1 Los investigadores comunales son: Salvador muerte. El proyecto viene siendo cartográficos del territorio de Tuara. Nicho (Síndico), Julia Albicio, Francisco Mora, desarrollado en dos zonas de Ecuador: Roger Gonzales, Armando Casaya, Junior Esmeraldas1, que se encuentra en la costa Los académicos que conformaba el equipo Cristofer, y Clemente Martínez; los académicos, norte del pacífico del país y el Valle del técnico se ganó la confianza de los líderes de Marcos Willamson, Mark Everingham, y Chota2, ubicado en la zona interandina. Los la comunidad de Tuara con mucha facilidad, Edwin Taylor; los técnicos, Mike Patterson, equipos que se conformaron en estas zonas, pues, URACCAN es una universidad que Walter Castro, y Sergio Perera. tienen el antecedente de venir trabajando con hace extensión comunitaria con amplia el Fondo Documental AfroAndino en experiencia y contactos anteriores. También actividades anteriores. los académicos son Miskitus del mismo pueblo. Tanto los talleres de capacitación, Los resultados logrados en estos procesos de reuniones y asambleas comunales se llevan a investigación participativa apuntan cabo en lengua Miskitu y en caso especial se perspectivas de transformación y

20 Saberes propios, religiosidad y luchas de existencia afroecuatorianas

“único” de producción de conocimientos), ¿Hasta qué punto está dispuesta la academia a dejarse impregnar de las experiencias y lógicas otras de producción de conocimiento propuestas desde las comunidades? Dependiendo de la respuesta a esta pregunta se puede pensar en el siguiente paso que es la construcción de un diálogo de saberes.

Notas

1 La historia de la provincia de Esmeraldas data desde 1552 con la presencia de los primeros cimarrones que lograron consolidar un proyecto de libertad y autonomía en este territorio. Este proyecto involucra a cuatro comunidades del norte de esta zona: Selva Alegre, Timbiré, Coloy Eloy y Maldonado. visibilización, por ejemplo la participación e central en la revitalización de la identidad. involucramiento en este proceso de Un segundo momento de este proyecto es la 2 Los primeros esclavizados en esta región fueron investigación por parte de las comunidades, reinserción de estos conocimientos y saberes traídos por los jesuitas para consolidar el que transforma la relación hegemónica de en las comunidades, para ello se ha proyecto de la caña de azúcar a mediados del objetos-sujetos de estudio a sujetos contemplado la producción de materiales siglo XVII. productores de conocimientos y saberes. De didácticos y pedagógicos para la 3 El término guardianes de la tradición es esta manera no solo se visibilizan (las etnoeducación4, construyendo una utilizado por las comunidades para nombrar a comunidades afroecuatorianas) como sujetos “metodología propia” como resultado de un los/as mayores de las comunidades cuya productores saberes, sino que visibilizan diálogo entre academia y comunidades, función principal es el cuidado y la transmisión lugares y prácticas otras de producción de como han sido los conversatorios abiertos a de los conocimientos y saberes. saberes. Se trata de mirar como a través de partir de la utilización de testimonios orales la religiosidad y sus prácticas se han venido y visuales, la construcción de cartografías 4 La etnoeducación se ha venido construyendo (re)construyendo y trasmitiendo culturales, realización de recorridos, desde las comunidades afroecuatorianas como históricamente distintos saberes vitales para intercambios de saberes, etc. un proyecto político que busca desarrollar una educación propia como respuesta a la las comunidades y paralelamente las educación oficial que no ha incorporado. dinámicas, usos, sentidos y significados de Consideramos que el mayor logro del esos saberes en la cotidianidad en los proyecto ha sido la generación de un proceso actuales momentos. Un ejemplo de ello es el de agenciamiento epistémico comunitario uso de medicina tradicional y sus secretos para la revitalización y construcción de para las curaciones de mal aire o mal de ojo, saberes, a través de una relación que es uno de los temas desarrollados en la colaborativa entre la universidad y las producción de saberes de este proyecto. El comunidades, un buen ejemplo de ello son proceso investigativo ha permitido a las las ideas que han surgido desde la comunidades reflexionar que sus prácticas comunidad para generar centros de religiosas encierran una serie de saberes, que capacitación para jóvenes que quieran han sido celosamente trabajados y aprender o especializarse en el arte de ayudar transmitidos por los y las guardianes de la a concebir a mujeres embarazadas. El tradición3. A partir de este entendimiento se desarrollo de este proyecto ha presentado un ha trabajado la religiosidad como elemento reto a la academia (construido como espacio

21 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

DESDE OTROS SABERES continued…

Um inventário da tradição Wajãpi, ritual, tecnologias, histórias, etc.) e estão articulando “dois caminhos” aprendendo a controlar sua difusão, reconhecendo-se como efetivos detentores de by DOMINIQUE TILKIN GALLOIS um diversificado patrimônio de saberes. Universidade de São Paulo Nesse movimento, adquiriram uma [email protected] consciência mais aguçada da riqueza desses saberes, que desejam agora transmitir em Nos últimos 3 anos, um grupo de 30 jovens forma escrita (na língua Wajãpi) para as e adultos Wajãpi vem sendo formado para crianças nas escolas. Sabem, entretanto, que assumir progressivamente todas as tarefas ainda não são especialistas nem dominam envolvidas na realização e gestão de um esses assuntos e por este motivo, devem inventário de seu patrimônio cultural realizar um trabalho aprofundado e imaterial. É nesse contexto que o projeto minucioso de pesquisa junto às pessoas mais Saberes Wajãpi: Formação de pesquisadores e val- “Saberes Wajãpi: Formação de pesquisadores idosas de cada uma de suas aldeias. orização de registros etnográficos indígenas e valorização de registros etnográficos indígenas” foi idealizado, a partir da Nesta abordagem, algumas questões teórico- Um dos pressupostos do projeto é que colaboração já existente entre o Conselho metodológicas assumem especial qualquer inventário de patrimonio cultural das Aldeias Wajãpi—Apina e a equipe de importância: imaterial sempre abarca tanto aspectos educadores da ONG Iepé e de antropólogos a relação entre conhecimentos e práticas “novos” quanto “tradicionais”, e considera e lingüistas do NHII/USP, responsável pela culturais; que patrimonio não se define como um capacitação dos pesquisadores da receptáculo de experiências do passado, mas comunidade Wajãpi1. A pesquisa as especificidades das formas de como um espaço para a interação e o colaborativa produzirá uma sistematização transmissão de conhecimentos, diálogo entre culturas. Essa articulação dos resultados alcançados, gerando sobretudo aquelas que diferenciam entre “caminhos”—como dizem os Wajãpi— instrumentos indispensáveis à continuidade a oralidade da escrita; passa necessariamente pela escrita e por isso do processo, necessariamente longo. a relevância das versões e variantes do engaja novos agentes de transmissão, que, no conhecimento no seio do mesmo grupo; caso, são os 30 pesquisadores que o projeto Como parte do processo de realização do contribui a formar. inventário de seu patrimônio imaterial, os a transformação dos conhecimentos no jovens pesquisadores debatem os aspectos contexto de sua transmissão; A próxima etapa, subsidiada pelos que consideram importantes e as teorias que articulam e dão significado resultados deste projeto, será a inclusão dos representativos do modo de pensar, fazer e aos dados isolados. resultados das pesquisas realizadas e viver dos Wajãpi. Em discussões com lideres sistematizadas pelos Wajãpi no âmbito das das aldeias, estabeleceu-se inicialmente uma O inventário que os Wajãpi iniciaram e cujos escolas. Essa inserção em novo contexto de pauta de temas prioritários para as resultados estão sendo sistematizados com transmissão representa um conjunto de pesquisas, que incluía: “resguardos, rezas de apoio deste projeto, não será simplesmente dificuldades que tem estimulado os cura, de agressão e de prevenção, uma compilação de saberes “dos antigos”, professores Wajãpi a refletirem sobre casamentos e poligamia, jeitos de responder nem sua mera transcrição, mas envolve uma diferentes processos de produção e ao sogro, jeito de conversar bonito, reflexão nova e atual. A equipe discute transmissão de conhecimentos, além de conhecimentos históricos, religiões, jeito de intensamente as alternativas de articulação aprofundarem seus próprios conhecimentos classificar plantas e animais, jeitos de fazer entre modos de conhecer e modos de sobre aspectos do patrimônio cultural de seu manejo de recursos naturais, festas, teorias transmitir, para equacionar o que os Wajãpi povo. Estão agora desenvolvendo algumas dos Wajãpi sobre o mundo”. chamam dos “dois caminhos”, o de sua estratégias específicas para a valorização de tradição e o das novas práticas, técnicas e seus saberes e praticas tradicionais em Os pesquisadores Wajãpi realizam registros conhecimentos adquiridos na escola. contexto escolar. O principal desafio para o etnográficos (saberes e praticas de manejo futuro sendo o de tratar o conhecimento ambiental, cosmologia, curas, música e

22 DESDE OTROS SABERES continued…

tradicional na escola sem empobrecê-lo e Maintaining a Healthy Organization in the Los Angeles), and Centolia Maldonado sabendo estabelecer relações pertinentes com Face of Political Repression (Mixtec-Oaxaca); as well as two academics: os saberes escolares dos não-índios. O Maylei Blackwell (UCLA-Chicano Studies) trabalho dos pesquisadores Wajãpi iniciou by ODILIA ROMERO HERNÁNDEZ and Laura Velasco (COLEF-Social Sciences). com o aprendizado de técnicas de Frente Indígena de Organizaciones documentação e de sistematização do Binacionales (FIOB) The FIOB team faced challenges in conhecimento, antes transmitido apenas [email protected] accomplishing the project’s calendar of através da oralidade. É necessário apostar activities due to the political climate that it em longo prazo e na mobilização desse This project entitled “Desarrollando del faced as an organization with an important grupo de pesquisadores e de todas as aldeias Liderazgo Binacional Indígena: Género, part of its membership in Oaxaca. The Wajãpi em torno de ações que valorizem Generación y Etnicidad dentro del FIOB” is conflict that initiated with the teachers’ tanto as formas de transmissão oral, como a collaboration between el Frente Indígena strike in Oaxaca City on May 1, 2006 and os conhecimentos relacionados ao manejo de de Organizaciones Binacionales (FIOB), the was followed by Mexican federal and recursos naturais, à saúde, à história das University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Oaxaca state police repression affected many aldeias, à cosmologia, aos rituais, à música, and the Colegio de la Frontera Norte FIOB members directly and indirectly. The à pintura corporal, etc. Mas o registro das (COLEF) to conduct participatory research political killings and mass arrests required tradições em forma escrita não é uma ação that will enable the FIOB to develop a the mobilization of the FIOB to denounce isolada, nem suficiente. Nem a transposição leadership program with indigenous human rights violations (which continue). dos saberes tradicionais para a escola é migrants in California (United States), and Members of the FIOB still have pending garantia de sua salvaguarda. Um processo Baja California and Oaxaca (Mexico). warrants for their arrest. de valorização cultural é sempre muito Principal goals include increasing the demorado, além de complexo, exigindo participation of young people and women This repression of course most affected FIOB investimento de longo prazo e a in FIOB leadership. We consider these membership that lives in Oaxaca. Yet many mobilização de todas as comunidades e changes necessary for the survival of the indigenous activists from California, Baja aldeias. organization. California, and Oaxaca found a way to participate in our programmed workshops This “Other Americas/Otros Saberes” and interviews, held in each of these Nota project is being carried out by a team locations, after an adjustment of the work consisting of three members of FIOB schedule. During the month of June 2007 1 Os participantes indígenas da pesquisa incluem binational leadership: Rufino Domínguez about 20 leaders from all three regions met os 20 jovens e adultos da turma de (Mixtec-Fresno), Odilia Romero (Zapotec- in Mexico City to share the results of the "pesquisadores Wajãpi" que iniciaram sua formação em 2005, além dos 10 professores bilíngues. Por falta de espaço nesta edição, não podemos incluir a lista nominal. Presidente do Apina: Jawapuku Waiãpi, equipe do Iepé, Lúcia Szmrecsányi, equipe do NHII-USP, Dominique T. Gallois, Luis Donisete Benzi Grupioni, Joana Cabral, Silvia Cunha.

Desarrollando del liderazgo binacional indígena: Género, generación y etnicidad dentro del FIOB

23 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

ROMERO HERNÁNDEZ continued… DESDE OTROS SABERES continued…

three previously held regional workshops. Territorios de vida, alegría, y libertad... sobre aguas y bosques que involucra We also used this occasion to develop an Un diálogo de saberes por la defensa del retrocesos significativos sobre los derechos action plan for a leadership training territorio de las comunidades negras. program. The plan, designed within the Otros Saberes project research team, consists by LIBIA ROSARIO GRUESO CASTELBLANCO En este contexto, las organizaciones de of a curriculum and a series of training [email protected] comunidades negras han construido sessions to take place between July 2007 and conocimientos para la afirmación y defensa March 2008. The curriculum will include and ARTURO ESCOBAR de sus derechos étnico-culturales y relaciones humanas (e.g. conflict resolution), University of North Carolina territoriales; esta valiosa experiencia de public speaking techniques, binational [email protected] pensamiento y acción, está dispersa en political analysis, recruiting strategies for múltiples documentos y memorias escritas y new members, and gender, youth, and En medio de la selva, los sonidos del tambor orales. identity analysis. These regional workshops y de los cantos se confunden con los sonidos will culminate in a leadership conference on de los grillos y las ranas que exploran el río Es a partir de esta experiencia que el Proceso women, youth, and diversity at the end of y las piedras que conducen al mar, es el de Comunidades Negras (PCN), una March 2008 right before the celebration of sonido lejano de la fiesta tradicional en una dinámica organizativa que agrupa más de FIOB’s Fourth Binational Congress. vereda del Pacifico Sur Colombiano que se 120 organizaciones étnico-culturales y resiste a olvidar su cultura, que se resiste a territoriales de comunidades negras en To complete this leadership development callar en medio del conflicto armado por la Colombia, acoge la convocatoria de LASA action plan we reflected on a series of disputa de sus territorios. –Libia Grueso Otros Saberes.1 El espacio construido en themes related to internal and external torno al proyecto LASA ha permitido organizational strategies—topics that El derecho al territorio y el reconocimiento profundizar una serie de debates sobre developed in the course of the previous nine como grupo étnico, es la conquista más cuatro temas principales que forman las months’ work. We collectively discussed the importante de las luchas de las bases de cuatro grupos de investigación. responsibilities of FIOB binational leaders, organizaciones de comunidades negras de Resumimos algunos logros y alcances aquí. the challenges in the development of female Colombia en las últimas dos décadas. En el and male leadership, the replacement of caso del Pacífico colombiano, el derecho al En el equipo temático denominado territorio leaders and the recruitment of new members, territorio incluye, de acuerdo con la Ley 70 y resistencia, se analiza la construcción del and the solving of conflicts within the de 1993, el derecho a los bosques y reconoce territorio en cada subregión de principales organization. We further reflected on el papel fundamental de la cultura de la asentamientos afrocolombianos, el derecho challenges in making our organization grow: comunidad negra en la conservación de al territorio valorando la capacidad de the capacity and politics of tolerance among ecosistemas. resistencia de las organizaciones, e historias different ethnic groups, the challenges that de vida destacando el papel de líderes articulation with the American Indian A pesar de este reconocimiento, se ha hombres y mujeres en la defensa del movement presents, and the importance of generado una creciente disputa territorial territorio. En estos análisis, logramos mayor the creation of a dialog with the migrant desde los intereses del capital nacional y claridad sobre las diversas facetas de la movement in the United States. transnacional representado por contra-estrategia del estado por la vía agroindustriales y narcotraficantes que hacen jurídica (ej., nueva ley forestal), el impacto We expect that this process will strengthen de la guerra su estrategia para negar los diferencial del conflicto, y la importancia de the FIOB. FIOB leadership feels that this derechos colectivos de las comunidades, la seguridad alimenticia de las poblaciones y project has been one of the few that has generando desplazamiento masivo y los planes de manejo en los ríos. made the organization reflect on it strengths expropiación territorial mediante estrategias and weakness. And this is key for anyone tales como las plantaciones de palma En el grupo organización y participación, el who wants to maintain a healthy aceitera para biocombustible en el caso de sistematizar experiencias a partir de la organization. inversiones legales y las plantaciones de coca valoración de lo propio surge como un en los cultivos para usos ilícitos. A lo criterio importante del proyecto. También anterior se suma la reciente normatividad alcanzamos la motivación de espacios

24 El derecho al territorio y el reconocimiento de la comunidad negra en el contexto del conflicto social y armado desde la perspectiva del pensamiento y acción política, ecológica, y cultural del Proceso de Comunidades Negras de Colombia

proyecto hacia una valoración desde las categorías de pensamiento propio construidas colectivamente.

Como resultado de estos diversos análisis (proceso que no cabe resumir aquí) se identifica como una de las más importantes experiencias del PCN sus propuestas y acciones en torno a “la construcción del territorio-región para la conservación de la diversidad natural y cultural del Pacifico Colombiano, ecosistema estratégico en la preservación de especies y la regulación climática a nivel mundial.” Esta opción solo es posible si se reconocen de manera plena y efectiva los derechos culturales y territoriales de los pueblos negros e indígenas que lo habitan, y si se potencializa su capacidad internos de trabajo en torno a la situación afirmación que las cifras y conclusiones del social de organización de acuerdo con su organizativa, donde se reflexiona respecto a Censo general de población del 2005 no se propia opción de desarrollo. sus debilidades y fortalezas y se prepara corresponden con la realidad de la población espacios de relación con el Estado. Se afrocolombiana. Las dinámicas de la región y del país enfatiza de que se trata no solo de producir constituyen una red compleja de relaciones un discurso contra-hegemónico sino una Las discusiones dentro del equipo Otros en las cuales se desarrolla una propuesta movilización contra-hegemónica y que la Saberes aporta a la construcción del político-organizativa que busca contribuir a clave de la resistencia es el fortalecimiento protocolo de relacionamiento del PCN y el la conservación de la vida, la consolidación organizativo. Identificamos la formación de proyecto LASA. El grupo experiencia de la democracia a partir del derecho a la más jóvenes y mujeres como una necesidad metodológica del diálogo de saberes diferencia, y la construcción de alternativas importante. encuentra que los saberes representan de sociedad. Sistematizar esta experiencia y intereses; se escribe para actuar. Preguntas contribuir al propósito de la misma a través A partir de una valoración de los resultados como: ¿qué se piensa?, ¿desde dónde?, y del proyecto Otros Saberes es también una del censo y sus implicaciones en dos ¿con quién? surgen como elementos apuesta a otros mundos posibles. ciudades con mayor población esenciales para estrategias efectivas de afrocolombiana, Cali y Buenaventura, el colaboración. El diálogo de saberes debe censo se convierte en campo de lucha para el partir de un consenso de intereses sobre el Nota movimiento. El trabajo del equipo propósito de lucha del movimiento; más que 1 visibilización y censo contribuye a articular reafirmar teorías, se aspira a que contribuya El equipo básico esta integrado por activistas el énfasis del PCN en la diferencia con una a potenciar un propósito social y político del PCN: Carlos Rosero, Julia Eva Cogollo, Naka Mandinga, Libia Grueso y Jeannette agenda centrada en los derechos y la particular (en este caso, la campaña Rojas, acompañante permanente del PCN; e igualdad. Identificamos como la internacional de visibilización—un objetivo investigadores académicos, Arturo Escobar, Luis investigación alrededor del censo puede principal del proyecto). Se acuerda orientar Carlos Castillo, Juliana Flórez y Ulrich afectar problemas de racismo, los niveles de la propuesta desde los siguientes criterios: 1) Oslender. En el equipo ampliado participan conciencia, y el debate sobre las reparaciones asumir los principios político-organizativos otro/as lideres del movimiento social: Konty y marcamos tareas específicas, tales como la del PCN como punto de partida; 2) Bikila, José Absalón Suárez, Edelmira Mina, creación de indicadores. Con base en estos sistematizar el pensamiento y práctica del Félix Banguero, y Mario Ángulo entre otros. resultados se complementan los argumentos PCN desde sus experiencias y desde sus con los cuales el PCN hace público la lecturas sobre si mismo; 3) orientar el

25 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

ON LASA2007

Report from the Program Chairs Informe de los Directores del Programa by NEIL HARVEY | New Mexico State University, Las Cruces | [email protected] and MARÍA SOCORRO TABUENCA | El Colegio de la Frontera Norte | [email protected]

As we write this report in June, it is exciting to see the LASA2007 A medida que escribimos este informe de junio, nos vamos program almost finalized. During the past three months we have emocionando al ver que el programa de LASA2007 está casi been busy responding to members’ questions and trying to terminado. Los tres meses anteriores los hemos dedicado a accommodate as best as possible several proposals in more responder diversas preguntas de los y las miembros y hemos estado appropriate panels. Several colleagues were naturally disappointed tratando de acomodar, lo mejor posible, algunas propuestas en that their proposals were not accepted. We have explained that paneles más apropiados que en los que se encontraban. decisions are based on five criteria: significance of the proposal, Ciertamente, algunos/as colegas se decepcionaron pues sus clarity, concept, audience, and value. Each of the track chairs used propuestas no fueron aceptadas. Como lo aclaramos en su these same criteria in making their evaluations. As program chairs momento, la decisión se tomó con base en los siguientes criterios: we have supported these decisions and thank the track chairs for relevancia, claridad, concepto, público y valor de las propuestas. their invaluable contribution to LASA. We have also responded to Cada uno de los directores de circuito (track chairs) utilizó los requests from several members to be placed in different panels in mismos criterios en sus evaluaciones. Como co-director y co- order to make a better fit. We also had to divide some panels that directora del programa, hemos apoyado sus decisiones y les were too large and find appropriate alternatives for all concerned. agradecemos su invaluable contribución a LASA. Asimismo, We appreciate the flexibility of session organizers and chairs in hemos respondido algunas solicitudes de las y los participantes helping to accommodate these changes. In most cases, these were para ser reacomodadas/os a fin de quedar en un lugar más new sessions that were created from individual paper proposals adecuado. También hemos dividido algunas mesas que eran rather than original sessions. The final task was to choose the demasiado grandes y les hemos encontrado otros sitios apropiados. cover of the program booklet. After considering several options, Agradecemos la flexibilidad de quienes organizaron y dirigieron we chose the wonderful painting “Liberación Femenina” by Paula las sesiones dentro de las cuales se dieron estos cambios. En la Nicho Cumez, a Maya-Kaqchikel artist from Comalapa, mayoría de los casos se trataba de sesiones nuevas que se crearon Guatemala. We hope you agree that this picture reflects the spirit a partir de las propuestas individuales y no así de las sesiones of LASA2007 and the future hopes and aspirations of all the originales. La última tarea que tuvimos, fue la de escoger la peoples of the Americas. fotografía para la portada del programa. Después de considerar varias opciones, nos decidimos por la hermosa pintura intitulada “liberación femenina”, de Paula Nicho Cumez, una artista maya-kaqchikel de Campala, Guatemala. Esperamos que estén de acuerdo en que esta fotografía refleja el espíritu de LASA2007 y las esperanzas y aspiraciones futuras de toda la gente de las Américas.

26 ON LASA2007

On Montréal by MARIANNE NIOSI | [email protected]

Officially the second largest French-speaking immigrants have established themselves in and clubs, and with a touch of colonial city in the world after Paris, the French- the heart of the city. And while Irish and Nouvelle-France on greystone buildings. speaking metropolis of the New World, Italian immigrations go back far enough that Montréal is perhaps best described as a many a French Canadian will go by the Visitors tired from this kaleidoscope of styles bilingual, multicultural city. Even in the surname MacComber or Vezina, the various and colors might want to retire into the Frenchier quarters of the city, a Thai waves all seem to have found some place in streets of Outremont or Westmount, the restaurant or a kippa-wearing local will ruin the city’s vibrant cultural and culinary scene. twin municipalities to the North and South the cliché. Montréalers take pride in this diversity and of Mont-Royal, the mountain that sits in the will happily detail their latest exotic middle of the island. There at last large At first glance, Montréal’s linguistic discovery, be it the best Ethiopian restaurant Victorian houses in matching colors with geography is simple. Loosely, one may say in town or the latest “salsa” club. matching gardens and front porches sit side West is English, Est is French. But the fuzzy by side and the sound of the wind rustling borders between the two worlds create There is also a certain “trashy,” port-city, through the leaves soothes the mind. As fascinating spaces where conversations quality to Montréal. When Saint-Laurent they walk across to the parc du Mont-Royal, switch fluidly from one language to the plunges into downtown towards the sagacious tourists will wonder about this other, or more surprisingly, where people intersection of Sainte-Catherine, strip clubs, classic 19th century park’s resemblance to a speak different languages to one another sex shops, and tattoo parlors line the “red more well-known city park, only to discover without seeming to notice the absurdity of light” district. Strangely enough, these that a certain landscape designer, having the scene: “Bonjour! –Hello. -Vous n’avez institutions share the street with hip concert won fame for his New York masterpiece, plus Le Devoir ? –No. Only The Gazette halls, theaters and even a university, was hired by the city of Montréal in 1873 to left. –Ok, merci. –No problem.” Purely highlighting the city’s surprising capacity to remodel this green space. Exiting the park, French or English neighborhoods hardly harbor very diverse lifestyles at a stone’s another one of Montral’s dichotomies strikes exist anymore and that mixed quality is throw from one another. Montréal’s the eye: to the south a very North American found all over the island, even in the slightly “alternative” culture has given rise to a city center complete with shopping malls and French accent of old-stock Montréal thriving musical scene, but also to tall buildings, to the East, another “anglos,” or in the perfect pronunciation internationally-recognized contemporary downtown, the Plateau neighborhood, “francos” take on to say English words. artists. From jazz to independent theater, beckons with its cafés and boutiques. abundant summer festivals reflect culture’s Montréal’s cultural melting pot is further central role in the city’s identity. With varied ingredients, Montréal cooks up complicated by its mixed immigrant a tasty and uncommon meal. Attempts to community. Wander from North to South Just as Montréal’s ethnic and cultural explain this unique blend have been made, on Boulevard Saint-Laurent. You’ll first pass identities are diverse, the city’s look is also but the small metropolis is best savored with through the Italian quarter, one of the oldest quite hard to pin down. The Revolution a synthetic mindset and a curious eye. ethnic communities in the city, with tranquille, the decade from 1960 to 1970 renowned institutions such as the Caffè Italia that saw Quebec’s Francophones shed their and Milano’s supermarket. Then swerve Catholic past and the whole province right to the Greek neighborhood on Avenue modernize, left its trace on architecture with du Parc, and back left to the Portuguese an unfortunately pronounced taste for quarter around St-Urbain and Marie-Anne, concrete. Inaugurated in 1966, the city’s where on a sunny Sunday little girls in white subway, decorated in oranges and maroons, satin dresses walk to communion with their aquas, and purples, is a testimonial to the families. Bars and nightclubs line the street esthetics of those booming times. These as it approaches Rue Sherbrooke. Further kitsch memorials are interspersed with south, the small Chinatown follows La Montréal’s classier, properly 19th century Gauchetière Ouest. Contrary to other brick buildings, but also with the modern, Canadian cities where immigration has sophisticated interiors of restaurants, cafés created largely closed ghettoes, Montréal’s

27 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

ON LASA2007

Some Tips on Language Etiquette in Montréal by VICTOR ARMONY | Université du Québec à Montréal | [email protected]

Language is an extremely sensitive issue in the French word “Québécois” in written and Québec. The strong “sovereignist” verbal communication and it is considered movement, which advocates the separation culturally sensitive to do so. In Spanish, the of Québec from Canada through democratic adjective is “Quebequense,” but many means, places the protection of the French Spanish-speaking Quebecers also use language at the very top of its priorities. “Québécois.” Some of them prefer the more Many French-speaking people in Québec feel familiar term “Quebeco” (but please note self-conscious and defensive about their that, while this word is not intentionally language, particularly in relation to English- derogatory, it might be interpreted as such speaking North Americans. That’s why a by a French-speaking person). few tips on language etiquette may come in handy when visiting Montréal. The proper name of the city is Montréal, with an (acute) accent on the “e.” The word Canada has two official languages at the comes from “Mont Royal,” or “Royal federal level: English and French. However, Mount,” the big hill located in the middle of except New Brunswick, each Canadian Montréal Island. When uttered in French, it province has only one official language. sounds like “Monray-AL,” pronounced with French is Québec’s official language. About a guttural “r” (although some older French- 80 percent of its population is speaking Montrealers use the rolling “r”). “francophone” (French is their native tongue Contrary to what some assume, the “t” is or the main language spoken at home). In never silent when saying the city’s name in Montréal, French-speakers represent almost English or Spanish. In English, there are two 70 percent of the population (it’s the second ways of pronouncing it. English-speaking largest French-speaking city in the world, Montrealers tend to say “MUN-treal,” while after Paris). In the downtown area, most most Americans say (incorrectly in the people in the service sector speak English (as opinion of some Anglophone Montrealers) a first or second or even third language). “MAWN-treal” or “MAHN-treal.” Nevertheless, outside places specifically catering to tourists and international visitors The Québécois are known for their (e.g. hotels, conference halls, etc.), it is hospitality and warmth. They feel strongly considered common courtesy to ask “Do about their own language and cultural you speak English?” when addressing heritage, but that should not be construed as someone in that language. Any effort made an intolerant attitude towards outsiders. by a visitor to use some French during an Actually, many of them love to discuss interaction with French speakers––even if politics, and they will enthusiastically engage only a “Bonjour” or a “Merci”––is generally a conversation with a foreigner about perceived as a friendly gesture and elicits an Québec’s history and current affairs. equally friendly response.

Québec is pronounced “keh-BECK” in French and “kuh-BECK” in English. The adjective in French is “Québécois,” pronounced “keh-beh-KWA” (the “s” is silent). In English, two forms are usual: “Quebecer” (more common) and “Quebecker.” However, many English- speaking citizens of Québec have adopted

28 ON LASA2007

Exhibitors and Booth Numbers

Hilton Montréal Bonaventure Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc. (34-35) Fontaine Ballroom Macmillan (67) Exhibit Hours Markus Wiener Publishers (29) Thursday and Friday: 10:00am-5:00pm Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm Maya Educational Foundation (88) McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers (68) Araceli Tinajero (91) Military Review (69) Blackwell Publishing (63) Ocean Press (39) Cambridge University Press (61) Oxford University Press (51) Center for Latin American Studies / Palgrave Macmillan (66) University of California, Berkeley (84) Pathfinder Press (85) Center for Latino Research - Dialogo (53) Penn State University Press (65) Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas / CIDE (59) Perseus Books Group / Westview Press (28) Chiapas Media Project (54) Plumsock Mesoamerican Studies (87) Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Prochile (11-12) Sociales-CLACSO (52) Proquest CSA (1) Council for International Exchange of Random House, Inc. (40) Scholars (55) Routledge / Taylor & Francis Group (27) David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University Press (5) Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (62) Duke University Press (7-8) Rutgers University Press (13) El Colegio de la Frontera Norte A.C. (43) Scholarly Book Services, Inc. (56) El Colegio de Mexico A.C. (44) Stanford University Press (60) Flacso (2) Temple University Press (86) Hackett Publishing Co. (64) The Gale Group (58) Iberoamericana de Libros y University of Arizona Press (70) Ediciones S.L. (46-47) University of California Press (14) Institute for Study Abroad, University of Minnesota Press (16) Butler University (57) University of New Mexico Press (36-37) Institute for the Study of the Americas- University of London (50) University of North Carolina Press (30-31) Instituto Internacional de Literatura University of Notre Dame Press (26) Iberoamericana (6) University of Pittsburgh Press (9-10) Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo University of Texas Press (32-33) de Mexico (ITAM) (38) University of the West Indies Press (56) Inter-American Development Bank (45) University of Windsor, Inter-American Foundation (42) History Department (41) Latin American Perspectives (90) University of Wisconsin Press (83) Latin American Research University Press of Florida (3-4) Resources Project (15) Vanderbilt University Press (25)

29 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

ON LASA2007

Session Highlights

Wednesday Desarrollo de las Ciencias Sociales en América Saturday Latina: Una mirada de futuro desde la FLACSO Elinor Melville Memorial Panel: Economy, Organizer: Francisco Rojas-Aravena Archivo y acceso: El cine Latinoamericano en el Society, and Environment in Latin American and 6:00 - 7:45 pm siglo XXI Caribbean History Organizer: Claudia Ferman Organizer: Julia Murphy Publishing your Research II: Books 10:00 - 11:45 am 2:00 - 3:45 pm Organizer: Philip Oxhorn 6:00 - 7:45 pm Refounding the Republic: The Grassroots Decolonizing Change Processes of Social Reform and the Organizer: Arturo Escobar Constituent Assembly in Bolivia (2006-2007) 4:00 - 5:45 pm Friday Organizer: Kevin Healy 10:00 - 11:45 am Diálogos Políticos 1 / Naomi Klein Can Corporate Accountability Contribute to Organizer: Charles R. Hale Equitable Economic Development in Latin Otros Saberes I: Conocimientos colaborativos de 4:00 - 5:45 pm America? intelectuales Indígenas y Afrodescendientes Organizer: Michael Conroy Organizer: Charles R. Hale 8:00 - 9:45 am 10:00 - 11:45 am Thursday Las mujeres políticas en América Latina: To Understand Reparation from the Perspective The Struggle for Immigrant Rights: Activist Reflexión desde la práctica of Activists and Women Survivors of Sexual Voices Form the Front Line Organizer: Ana Lau Jaiven Violence during Times of Conflict Organizer: William Robinson 10:00 - 11:45 am Organizer: Gisela Eva Cóté 10:00 - 11:45 am 12:00 - 1:45 pm 25 Años de investigar la frontera norte de After Washington, Beyond Civil Society: México Canada in the Hemisphere: An Insider's View Emergent Social Movement Theories and Organizer: Maria Socorro Tabuenca Córdoba Organizer: Philip Oxhorn Practices in the Américas - Part 1 10:00 - 11:45 am 12:00 - 1:45 pm Organizer: Sonia E. Alvarez 12:00 - 1:45 pm De la investigación-acción colaborativa a las Otros Saberes II: Conocimientos colaborativos metodologías dialógicas: Reflexiones desde la de intelectuales Indígenas y Afrodescendientes Diálogos políticos 2 / Álvaro García Linera academia feminista y los estudios de género en Organizer: Lynn Stephen Organizer: Charles R. Hale América Latina 12:00 - 1:45 pm 12:00 - 1:45 pm Organizer: Rosalva Aida Hernandez-Castillo 12:00 - 1:45 pm (RE)Imagining Latin America and What It After Washington, Beyond Civil Society: Means to Be “Latin American” Today Emergent Social Movement Theories and Empire in Question: The Case of Venezuela Organizer: Philip Oxhorn Practices in the Américas - Part 2 Organizer: Gregory Grandin 2:00 - 3:45 pm Organizer: Sonia E. Alvarez 2:00 - 3:45 pm 2:00 - 3:45 pm What Is Research Good For? The Québec Paradox: Dealing with Diversity in Organizer: Charles R. Hale Identity, Autonomy and the State: From Québec a “Distinct Society” 4:00 - 5:45 pm to Bolivia Organizer: Victor Armony Organizer: Pierre Beaucage 2:00 - 3:45 pm Diálogos políticos 4 / Matilde Ribeiro 2:00 - 3:45 pm Organizer: Charles R. Hale Diálogos Políticos 3 / Ricardo Alarcón de 6:00 - 7:45 pm Conversations on Utopia and Reification in Quesada Latin American Health Organizer: Charles R. Hale Organizer: Steven Palmer 6:00 - 7:45 pm 2:00 - 3:45 pm

Delegación LASA-Oaxaca Organizer: Matthew Gutmann 2:00 - 3:45 pm

Publishing your Research I: Journals Organizer: Philip Oxhorn 4:00 - 5:45 pm

30 Special Events Accommodations Transportation

Kalman Silvert Award Session Thanks to Tourisme Montréal we have been The main sites for the Congress are the Friday, September 7, 10:00 am able to create a list of more affordable hotels Fairmont - The Queen Elizabeth Hotel and Grand Salon (Fairmont) in Montréal. The following hotels are not the Hilton Montréal Bonaventure. Helen Safa is the recipient of Silvert Award working with LASA through a contract, but for 2007 they are available for relatively cheaper rates. Sixty percent of the sessions will be held at (Please note that LASA cannot offer shuttle the Fairmont Hotel; the rest will be held at LASA/Oxfam America Martin Diskin Memorial transportation between these hotels and the the Hilton. The Book Exhibit and the Film Lectureship Congress sites). Festival will be at the Hilton. The two hotels Saturday, September 8, 2:00 pm are one block away from each other. Grand Salon (Fairmont) Auberge YWCA Montréal The 2007 Lecture will be given by Orlando (514) 866-9942 (Telephone) LASA will be providing transportation from Fals-Borda. www.ydesfemmesmtl.org the Hyatt to and from the main Congress [email protected] sites throughout the Congress. The Delta Bryce Wood and Premio Iberoamericano Book hotel is located within a short distance of the Awards and the Media Award Presentations Hôtel Travelodge Montréal Centre sites and can be reached by walking. Friday, September 7, 8:00 pm (514) 874-9090 (Telephone) Grand Salon (Fairmont) 1 800 363-6535 (Canada and U.S.A.) (Toll The Award Ceremony will precede the Free) LASA Business Meeting. 1 800 578-7878 (Reservations) Child Care www.travelodgemontreal.ca Welcoming Ceremony and Reception [email protected] LASA will subsidize the cost of child care for Wednesday, September 5, 8:30 pm accepted participants who are taking their Ballroom (Hilton) La Tour Belvédère Apartment Hotel children to LASA2007. Reimbursement will Apartment-Hotel be provided at the rate of US $8 per hour for (514) 935-9052 (Telephone) one child, and US $10 for two or more Film Festival 1 888 922-9052 (Toll Free) children, for a maximum of 10 hours. www.tourbelvedere.com This year's Festival highlights two of the most [email protected] LASA's maximum responsibility per family relevant filmmaking movements taking place in will be $80.00 for one child and $100 for Latin America today. McGill University Traditional Residences two or more children. A parent who bills LASA for childcare must be a 2007 member First, there is a notable increase in the Residence: Campus of the Association and a registered attendee production of indigenous film over the entire (514) 398-5200 (Telephone) region. This movement has already turned out www.residences.mcgill.ca/summer.html of LASA2007. To receive reimbursement, the masterpieces such as Meu Primeiro Contato / [email protected] parent must submit the original bill from the My First Contact, which will be screened at caregiver, with the name(s) of the child(ren), LASA2007 in Montréal. Les Résidences Universitaires de l'UQAM and the dates of the service, to the LASA Residence: Campus Secretariat on or before October 10, 2007. Secondly, there is significant activity in the (514) 987-6669, ext. 6000 (Telephone) independent media sector, which originated in www.residences-uqam.qc.ca For advance reservations, please call: the aspiration to document and editorialize Fairmont: (514)365-1704 social and political movements outside [email protected] or (514)954-2288 mainstream media. An interesting example is Hilton: (514)365-1704 the film “I,” which also will be screened at Montréal International Youth Hostel LASA2007. This film puts forward many Youth Hostel Hyatt: (514)982-1234 important debates associated with the newly (514) 843-3317 (Telephone) Delta: (514)879-1370 created Indymedia. 1 866 843-3317 (Toll Free) www.hostellingmontreal.com Additionally, the Festival organized a screening [email protected] of a series of films on the conflict in Oaxaca, and Atenco, Mexico, also produced by New Residence Hall - McGill University independent media. The Festival features prominently the following themes: The Border / Residence: Campus La Frontera; the new Social and Political (514) 398-3471 (Telephone) Movements / Movimientos Políticos y www.mcgill.ca/nrh Sociales; The Cities / Las Ciudades; and Claim [email protected] for Justice / Reclamo de Justicia.

31 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Comentario al Dr. Hosokawa by MIDORI IIJIMA | Universidad Rikkyo, Tokio, Japón

El penúltimo LASA Forum (Winter 2007, Basta mencionar dos nombres: Seiichi Izumi En todo caso, a la sociedad japonesa de issue #1) se molestó en expandir su visión (arqueólogo, 1915-70) y Eiichiro Ishida posguerra, le importa más seguir y obedecer hacia el tema poco tratado: los (antropólogo, 1903-68), dos patriarcas de a los Estados Unidos que elaborar su propia latinoamericanistas no latinos (ni anglos). estudios latinoamericanos en Japón. Ahora, opinión o diplomacia independiente. Para Siendo yo miembro de JALAS (Japan ¿qué antecedentes tuvieron esos dos colmo, América Latina es el “patio trasero” Association of Latin American Studies) profesionales? Ambos trabajaron como de su Big Brother. No hay mucho que hacer y de LASA, me llamó una gran atención investigador-académico en la COLONIA. por su cuenta. Inclusiva es mejor no la breve pero interesante síntesis del Izumi en Corea, ocupada y dominada por el destacar en esa área pensando en reservar su Dr. Shuhei Hosokawa titulada “The Dai Nipón Teikoku (Gran Imperio Nipón) mano libre en Asia, zona realmente vital Antipodal Passion”, la cual refleja lo mientras Ishida en Manchuria, bajo la para sus intereses. difícil de profundizar este tema. sombra inequívoca de la Mantetsu, la versión japonesa de la East Indian Company. En este contexto, Area Studies en Japón en A mi modo de ver, su observación que Agrego aquí el hecho de que la clase política general se tiende a concentrar su energía en enfoca al exotismo (ser antípoda) y la de entonces tenía una teoría magnifica para el mercado doméstico. No se sentía la cuestión lingüística no logran escapar, a su justificar su invasión como bien sabemos necesidad, por lo menos hasta ahora, de salir vez, del argumento simplista. Lo más todos, la consecuencia les obligó a estos dos de ese círculo, mucho menos de participar en fundamental que le falta es una perspectiva cambiar de su campo de operación (ahora la digna misión de fomentar lo humano, los histórica. No niego que esos dos puntos campo de estudio). Si los estudios valores universales. mencionados sean elementos importantes. latinoamericanos en Japón conllevan innatos Tampoco ignoro la condición física que el exotismo, ¿acaso no tendría nada que ver Nos falta todavía mucho para abordar todos limita su contribución (menos de una con su ADN? El exotismo no es nada los aspectos que merecen considerar. Espero página). Sin embargo, temo que su nuevo. Puede ser otra cara de la misma que estas líneas sirvan a contextualizar y descripción inocente e ingenua ofreciera moneda llamada el colonialismo. centrar la periferia debidamente. a los lectores una imagen bastante torcida— aun no errónea—al respecto. Pasemos a lo lingüístico. Lo que apuesta el Dr. Hosokawa es más que cierto. Los De verdad, ¿América Latina es un mundo japoneses pocas veces presentan sus trabajos exótico para los japoneses? En el sentido en el idioma extranjero aunque eso no quiere común, sí. Buena parte de la sociedad decir que sí se discutan en su idioma. Aquí japonesa solo levanta su mirada hacia esta también se requiere un asterisco. No es el zona cuando habla de las ruinas, en otras privilegio de los latinoamericanistas sino del palabras, las pirámides, la arqueología, la medio mundo a menos que te muevas en las gloria de los indios (muertos desde luego). ciencias naturales. Entonces, nada extraño. Estos días, a lo mejor, también de la música Durante los últimos 50 anos la academia o del fútbol…y de vez en cuando, de japonesa, importando productos académicos Fujimori (no como criminal de lesa especialmente “Made in USA”, ha venido humanidad sino como un nikkei más balaceando el superávit que cometen sus conocido del mundo). Ahí esta el exotismo. empresas. Quizás el mismo exotismo que condujo a los Conquistadores a las Indias y a la gente como John Stanley a África. Es decir, el exotismo no garantiza la buena voluntad. Sabemos que funciona muchas veces a todo contrario.

32 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Centering the Periphery, Non-Latin Latin Americanisms: The Case of Austria by GERHARD DREKONJA-KORNAT | Chair for Latin America | University of Vienna | [email protected]

I followed with interest the debate on Cepeda). Thus, I became very early an Weg”. Muenster-Vienna: Editorial LIT 2005), “Centering the Periphery: Non-Latin Latin Austrian (the first?) member of LASA. having 30 mostly younger authors describe Americanisms (LASA Forum, winter 2007). how they got into regional studies and Unlike my colleagues from the Netherlands or The decade of the 1980s was for all of us contributed in their discipline to the Germany, I was neither surprised nor amused adventurers the moment for homecoming. In international debate. I think, modestia aparte, by the idea of working and writing in the the meantime, in Vienna a privately organized that we have come a long way within a very periphery because Austria was beyond Lateinamerika-Institut had opened its doors. short time and can show professional periphery. There simply was no tradition of We returnees did our best to introduce and standards. research on Latin America (although we had expand the field of serious research but the Habsburg “Casa de Austria”-connection encountered all varieties of problems, not the We certainly should publish more in English, and the naturalista-experience of Bohemian- least the distrust of the university establishment because a mouse click in HAPI reveals born Tadeo Haenke, our “Austrian with its pretension on research monopoly. absences. But even publishing in German, the Humboldt”). However, as the first “Director Académico” of question is: How “useful” are we Austrian the Lateinamerika-Institut, modest progress Latin Americanists? In a conventional sense, The founding of the Institute of Ethnology at was made in the late 1980s, including an not at all—fortunately. We do not have to the University of Vienna in the 1920s (a experiment with an interdisciplinary course on defend an empire, play international power bulwark of catholic science) opened briefly a Latin America, and integrating ourselves to politics, generate financial profits, worry about window of opportunity for research on CEISAL (Consejo Europeo de Investigaciones trade balances. But we can provide our American civilizations, however without Sociales de América Latina) that anchored its students, through alternative lectures, teaching followers after WW II. (An interesting case is legal residence at our Lateinamerika-Institut and writings, with perspectives that debunk Friedrich Katz, today emeritus at the University (something that, before 1989, was very misleading rhetoric, take apart false arguments, of Chicago, who studied there in the 1950s but important to the Eastern European colleagues point out the arrogance of metropolitan without chance to find a job). because travel to Vienna was allowed). positions. Our students, thus, are given the opportunity to show solidarity with the “other When Latin America, as part of the Third The turning point came in 1990 when the Latin America.” World, aroused interest among a young Republic of Austria created for the University generation in the 1960s, there was no other of Vienna a Chair for Latin American History And we are proud for advancing on a journey way than to do it amateurishly, learning by (in German horribly “Lehrstuhl fuer towards a partnership of scientific discourse in doing. This was the typical experience of half aussereuropaeische Geschichte”—for Non- which our Latin American colegas are no a dozen pathfinders who went to Latin European History). I won via concurso longer merely “sherpas” but work together America, without a safety net, to find el buen público. All of a sudden, distrust ended, and with us, hand in hand, to produce and revolucionario (I myself, Leo Gabriel, most of the scheming stopped as well. exchange knowledge for our mutual Wolfgang Dietrich, Elke Mader, Georg Synergies between the Chair and the emancipation process. Grünberg). Initiated, in my case, to Latin Lateinamerika-Institut set creativity free. For America by Cornell University (teaching the first time, cohesive research debate on Latin By the end of 2007, I myself will enter the state literacy to adults in the “Cornell-in-Honduras- America within the university realm became of emeritus, saying adiós to the University of program”), I undertook a kind of intellectual possible. Vienna with a cultural studies-volume on La vagabondage through Latin America beginning Habana (“Havanna”. Editorial LIT 2007). In in 1966, doing all kind of jobs, travelling a lot, Progress was made. In one of our recent 2008, I shall continue anew as guest professor working with a development cooperation, evaluations, we were able to show the number in Colombia. Our position in Vienna, renamed establishing myself as a correspondent and risk of Austrians doing serious work on Latin “Chair for the History of the Americas,” is in analyst, but always keeping contact with America (265). This is proof that Latin good, strong, and young hands, showing academia, first via the Center for Latin American Studies is no longer an exotic subject consolidation and advancement and American Studies at the University of in Austria. The “critical mass” has been coordinating our strongest asset, the Course for Pittsburgh (my thanks to Carmelo Mesa-Lago), achieved. A quality explosion occurred lately. Advanced Latin American Studies, which, a then via the Universidad de los Andes in I tried to document it by editing a volume European first, will convey the title “Master of Bogotá (mis agradecimientos to Fernando (“Lateinamerikanistik: der oesterreichische Arts in Latin American Studies.”

33 lasaforum SUMMER 2007 : VOLUME XXXVIII : ISSUE 3

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NOTES

In Memoriam

Álvaro Félix Bolaños, Associate Professor of Andes before moving to Gainesville in 1998; A Commemorative Retrospective in Memory Romance Languages and Literatures at the he had just been promoted to full professor of Alvaro Félix Bolaños will be held at the University of Florida, passed away at Florida. His area of specialization was LASA Congress in Montréal on Wednesday, unexpectedly on May 14, 2007. Born in colonial Latin American literature and September 5th, 6:00–7:30 pm, in the Cartago, Colombia in 1955, Félix earned his culture. His research focused on historical Marquette Room, Fairmont Hotel. Licenciatura en Letras at the Universidad del and literary representations of the first Valle in Cali, Colombia. He taught Spanish contacts between Spaniards and Indians, Carmen Diana Deere, Director, Center for literature in a Cali high school for eight colonial culture, and the legacy of colonial Latin American Studies, University of years before coming to the United States for culture in contemporary Latin America, Florida. graduate studies. He received his M.A. and including within indigenous communities. Ph.D. in Latin American Literature at the An avid runner, he was jogging at the University of Kentucky. Félix taught at time of his death. Félix was a much Tulane University and Universidad de los respected colleague and friend, and will be missed by many.

Review: Literature and Arts of the Americas Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora Writing and Arts Issue 74 (Volume 40, Number 1)

Founded in 1968 by the Americas Society (formerly the Center for Inter- American Relations), Review is the major forum in the United States for contemporary writing in English and English translation from throughout the Americas.

Review 74 opens with a section of scholarly articles developed by Guest Academic Editor Silvio Torres-Saillant (Syracuse University) that contextualizes a compilation of fiction, poetry, and creative essays from the region and the diaspora. These include new and newly-translated work by Marie-Celie Agnant, Denis Henriquez, José Kozer, Frank Martinus Arion, Achy Obejas, Luis Rafael Sánchez, Anna Lidia Vega Serova, and others.

Special single issue price: US$26/£15 Visit www.informaworld.com/review and follow the ‘News & Offers’ link (When ordering please quote: XF 158 03 A)

Volume 40, 2007, 2 issues per year (Institutional rate: US$173/£104; Personal rate: US$41/£23) Print ISSN 0890-5762, Online ISSN 1743-0666

34 CALACS / ACÉLAC President: Stuart McCook University of Guelph

CJLACS / RCÉLAC Editor: Victor Armony Université du Québec à Montréal

Please visit us at the LASA 2007 Book Exhibit: BOOTH 41

CJLACS / RCÉLAC issues appear twice a year. It is the flagship publication of the Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS) / Association canadienne d’études latino-américaines et caraïbes (ACÉLAC).

Since 1976, the journal is dedicated to interdisciplinary studies on Latin America and the Caribbean. It publishes peer-reviewed articles based on original research, in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

CJLACS / RCÉLAC is electronically available in full text format through Canadian Periodical Index Fulltext (C.P.I.Q.) and Canadian Business & Current Affairs (CBCA), and it is indexed in America: History and Life, Historical Abstracts, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, PAIS Bulletin, Sociological Abstracts, The Handbook of Latin American Studies, The Hispanic American Periodicals Index, and Worldwide Political Science Abstracts.

2007-08 Subscription Rates (for 18 months): Individuals: C$45 / Students: C$23 Institutional: C$90

For more information please visit our website: http://can-latam.org, or write to: [email protected] LASA Section on Ethnicity, Race, and Indigenous Peoples: A Space for Initiatives

Created at the 2004 Congress, Ethnicity, Race and Indigenous People (ERIP) has become one of the four largest Sections of LASA. This reflects the enormous interest that the issues it addresses raise among the membership at large, but also the active engagement of its members, which makes the Section a space bursting with initiatives. For instance, the travel fund for Indigenous and Afro-descendants was established by the LASA Executive Council upon an initiative of the ERIP Section. The Section also received permission from the Council to explore venues for fundraising aimed at establishing a permanent fund for collaborative research with Indigenous and Afro-descendant organizations in Latin America, a task which is underway. In recent months the ERIP Section has teamed up with the journal Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACES) to organize a joint conference which will be repeated regularly every 18 months and will feature a Best Graduate Student Paper Award of $500 (see the call for papers below). In addition the Section is in the planning stages to develop an initiative regarding Indigenous and Afro-Descendants Universities. As this brief characterization shows, the Section is an exceedingly open space for members to advance ideas and find partners to bring them into fruition, but in order to keep and further this profile the Section needs the continuing support and participation of its membership. For this reason, we would like to invite actual and potential members to renew or join the Section and to share your ideas and initiatives with us at [email protected] and visit our webpage http://www.ethnicityrace.org/

The ERIP council

First Conference on Ethnicity, Race, and Indigenous Peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean May 22-23, 2008 University of California, San Diego

Individual papers and organized panel proposals are invited for the First Conference on Ethnicity, Race, and Indigenous Peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean, May 22-23, 2008, at the University of California, San Diego. The event will be organized and sponsored by ERIP (LASA Section on Ethnicity, Race, and Indigenous Peoples), CILAS- UCSD (Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies, University of California, San Diego) and LACES (Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, journal published by Taylor & Francis). Panel and individual paper topics relating to all aspects of ethnicity, race relations, Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants and other ethnic or racial groups in Latin America and the Caribbean are welcome. Scholars and practitioners in all humanities and social science disciplines with an interest in these areas of research are encouraged to participate.

The deadline for submitting proposals for individual papers and pre-organized panels is Wednesday, October 31, 2007. The relevant forms and detailed information about the mechanics of the submission of proposals can be obtained at the conference’s webpage http://cilas.ucsd.edu/events/conferences.php The Latin American Studies Association (LASA) is the largest professional association in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America. With over 5,000 members, twenty-five percent of whom reside outside the United States, LASA is the one association that brings together experts on Latin America from all disciplines and diverse occupational endeavors, across the globe.

LASA’s mission is to foster intellectual discussion, research, and teaching on Latin America, the Caribbean, and its people throughout the Americas, promote the interests of its diverse membership, and encourage civic engagement through network building and public debate. Nonprofit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Pittsburgh, PA 416 Bellefield Hall Permit No. 511 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15260

lasa.international.pitt.edu