Indigenous Mestizos: The Politics of Race and Culture in Cuzco, Peru, 1919–1991

Abstract

An Introduction to the PresentLa violencia etnica existe en todas las sociedades que como la nuestra albergan culturas y tradiciones diferentes.(Ethnic violence exists in any society which, like ours, harbors different cultures and traditions.)-MARIOVARGAS LLOSA, 1990 Indian peasants live in such a primitive way that communication is practically impossible.It is only when they move to the cities that they have the opportunity to mingle with the other Peru.The price they must pay for integration is high -renunciation of their culture, their language, their beliefs, their traditions, and customs, and the adoption of the culture of their ancient masters.After one generation they become mestizos.They are no longer Indians.-MARIO VARGAS LLOSA, 1990 En nuestro pais la raza ya no manda, ahora manda la inteligencia, la educaci6n, la cultura.(In our country, race does not rule anymore; instead, intelligence, education, and culture do.) -ADRIANA B., CUZCO, 1992 In Peru everyone accepts that social discrimination is pervasive, and almost everybody would explain and even justify such practices in terms of "cultural differences."Apparently innocuous and incidental, this social convention is at the heart of the Peruvian racial formation (Omi and Winant, 1986; Winant, 1994).Peruvian modern discourses that acquit racist practices and even legitimize them by appealing to culture are integral to the political process through