THE RISE OF THE MIXED-RACE MYTH IN LATIN AMERICA

The idea of a post-racial society drew important support from early genetic research in the twentieth century and modern human genomic studies, which show that most humans come from a mix of different ancestries. [...]like all other race-based labels, the mestizo is a social construct, not a well-de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNature (London) Vol. 600; no. 7889; pp. 374 - 378
Main Author Mega, Emiliano Rodríguez
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Nature Publishing Group 16.12.2021
Subjects
Ethnicity
Genealogy
Genetic engineering
Genetic markers
Genomics
Hemoglobin
Ideology
Native peoples
Oxygen
Race
Racism
Society
Brazil
Mexico
United States > US
Latin America
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Summary:The idea of a post-racial society drew important support from early genetic research in the twentieth century and modern human genomic studies, which show that most humans come from a mix of different ancestries. [...]like all other race-based labels, the mestizo is a social construct, not a well-defined scientific category of people who share similar genetic characteristics. "Why do we look at these categories, born out of the arbitrary nature of the colonial conquest, as biologically significant?" The mestizo narrative suggests the absence of racism - even when there is ample evidence that skin colour is a powerful determinant of wealth and education levels across Latin America. In Mexico, physician-turned-geneticist Rubén Lisker used genetic markers to map enzyme deficiencies and abnormal haemoglobins, the body's oxygen-carrying proteins, in what he called "the Indians, the descendants of the Spanish and their mix".
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/d41586-021-03622-z