A Reply to Telles

Harris, Marvin; Consorte, Josildeth Gomes; Lang, Joseph B.; Byrne, Bryan

doi:10.2307/2580462

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…For example, researchers studying racial categorization in Brazil have debated the relative merits of different classification schemes for analyzing social stratification. Harris and colleagues (1993, 1995) criticize the use of the three skin color categories recognized in the Brazilian census by arguing that they are not socially recognized. They prefer the category moreno , instead of the intermediate category pardo used in the Brazilian census, because the former is more commonly used in everyday life.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stratification by Skin Color in Contemporary Mexico

2010

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Latin America is often used as a backdrop against which U.S. race relations are compared. Yet research on race in Latin America focuses almost exclusively on countries in the region with a large recognized presence of individuals of African descent such as Brazil. Racial categories in these countries are based on skin color distinctions along a black-white continuum. By contrast, the main socially recognized ethnic distinction in Indo-Latin American countries such as Mexico, between indigenous and non-indigenous residents, is not based primarily on phenotypical differences, but rather on cultural practices and language use. Many Mexicans today nevertheless express a preference for whiter skin and European features, even though no clear system of skin color categorization appears to exist. In this study, I use data from a nationally-representative panel survey of Mexican adults to examine the extent of skin-color-based social stratification in contemporary Mexico. Despite extreme ambiguity in skin color classification, I find considerable agreement among survey interviewers about who belongs to three skin color categories. The results also provide evidence of profound social stratification by skin color. Individuals with darker skin tone have significantly lower levels of educational attainment and occupational status, and they are more likely to live in poverty and less likely to be affluent, even after controlling for other individual characteristics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stratification by Skin Color in Contemporary Mexico

2010

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“…Segato cautions, "introducing segmentation by race into those popular fronts would not only be spurious but would also have disastrous consequences" (1998, p. 136). Directly opposing the stance of Parsons (1968) and Winant (2001), Marvin Harris and his colleagues write: "We fail to see why Brazil cannot destroy racism without destroying its unique system of ambiguous and flexible race-color boundaries" (Harris et al 1995(Harris et al , p. 1614. Placing both stances in perspective, Segato concludes, "If we decide that the founding myth of Latin American nations is mere deception, then we have to endorse the notion that only after establishing segregation as the point zero of racial truth can we initiate a truly antiracist politics.…”

Section: The Antidiscrimination Battlementioning

confidence: 99%

The Race Construct and Public Opinion: Understanding Brazilian Beliefs about Racial Inequality and Their Determinants

Bailey

2002

American Journal of Sociology

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“…1995; Harris et al, 1993Harris et al, , 1995 argues that this category is highly salient and that it should be included in the census in order to respect 'the right to self-identification' (Harris et al, 1995(Harris et al, : 1614. On the other hand, black activists, other academics and sectors of the federal government have proposed a very different change in census classification to include the term negro, the rough equivalent of the US term 'black,' in a white vs. negro classification scheme (Bertulio, 1997;Brasil, 1996).…”

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Multiracial versus Collective Black Categories

Bailey

Telles

2006

Ethnicities

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Nutzungsbedingungen EDWARD E. TELLES University of California, Los AngelesABSTRACT Current census debates in Brazil surrounding Brazilian race categories center on two contrasting proposals: the adoption of the multiracial moreno term vs. the use of the collective black classification negro. Those proposing the former base their argument on the right to self-classify according to one's own sense of identity. Proponents of the negro category contend that it would be most efficient for redressing racial discrimination. We examine the meaning and saliency of these categories and explore the possible consequences of their adoption. Using national survey data, we demonstrate how education, age, color, sex and local racial composition structure the choices of moreno and negro over official census terms. Findings include a negative correlation between education and the choice of moreno, while the opposite is true for negro. In addition, an age effect on both categories suggests a popular shift in racial labeling away from official census terms. We note that similar issues structure current census debates in the USA.

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A Reply to Telles

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Stratification by Skin Color in Contemporary Mexico

Stratification by Skin Color in Contemporary Mexico

The Race Construct and Public Opinion: Understanding Brazilian Beliefs about Racial Inequality and Their Determinants

Multiracial versus Collective Black Categories

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