Why do people think there is such a strong link between race and social class in Latin America?

[Tooting Carmen]

While it is certainly undeniable that there is some correlation, nevertheless it is far less rigid and absolute than what many people, in this website and elsewhere, assume. My own Colombian family is very middle-class, and there is a whole range of colours and phenotypes among them. In fact, some of my darkest relatives also happen to be some of the wealthiest. (I am not boasting btw. Just trying to make a point). More generally, in Colombia and no doubt other similar nations, you can find blue-eyed blond children in the slums; perhaps even more importantly, plenty of dark-skinned politicians, businesspeople and professionals. Granted, it is true that, the higher up the social spectrum you go in Colombia, the more likely you are able to find people who look like this:



But the point is that, even among the middle and upper-classes, such phenotypes are a minority by far, and most look pretty similar to everyone else.

[Sikeliot]

Yes. Just watch any Latin American TV show or look at their politicians, it's obvious that those who have wealth now are descended from those who always did.

[Mn The Loki TA Son]

Yes, I agree.

[Tooting Carmen]

Yes. Just watch any Latin American TV show or look at their politicians, it's obvious that those who have wealth now are descended from those who always did.

Yes and no. As I said in the OP, it is far more fluid and mobile than what people think. And if you mean the actors, TV presenters and models, yes they are ludicrously cherrypicked, but the same is also true of many Asian and MENA countries and even, to some extent, the USA and Australia. Those four politicians I posted in the OP are the exception not the rule, which is exactly what I was trying to explain. You've seen my threads of politicians from different parts of Colombia, haven't you?

[Brighton]

As I said in another thread, at least in Chile, politicians are far Whiter than the general population:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDGAfGwbqSc

[Also]

Where I live I'd say the link is strong enough to be noticed without much effort, but this is changing.

[Tooting Carmen]

As I said in another thread, at least in Chile, politicians are far Whiter than the general population:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDGAfGwbqSc

I think Chile is different, in that you mostly just have a White versus Mestizo dichotomy, and the former is a larger percentage of the population than in many other Latin American countries anyway. Colombia, by contrast, has everything in large number - Whites, Blacks, some Amerindians, Mestizos, Mulattos, Triracials. That is why it is, arguably, a lot more fluid and flexible.

EDIT: Watching that video, it is of note how many of the politicians have non-Spanish surnames - something else that is not even that common in Colombia.

[Baluarte]

You can find wealthy people of all colours. Poor white people are however very rare, at least judging from what I've seen after living there in different regions after 20 years.

Money über alles is the main principle west of the Atlantic.

[Tooting Carmen]

Mexican MPs: http://sitl.diputados.gob.mx/LXII_leg/album_foto_tc.pdf

[Brighton]

I think Chile is different, in that you mostly just have a White versus Mestizo dichotomy, and the former is a larger percentage of the population than in many other Latin American countries anyway. Colombia, by contrast, has everything in large number - Whites, Blacks, some Amerindians, Mestizos, Mulattos, Triracials. That is why it is, arguably, a lot more fluid and flexible.

EDIT: Watching that video, it is of note how many of the politicians have non-Spanish surnames - something else that is not even that common in Colombia.

That's true, but I also think that, for instance, Whites (e.g. descendants of Basques) from the Paisa region are over-represented in politicians compared to the general population.. would you agree with me??

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I think non-Spanish surnames are also common in Argentinian and Uruguayan politicians. I don't know about Brazil.. Anyway, I just wanted to state that in Chile the link could actually be defined as "strong".

I don't want to extrapolate it to the rest of Latin America.. just talking about the situation of this particular country haha