Racial Inequality In Colombia

History of Racial Inequality Colombia has been considered to be one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the Western Hemisphere as it consists of eighty-five ethnic groups. This multitude of ethnic groups created a definition of race that is more fluid compared to that of the United States (DeFina). In Colombia, the color of one’s skin is viewed more as a state of being, rather than a race. Those with dark skin, often Afro-Colombians and indigenous Colombians, are referred to as “los negros” by the upper and middle classes. One could be called “el negro” without looking African; the term is used to refer to a person with dark skin. This term devoids Afro-Colombians and indigenous Colombians of their racial identity as the manner it is used in implies that the individual’s “darkness” is mutable. The term does not consider specific facial features that suggest ancestry. Skin color is used as a way to divide social class; darker skinned people are associated with poverty or low class. Light skinned people are viewed as rich or comparatively better off (Bethencourt). Whiteness is considered an equivalent term that represents progress, civilization, and beauty

Urban centers and major cities are predominantly inhabited by white populations. Indigenous people live in the more rural areas of Amazonas, La Guajira, Guainía, Vaupés, and Vichada. The black populations remain in the coastal and lowland regions of Colombia. Each ethnic group 's respective location provides either benefits or consequences to them. Those living in cities have better access to government services and have a higher standard of living. Those living in rural and coastal areas have generally been ignored, largely due to discrimination to their skin color, by such government services. Their wellbeing depends on their own ability to survive