Argentina: Disappeared of African descent

The Buenos Aires Herald drew my attention to research being undertaken by anthropologist Pablo Cirio of the university of La Plata on the Afro-Argentine disappeared. Little attention has so far been given to this small group - certainly I've never seen anything on desaparecidos of African descent in Argentina - but Cirio has apparently already uncovered ten cases. Cirio argues that the disappearances should be seen in the context of the "historic disappearance" of the community, first from Africa and then from the official history of Argentina. He points to, for example, remarks by dictatorship-era interior minister Albano Harguindeguy about Argentina being "one of the three whitest countries in the world". The research is at an early stage, but sounds promising.

The forgotten Afro-Argentine disappeared (Buenos Aires Herald)
Estudian casos de afroargentinos víctimas de la última dictadura como parte de su "desaparición histórica" (Telam)

Peru: Afro-Peruvians Receive Apology

Public apologies are not particularly unusual these days. The UK has recently said sorry for its treatment of Alan Turing and both it and Australia have apologised to those citizens who were abused in state care as children.

Now it's Peru's turn; it is to apologise to its black population for the centuries of discrimination they have faced.

Women's and Social Development Minister Nidia Vilchez said the government wanted the apology to promote the "true integration of all Peru's multicultural population," Associated Press news agency reported.

Peru apologises for abuse of African-origin citizens (BBC)

Unfair treatment is not merely a historical shame; even today, black Peruvians are often disadvantaged:

...only 2 percent of Afro-Peruvians obtain technical training or higher education, and just 27 percent finish high school.

Government Begs "Historical Pardon" from Afro-Peruvians for Past Abuses (LAHT)

I'm in favour of symbolic gestures such as apologies as part of other state measures such as truth-telling, reparations, and measures to ensure that injustices are not repeated.

See also The Age of Apology: Facing up to the Past ed. by Mark Gibson et al.

Peru: Can Your Congresswoman Spell?

Update: Supa has announced that in future, she will speak solely in Quechua in Congress. This is not because she is embarrassed about her Spanish or anything like that, but she is exercising her right to speak in an official language of her native country. Good on her - I hope the Congress is properly equipped with interpreters.

This may seem a little off-topic, but I was struck by yesterday's front page in the Lima edition of Correo, and I wasn't the only one (see utero de marita and gran combo club).

It is mocking a Peruvian Congresswoman, Hilaria Supa, for her apparently shaky grasp of Spanish spelling. Supe is an indigenous representative of the Cusco region and her first language is Quechua. She was also the first politician to take her oath in Quechua, and that proved controversial too. I can't imagine why - no, wait, let me rephrase that: I can imagine why. It was controversial because Quechua is the language of indigenous peasants and has no place in a place of government or learning, right? As for the illiterate, they should just be grateful they are allowed to vote at all (which they have only been allowed to do since 1979). Therefore, taking an oath in an official language of parts of your country, far from being a completely normal thing to do, becames a highly politicised act.

Judging by the picture, Supa was making notes rather than producing a document for external consumption. I'm thankful that people don't sneak up on me and photograph my private jottings, but I guess when you're indigenous and in Congress you can never stop having to prove yourself. The Correo article also suggested that there should be "extra" requirements to hold a position in Congress, such as "university-level" education. What a good way that would be of making the majority of indigenous activists conveniently ineligible for higher office! Are politicians not supposed to represent the people? Have we issued a spelling test to all congressmen and women or do we just go for those in indigenous headware? This is a clear expression of racism against someone who speaks a language which is an official language of Peru (in areas where it is predominantly spoken, which include the area which the Congresswoman represents, Cuzco) and which was around there long before Spanish was. It stinks of many centuries of regarding indigenous people as stupid and unable to participate in civic society, and should be regard with contempt.

See news reports here and here.