Ciego de Color (Thursday November 25th--Day 16)

This conversation really struck me. Maybe it was because it was Thanksgiving and I was feeling particularly attentive. Or maybe it was because it mirrored one of the lessons we had in San Paulo, Brazil on IHP. The topic: racism in Argentina. Or rather: the non-existence of racism in Argentina.
So the whole family was sitting outside under the apricot tree, drinking cerveza, smoking cigarettes, and talking casually. Next thing I know, Pedro asked me about racism in the US. I told him that it is still present--mentally and structurally--but it is fading with each generation. He pitied the situation, and said that in Argentina there is no racism. None at all. Everything is perfect.
That`s what people say about Brazil. A color-blind country where everyone is so beautifully blended that skin has no power. In IHP; we learned to question that notion and dig a little deeper. What we found was that in Brazil, a higher percentage of homeless and squatters are of darker skin tones. Clearly, some form of racism was creating these divisions. Brazil´s color-blind can distinguish shades. Apparently.
Knowing that, I began to prod a little bit. I asked about immigration and Pedro conceited that many people do have a problem with Bolivians and Peruvians who come to the country, work hard for nothing, and take Argentinian jobs. But this, for him, is a prejudice based on money and nationality and not on race. Whatever. A prejudice is a predufice. And besides...race is scientifically unproven. So this counts, and it is a problem. Next, I started asking about Argentina´s history with Nazism after and during WWII (when many Nazis fled to South America). I was told that this trend was based primarilly in the South and is expressed as religious stereotypes against Jews. So there`s another prejudice. Then Lucia began talking about the huge prejudice of old money in B.A. against new money in the rest of the country. Prejudice 3. And if I could extrapolate, I would assume this extends to class prejudice in this consumer society, much like the class prejudice that exists in the US. That`s 4. Later, I began to think about my recent run-in with a drunk religious fanatic at Defuncta Correa, a shrine to a local saint. This man continuously claimed that he and his fellow Catholics have no problems with anyone, except for Mormons and non Catholic Christians. 5.
The point is, even a seemingly color-blind nation has its stereotypes and prejudices. In comparison, Argentina does pretty well. If there is tension, it is minimal and hidden. But it still exists. And rather than continue to deny potential conflicts, it may be a better idea for the people of Argentina to talk about these topics and acknowledge their existence before they escalate to a degree that can no longer be ignored.