For my research project, I want to look at the racial and social hierarchies or the casta system created by the Spanish in Latin America and the long term affects it had on Latin American countries. Racial hierarchies are a social construct created to make one group feel like they are naturally superior to another, creating more class distinctions and leaving some disenfranchised because of their skin color. The casta system in Latin America is particularly interesting because the hierarchy was very complex. There were indigenous peoples, Africans and Europeans and later mixed races living in Latin America creating multiple levels that are at times confusing. The Spanish in control did not just distinguish people based on their race but also where they were born making the casta system even more interesting. This system was damaging to many people and created issues far into the future. My research question is: “How did the casta system effect mobility and social status throughout Latin American history?”
Primary Sources
Casta Paintings- I need to find the exact source for this.
Secondary Sources
Bustamante, Adrian. 1991. “”the Matter was Never Resolved”: The “Casta” System in Colonial New Mexico, 1693-1823.” New Mexico Historical Review 66 (2) (Apr 01): 143. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1301803384?accountid=15131.
Katzew, Ilona, John A. Farmer, Roberto Tejada, Miguel Falomir Faus, and Americas Society. Art Gallery. 1996. New World Orders: Casta Painting and Colonial Latin America. New York: Americas Society.
Stone, Samuel Z. 1992. The Heritage of the Conquistadors: Ruling Classes in Central America from the Conquest to the Sandinistas. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Twinam, Ann, 1946. 2015. Purchasing Whiteness: Pardos, Mulattos, and the Quest for Social Mobility in the Spanish Indies. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
Vinson, Ben, III. 2018. Before Mestizaje: The Frontiers of Race and Caste in Colonial Mexico. Vol. 105. New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
The Casta System is fascinating and I am looking forward to hearing your in-depth research! I found this topic interesting, even though we had only talked about it briefly. I am excited to see your analysis of the various casta paintings and how its connected to your argument.
This is really interesting! I definitely see a connection with art history (I’m not sure if you are an art history major/minor) so there’s a possibility to make it a multi-disciplinary project. I’m interested to see if you’ll analyze one casta painting set and look at the frames within the set or compare different sets.