Unraveling perceived discrimination in Latin America and the Caribbean: the intertwined roles of skin color, ethnicity and gender
Using 2023 Americas Barometer data, this study reveals that perceived discrimination in Latin America and the Caribbean is driven by a complex intersection of skin color, ethnicity, and gender, where darker skin tones increase discrimination risks differently across ethnic groups and gender lines, while strong correlations between discrimination types highlight significant attributional ambiguity shaped by national historical contexts.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the diverse nations of Latin America and the Caribbean, the landscape of inequality is often described as a complex web woven from history, class, and identity. For decades, the prevailing story in many of these countries was that racial mixing had created a harmonious society where color did not dictate destiny. This narrative suggested that differences in wealth or opportunity were simply matters of class, not race. However, a growing body of evidence has begun to challenge this view, suggesting that deep-seated hierarchies based on skin color and ethnicity remain powerful forces. To understand how these forces operate, researchers must look beyond simple categories. They must consider how a person's skin tone, their self-identified ethnic background, and their gender interact to shape their daily lives. Crucially, they must also understand the difference between unfair treatment that actually happens and the unfair treatment that a person feels they have experienced. Sometimes, a person might face bias because of their skin color but interpret it as an act of sexism, or vice versa, because the lines between these forms of prejudice are often blurred in the public mind.
A recent study by Santiago Gómez-Echeverry and Koen Steenks seeks to untangle these threads by examining how people in Latin America and the Caribbean perceive discrimination. The researchers analyzed data from a massive survey conducted in 2023, which gathered responses from over 32,000 adults across 21 countries. The survey asked participants about their experiences with unfair treatment over the previous five years, specifically focusing on two types: discrimination based on skin color and discrimination based on gender. To get a complete picture, the study did not rely solely on how people described themselves. It also included an assessment of each respondent's skin color made by the interviewer using a standardized palette of eleven shades, ranging from very light to very dark. This allowed the team to compare how a person's self-identified ethnicity, such as identifying as Indigenous, Black, White, or Mestizo, aligned with the actual shade of their skin and how both factors influenced their reports of discrimination.
The findings reveal a clear and consistent pattern: as skin color gets darker, the likelihood of reporting discrimination based on that skin color increases. This trend holds true across the region, but the strength of the connection varies depending on how a person identifies their ethnicity. For those who identify as White or Black, the link between skin tone and reported discrimination is present but relatively steady. However, for people who identify as Mestizo—a term often used for those of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry—the relationship is more complex. In this group, which is often more phenotypically diverse, a shift toward a darker skin tone leads to a sharper increase in the odds of reporting discrimination. This suggests that in more mixed groups, skin color acts as a more visible and immediate marker for how others treat you, whereas in more homogeneous groups, your ethnic label itself carries most of the weight.
When the researchers turned their attention to gender, the results showed that women are far more likely than men to report experiencing discrimination based on their sex. This gap is substantial, with women having more than three times the odds of men to report frequent gender-based mistreatment. Yet, skin color plays a surprising role here as well. The study found that for men, having a darker skin tone significantly increases the odds of reporting gender discrimination. For women, the link between skin tone and gender discrimination is weaker. The result is that the gap between men and women in reporting gender discrimination narrows as skin color becomes darker. In other words, while women always report more gender discrimination than men, the difference between them becomes less pronounced for those with darker skin. This suggests that for men of color, the experience of being treated unfairly is often a blend of racial and gender bias, making it harder to separate the two.
The study also uncovered a strong connection between the two types of discrimination. People who report frequent discrimination based on their skin color are also much more likely to report frequent discrimination based on their gender. This overlap is not just a coincidence; it points to a phenomenon known as attributional ambiguity. In many parts of Latin America, where historical narratives have often blurred the lines between race, class, and gender, it can be difficult for individuals to pinpoint exactly why they were treated poorly. A person might experience bias rooted in their skin color but interpret it as sexism, or they might face gender bias that is amplified by their race. The data suggests that these experiences are deeply intertwined, and that the way people categorize their suffering is shaped by the complex social environment they live in.
Finally, the researchers looked at how these patterns differ from one country to another. While the general trends hold across the region, the underlying reasons vary based on each nation's history. In countries like Brazil, where the population is highly diverse and the history of racial mixing is central to the national identity, the model could explain a large portion of why people report skin color discrimination. The specific characteristics of a person, such as their skin tone and ethnicity, are strong predictors of their experience. In contrast, in countries like Argentina and Uruguay, where historical policies actively promoted European immigration and marginalized Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations, the model explains very little of the variation in skin color discrimination. In these places, the data suggests that skin color is a less reliable predictor of reported discrimination, likely because the non-white population is smaller and the social dynamics are different. This contrast highlights that while the experience of inequality is a shared regional reality, the specific mechanisms driving it are deeply rooted in the unique historical paths of each nation.
The study concludes that understanding discrimination in Latin America requires looking at the whole picture. It is not enough to look at race, gender, or class in isolation. The way these factors combine creates unique experiences for different groups, and the way people perceive and report these experiences is influenced by the stories their societies tell about themselves. By mapping these intricate relationships, the research offers a clearer view of the persistent inequalities that shape life in the region, showing that while the narratives of the past may have promised a color-blind future, the reality of the present remains deeply colored by the past.
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