Coloniality In Latin America Essay

Coloniality is the concept of power that is associated with the European control in Latin America. This concept is what formed the system of hierarchy that is seen in Latin America with the formation of the colonies by the Europeans. Coloniality has formed a legacy of colonialism in Latin America where social discrimination of the native people was prevalent, this caused different social, racial and political hierarchal layers to appear. The native people were seen as primitive and placed at the bottom of this hierarchal layer. Their goods and land were exploited, while the natives themselves were used for free labor. The racial, cultural, knowledge, and the social and hierarchal systems are all a major part of coloniality and its effect on Latin America.
In “The Idea of Latin America”, Walter Mignolo described the influence of coloniality on the native people as well as the African slaves in Latin American countries. Mignolo tells about the process of colonization as being an idea that certain people do not belong in history (Mignolo 4). This idea relates to the racist thoughts of the Europeans, and how the natives and Africans were
seen as primitive people. Along with coloniality the process of modernity became intertwined. These two concepts came together to shape and form the Latin American continent in developing a “New World”. This idea of advancing throughout history is associated with the violence of coloniality. The exploitation of the land, labor, and resources oppressed the natives of the land making them fall behind the rest of the social hierarchy. Mignolo claimed that the people were pressured to comply to the European standards of coloniality and modernity. This pressure to conform ruined the relationship between Europe and Latin America by causing a “colonial wound”.
This wound caused by coloniality and modernity can be seen in the film “The Couple in the Cage”.
This satire showed the affects modernity and coloniality can have on a culture. It also displayed how the racist beliefs that nonwestern natives were seen as inferior or primitive and how they still live on in today’s society. Coloniality created this racist hierarchal system to label the natives as inferior to the Europeans. Their beliefs as well as religion were viewed as wrong in the eyes of the Europeans. In lecture, we have discussed the different European views of the Native culture. One of these views was their opinion of the native religious sacrifices and worship practices made them view the Natives as savages and in need of conversion to Christianity. The Europeans believed that Western culture was the only true modern
culture.
Racism, culture, knowledge, social and political hierarchies, as well as the chase for modernity are all concepts that have formed coloniality. The levels of social and political class were determined by the Europeans, who saw themselves as phenotypically better than the natives and slaves. The Europeans were at the top of the hierarchal system because they were seen as more educated and more advanced people. Racism has played a major role in coloniality because of the difference between the phenotypes of the natives and the Europeans such as skin color. Colonialism has affected the people of Latin America by exploiting the resources, land, as well as labor in order to make a profit. Coloniality in definition is the concept of power that is seen with the European control and how it has formed a system of hierarchies in order to show power.