Racism In El Salvador Research Paper

Racism between Rich and Poor in El Salvador, Discrimination that Continues since the Spanish Conquest
Jose A Chorro
Dickinson State University

Abstract
Racism in El Salvador has been present since the Spanish conquest in Central America in 1525. The European people always thought they were superior to the people they just conquered and that idea of being white and superior has been implemented into everyone’s head until this day. Normally people who have money in El Salvador have lighter skin than those who don’t have money and there has been a lot differences between both classes. The problem now is that political parties are taking advantage of this difference between classes and are creating more hatred between them in order
Eventually after several years of Spaniards occupying Latin America they began having babies with Native Indian women. These children which had a mixture of European and Native Indian were called Mestizos, Criollos were those children who were of pure Spanish descendant but born in El Salvador. Although Mestizos had some Native roots, and Criollos were born in El Salvador they were considered as Spaniards because they were taller and with lighter skin than the Natives. Eventually El Salvador was taken by Mestizos and Criollos and ruled by them. Native Indians were starting to get oppressed by this increasing population of Criollos and Mestizos and it has not stopped since. The first rebellion they had was in 1832 lead by an Indigenous leader Anastasio Aquino because they didn’t have enough land in order to grow their crops. Eventually Indigenous people were massacred in 1833 along with their leader. (History of El
Maybe is because of my mother, she is Puerto Rican and in Puerto Rico there are more races, and there is a lot less racism. She taught me that we are all human beings and we are all the same, no matter if people have money or don’t have money. I had never heard of people talking about different skin colors in El Salvador until 2007 when I got to the national team of El Salvador for track and field, people back there used to call me “Chelito” which means white skin Salvadorian. I didn’t saw any difference between us back then, we were all in the national team, all representing the same country, but they didn’t care if I did saw a difference or not between us, the majority of athletes did not liked me, I’ve heard a lot comments like “you are talking opportunities away from those who really need it”, even though I was breaking Central American Records in my event and putting the name of El Salvador in the highest of Central America. It was funny how even here in Dickinson I still hear the term people from lower class use on us back in El Salvador, “Chelito”. One of my friends here in Dickinson was born and raised in Arizona, but both his parents migrated from El Salvador to the USA during the 1980s because of the civil war, a few weeks ago I heard him calling me “Chelito” to get my attention. He did not say it in a way to insult me or make me feel bad, but it is sad the way he was taught by his parents the