Emergent Identity, Cultural Heritage, and El Mestizaje: Notes from the Ecuadorian Coast

摘要

The recent emergence of ethnic identities based on territorial claims and historic continuity is increasingly common in Latin America. In many cases ethnic identity is being highlighted as a means of negotiating with the nation-state as a consequence of a history of marginalization and oppression. In Ecuador, communal politics play a central role in the emergence of ethnic based political movements. These movements often involve the reconstitution of cultural practices through reference to the historical past and prehistory as groups that have historically been recognized as mestizo or montuvio push for indigenous rights and state recognition of indigenous cultural heritage and identity. In this article the emergence of an ethnic discourse on the Ecuadorian coast is analyzed with respect to the post-colonial discourse of mestizaje. The reconstitution of ethnic identity in the Ecuadorian context exemplifies the contradictions inherent within the ideology of mestizaje while simultaneously pointing to the fluidity of ethnic identity as a form of cultural capital that can be used to negotiate with the nation-state.View full textDownload full textRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13569325.2011.652601