Mixing Colors: Race in Latin American Literature

Indianapolis, IN

This paper focuses on the topic of race as represented in Latin American literature. By going beyond surface-leaving reading and delving deeper into both the historical and cultural aspects of Hispanic literature, I aim to identify the ways in which said literary works represent race. Using a comparative and relational methodology, I will first survey diverse conceptions of race -from fields such as anthropology and sociology- to form a conceptual framework that will allow me to read and interpret Hispanic literary texts. Second, I will examine multiple works of literature in order to identify diverse ways in which they represent race. I will work with texts written by Cuban, Spaniard, Mexican, and Colombian authors among others who write short stories, novels, and essays. By thoroughly investigating these two elements, I aim to identify how racial representations have changed in Hispanic world and how they could be connected to our own cultural world in the US.