IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 6 ENGLISH | Page 102

Rights, in Peru “Afro-descendants make
up approximately 8% of the national
population, almost all of them situated
along the Peruvian coast. They have
been in a subordinate position in the
State’s social, economic, and political
structure for many years. This has meant
less access to the benefits of
socioeconomic development.”2
Afro-Peruvian homes have a lower,
monthly, per capita income than the
national average.3 This is why they exist
at a lower socioeconomic strata and
experience different levels of ethnic
discrimination that limits the quality and
cordiality of the health, education, and
employment services they receive. In
addition, the Afro-descendant population
sees itself as a victim of double
exclusion: due to their socioeconomic
conditions and their ethno-racial
characteristics. The low quality of their
education and their economic, political,
and civic marginalization are other,
enormous, additional problems that
afflict Afro-Peruvian communities.
These can be seen in the scarce
employment opportunities available to
young people, low wages, a lack of
credit, and the absence of business
initiatives to ensure their development.
Poverty can be found in the terrible
living conditions typical of marginal,
urban zones and communities.
Why should the State prioritize its
acknowledgment of the Afro-Peruvian
population? Because it represents
between 8-10% of the Peruvian
population. There are no official figures,
since they have not been included in the

census since 1940. They have been
responsible for the hard and heavy work
that has built the country for over 500
years. When friends, family members,
and colleagues say there is no racism,
Afro-Peruvians have to counter that,
because racism is often expressed via
everything that it silences, unfortunately,
and the Afro-Peruvian population
struggles against this racist silence that
contributes to the negation of their
identity.4 A 2008, World Bank and
Grade study showed that 13% of Afrodescendants do not go to primary school,
30% do not finish secondary school,
only 6% go on to advanced (university)
studies, and only 1.9% finish them.
These data reveal real exclusion in the
country’s national, educational system,
since
poverty
and
ethno-racial
discrimination force them to focus on
getting low wage jobs and so-called
cachuelos (extremely low paid jobs) that
allow people to satisfy basic, immediate,
economic
needs,
and
indirectly
strengthen the prejudices and stereotypes
held regarding their inability to develop
in higher-level, more responsible jobs
and high-level professional positions. In
the context of the historical reality that
the Afro-Peruvian population is facing,
the State’s social policies have not taken
it into account. Instead, it has been more
oriented towards the indigenous
population, both in Lima and the Sierra,
and forgotten that most Afro-Peruvians
live mostly along the coast and are part
of poorer populations. This is a
consequence of the invisibility they s