A survey found that most Peruvians are racist or very racist and that they ignore or do not understand what cultural diversity actually means, Peru's Culture Ministry reported on Tuesday.
These conclusions were derived from the First National Survey on Perceptions and Attitudes towards Cultural Diversity and Ethnic-Racial Discrimination.
Promoted by the so-called National Intervention against
Racism of the Culture Ministry, the study provides information to build public policies aimed at achieving positive recognition of cultural diversity and eliminating ethnic-racial discrimination in Peru, Culture Minister Alejandro Neyra pointed out.
"These public policies will strengthen interactions with public institutions, as well as the safeguarding and diffusion of native languages," he stressed.
For his part, Deputy Intercultural Minister Alfredo Luna said sports is one of the best ways to express social and cultural integration in the Inca country.
He used the national soccer team as a good example of acknowledging the importance of cultural diversity as a unifying and harmonious coexistence factor to build a nation with equal opportunities for everyone.
Racism
According to the study, 53% of respondents believe that Peruvians are racist or very racist, but only 8% perceive themselves as such.
When asked if they feel others are racist, 17% of those surveyed stated their friends and family are racist or very racist, 21% said the same about people in their community or locality, and 53% think Peruvians, in general, are racist or very racist.
Discrimination
The investigation details that half of Peruvians have felt "somewhat discriminated against" or "very discriminated against," while 28% of respondents reported skin color as the cause of discrimination, 20% attributed the cause to their socioeconomic status or income, and 17% affirm they were segregated because of their facial or physical features.
59% of respondents perceive the Quechua and Aymara populations are discriminated against or very discriminated against for their way of speaking, clothing, as well as language or language of origin.
On the other hand, 60% of those polled believe
Afro-Peruvians are discriminated against because of their skin color, facial or physical features, and because they are associated with crime.
Likewise, 57% of the citizens interviewed perceive that Amazon
indigenous peoples are discriminated against for their way of speaking, clothing, as well as facial or physical features.
Cultural diversity
The survey shows that 34% of Peruvians understand the meaning of "cultural diversity," 25% link it to customs or traditions, 14% to ethnic groups or races, and 11% to culture.
When asked about what their understanding of "cultural expressions" is, respondents associated them with
typical dances, patronal or regional feasts, regional cuisine, indigenous languages, and traditional clothes.
This interpretation varies within the Amazon indigenous population, where ancestral or traditional medicine is considered an expression of cultural diversity (47%).
(END) LZD/MAO/RMB
Publicado: 27/3/2018