Autopercepciones de la población afroperuana: identidad y desarrollo (Self-perceptions of the Afro-Peruvian population: identity and development)

Authors: Karina Miranda Tovar, Javier Zorrilla Eguren, José Carlos Arellano. Assistants: Alejandro Pizarro, Nina Lacan. Prologue: Ivan Lanegra Quispe, Deputy Minister of Interculturality (Ministry of Culture) of the Republic of Peru.

Publication of the UNDP regional project “Afrodescendant Population of Latin America” (PAAL2). City of Knowledge, Panama. 2013.

Despite Peru’s undeniable economic growth in recent years, statistical data collected in the National Household Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Information of that country shows stagnation in the socioeconomic situation of Afro-Peruvians, which contrasts with the situation of other population groups.

The PAAL2 regional project commissioned Ipsos APOYO Opinión y Mercado to conduct this qualitative research exploring in depth the reality of afrodescendants in Peru, knowing the actions implemented by the State and civil society in defense of their rights and analyzing the perception of this population about the problems or barriers to social and economic development.

Contents
This paper begins with a section that provides information about Peru’s national context, based on demographic, economic and social indicators. It also includes the most relevant and recent findings on the geographical distribution of the Peruvian population by ethnicity. It then presents the methodology section, in which is detailed the information related to the fieldwork that allowed to meet the research objectives. This section includes information on the selected universes and geographic locations of study, the research techniques used and the participants’ characteristics. Next, the comprehensive analysis section examines in depth the information collected during fieldwork. Finally the conclusions of the study are summarized.

Universe, sample and segmentation
The studied universe consisted of Afro-Peruvian women and men living in urban and rural areas of the country. The sample was composed of women and men who identified themselves as Afro-Peruvians and black, over 18 years old and living in urban Lima, rural Lima (Cañete), urban La Libertad (Trujillo), rural Lambayeque (Capote), urban Ica (Chincha and Ica), urban Piura (Morropon) and urban Cajamarca (Jaen).

The segmentation of the sample by geographic region was based on the Afro-Peruvian population distribution by departments, being selected those places in the country with more population weight of Afro-Peruvians. Furthermore, the selection included focus groups in rural locations, as approximately 30% of Afro-Peruvians are living in rural areas.

Some conclusions of the research:

• The economic environment, more and more demanding in terms of degrees of professionalism, modern technology and business management, does not include or consider the poor Afro-Peruvian minority, which is affected by various forms of discrimination (racial, economic, social and cultural).
• Nowadays, being black and poor in Peru means to be in the last degree of social appraisal.
• Poor afrodescendant children and women of darker skin and traditional customs are the ones that suffer the most discrimination.
• The data obtained from the testimonies collected during the investigation allows to conclude that only a substantive transformation of the quality of education and health can make human development become an everyday experience and dissolve the structures of discrimination reported in their testimonies by the participants interviewed for this report.
• The Afro-Peruvian social movement organized around associations and NGOs is fragmented and is not yet strong enough to exert real pressure to force the State to implement a determined intercultural and non-discrimination policy.
• If the State does not express a clear and strong intercultural and non-discrimination policy, sanctioning acts of discrimination in its various forms and overcoming the barriers faced by Afro-Peruvians, it will not be possible to achieve the full development of this population.

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This guide is an instrument which sets out in a clear and simple way the main manifestations of discrimination against the afrodescendant population and ways to detect them, providing strategies and resources to be used in the guardianship proceeding. This guide is applicable to all people suffering racial or ethnic discrimination.

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This protocol gives an overall account of international and national regulations on human rights of the afrodescendants, and the types and forms of discrimination (direct, indirect, multiple, structural, among others) of which they are victims. Thus, it seeks to strengthen the existing tools of the defense process for handling complaints of alleged racial discrimination against afrodescendant people.

Download PDF (in Spanish only).