blanqueamiento

In South America, blanqueamiento refers to the concept of "whitening," which emerged in postcolonial societies as elites sought to define their nations positively while grappling with the mixed racial makeup of their populations. This theory assumed that the region was progressing towards a "superior" state of increasing whiteness, often encouraging European immigration to hasten this process.1

This idea coexisted with contradictory practices, such as glorifying Indigenous pasts while still discriminating against Indigenous peoples. While some intellectuals promoted an image of "racial democracy" to contrast with U.S. segregation, racial inequality persisted in practice. By the late 20th century, many countries shifted towards officially recognizing and celebrating cultural and ethnic diversity, partly due to Indigenous and Black activism.1