| p>Magnus Mörner introduces his reader to both | | | | inconceivable today that there would be detailed |
| concepts and details of the centuries long process of | | | | policies that dealt specifically with taxation, marriage, |
| miscegenation, the racial mixing and acculturation, that | | | | military obligation and social stigma attached |
| culminated in the national character of Latin America. | | | | precariously to something as indiscriminate and |
| This blending over time is awash in regional political, | | | | subjective as "shade" of skin. Given that he also |
| religious, and social intrigue. Whether it be a source of | | | | makes the early point that the domestic Spanish |
| discrimination, the logical effects of assimilation within a | | | | population was well-blended before the New World |
| geographic area, or simply the result of gender specific | | | | contact by African Moors, the Jewish and other |
| immigration, the synthesis and evolution of the Latin | | | | Europeans, the assumed phenotype, or outward |
| American from their three main lineage roots, the | | | | appearance of these Iberians begs to refuted as |
| Indians, African blacks and the Europeans has a long | | | | ethnically pure or superior. |
| and storied history. | | | | Once done with the roll call of various historical, |
| Mörner points out various aspects of the | | | | colloquial and myopically pigeon holing ethnic variants |
| transitions over time that the miscegenation or the | | | | and pursuant bred derivative, assumed or disputed |
| mixing or blending of race in marriage or breeding went | | | | statistics, Mörner moves into what were to |
| through. Though he often remarks that there is little | | | | become, in my opinion, the most poignant from the |
| physiological difference to be found that defines the | | | | current perspective, chapters on the events and |
| term race, he expresses that the question of the | | | | changes in the systems and status dealing with the |
| importance of miscegenation in psychological and | | | | many castes, ethnic classes and cultures that found |
| intellectual terms is "violently discussed." He thus strikes | | | | themselves sharing the Latin world. What was once |
| out in historical contexts to sort out the extent that | | | | the basis of religious, imperial and economic policy, was |
| socioculture that the instituted efforts to promote, ban | | | | to become not only accepted, but also the norm. |
| and likewise control the certain mixing of the "races". | | | | Mörner aptly points out in the course of the book |
| Race Mixture illuminates the many faceted trials that | | | | that the aforementioned systems, prejudice and |
| instigated economic, imperial, social and legal hurdles | | | | discrimination eventually fell away, or were negated |
| that Latin Americans of every shade, background and | | | | over time. That it took such time, economic and social |
| class were entwined by. | | | | revolution to remove the strictures, prejudice and |
| One of the more ironic points Mörner brings up is | | | | discrimination based solely upon breeding (that was |
| that of the classes and stratification. The book | | | | oftentimes forced or ill granted) is one of humanity's |
| establishes that the class and stratification features in | | | | greatest shames. |
| place over various times and regions of Latin America | | | | Pointedly, I find the word miscegenation oddly suited as |
| were arbitrary placement and limited by the ability to | | | | the root "mis" is so often identified as meaning wrong, |
| discern "shades". It became a matter of "dress and | | | | bad and hate of...yet it is the very blending of races |
| movement" to pass as a higher caste in some | | | | that created the unique culture of Latin America that is |
| instances, a well placed monetary gift in others. It is | | | | represented today. |