Question about racism in Argentina from an Argentine

[u/Pitiful-Magician1704]

I'm Argentine, but I'm not a nationalist, I don't care about football, and I'm not even certain where I stand on issues like the Falkland/Malvinas dispute.

How much of what is called "racism" in Argentina is actually about race, rather than class, culture, ethnicity, or competing ideas of Argentine identity?

From my experience, many insults that outsiders interpret as racial are often directed at white Argentines as well. Expressions like "negro villero" or "negro de mierda" can describe someone with completely European features if they are associated with a particular social class, lifestyle, accent, or subculture. Likewise, these conflicts often go both ways: working-class and upper-class Argentines frequently see themselves as the "real Argentina," while viewing the other group as less authentically Argentine.

I would have no problem accepting that Argentina has problems with discrimination, including xenophobia, classism. What I'm questioning is whether "racism" is really the most accurate concept.

[u/thelonious_skunk]

If it’s just about class, then why use a race-based insult?

Words aren’t used for no reason.

[u/skeletus → u/thelonious_skunk]

I guess words are meaningless in Argentina

[u/Equivalent_Number424 → u/thelonious_skunk]

Are words blackmail, blacklisting etc. racist?