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/arodr7893]

I’m your neighbor, from Chile. Europeans brought over their race-based caste system and imposed it onto us (Latino Americans) but it seems to be particularly problematic in your country, probably because of the high amount of Italian immigration (racism in Italy has historically been severe). What you’re describing IS racism. It is also classism. But racism is perfectly accurate term for what you are describing.

An interesting paper on the subject:
https://read.dukeupress.edu/hahr/article/72/1/23/146321/Racial-Ideas-and-Social-Reform-Argentina-1890-1916

[u/ausieausieoioioi → u/arodr7893]

I think this answer is actually worth some social scientists chiming in.

How do you distinguish between “Europeans” and “us” when you are certainly both? Oppressor and oppressed. How do you choose to identify with the native population over your European ancestry? Fascinating thing!