Mestizo exaltation: the invention of Chilean roto

Abstract

This article examines the process of transformation of the roto, a Chilean personage of urban origin, into a national symbol of chilenidade. As a descendent of Spaniards and Natives, the mestizo was rejected in the Nineteenth century in the light of racial theories that were current at that time. However, at the beginning of the Twentieth century it seemed that intellectuals discovered the mestizo qualities, and tried to raise its status as one of a national symbol.

Keywords

• Mestiçagem
• Identidades
• Roto chileno
• Chile