La ‘negra nieves’ ou le racisme à fleur de peau. Regards croisés sur une caricature

Abstract

In this paper, the use and meaning of Nieves, a famous Colombian caricature of a young ‘black’ woman, will be explored according to three main theoretical issues: the significance of racial categories, the permanence of stereotypes and the social role of physical appearances. This character has indeed a long history: it first appeared in the pages of the daily newspaper of Cali, El País, in 1968. Before becoming a university philosophy student, the character was initially represented by a domestic employee (the change occurred when the issue of racism was raised and taken to court). The study of Nieves thus makes it possible to analyze how interactions are built and managed: the paternalist pattern of domination emanating from the elite, the widespread use of racial standards, the changes and continuities related to the introduction of the policy of multiculturalism, the ethnic claims and the difficulties of a ‘black’ movement, the cultural interpretations of Colombian anthropology.

Keywords

• ethnicity
• Identity
• race
• racism
• black
• afro Colombian