The 2017 census in Peru integrated for the first time the question of ethnic self-identification.

To begin to understand how important this question was, we need to understand the basic definitions.

The census in Peru existed since colonial times, these were need for tax purposes. However, population and housing censuses have been recorded since the creation of the republic. The first census was conducted by the government of General Don Andrés de Santa Cruz in 1836, during, which gave a result of 1,873,736 inhabitants. However, the enactment of the Civic Registration Law and the General Census of the Population was created in the third census which was on May 25, 1861, making it every 8 years (which then changed and is now every 10 years). There are several types of Censuses, being: Population and Living; Economic, Agricultural, Industry, Commercial and Services. The Population and Living census, which we will be talking about, becomes important to have updated information on reality, allows prioritizing public investment in school construction and health centers, expansion of basic services such as electricity, water, and drainage and even communication networks.

After having seen a little of the history of the census and a summary of its importance, we go to the meaning of ethnic self-identification and how important it is for a multicultural country like Peru. Ethnic self-identification is the way in which someone perceives themselves considering their customs, ancestors and if they feel identified with any ethnic group.

A whole controversy was opened by this question, since, according to Óscar Espinosa de Rivero, anthropologist at the Catholic University, for RPP, he mentioned that the question was mixing ethnic elements with skin color. Options such as mestizo should not be there since someone mestizo could also come from or identify with native peoples. He believes that this question was going to bring confusion, which as a group we can confirm. More than one when that question was asked did not know what to answer. This is supported by Carlos Aramburú López de Romaña, also an anthropologist, who also mentioned for RPP that this has been a key step; but that the question could be poorly posed. He says that locals could choose the mestizo option either out of shame or simply because they do not know. Something that we can confirm with our own experience. One of our members, Maria Pia Rodriguez, told her experience, she noticed that her mother chose the option of mestizo and she, who really identified with the white ethnicity, however, had mestizo customs, so she made her also choose mestizo.

According to the INEI, this question is being asked to identify new and differentiated and inclusive public policies. So that the social, labor, economic, political, and basic rights gaps such as education and health are erased. At the same time, it will be known on which sides of the country the Indigenous and Afro-Peruvian population is located. He gave as an example a citizen who self-identified as Ashaninka in the census and thus verify which health center could be attended close to him and that he masters his language and knows customs and cultural practices.

The figures after this census were as follows:

• 25.8% of the Peruvians consulted identify as Indigenous (Quechua, Aymara or Amazonian). There are 5,985,551 people.
• 4% of those surveyed identify as Afro-Peruvian. Unpublished data representing 828,841 Peruvians.
• 85% of the total number of Peruvians who feel Indigenous is of Quechua origin. 10% are Aymara and 5% Amazonian.
• 60.2% of Peruvians surveyed identify as mestizo, while 5.89% as white.
• 9% of Peruvians who identify as Indigenous have no degree of education at all.
• 66% of Peruvians who identify as Indigenous live in urban areas.

(Source: El Comercio)

Alfredo Luna Briceño, Deputy Minister of Interculturality (who oversees defending the rights of the Indigenous and Afro-Peruvian population), who for several years was thought to be a mestizo country. We all took that phrase as something that integrated us, however, for another group this made them invisible. He mentions that all policies were aimed at a homogeneous population, which is difficult in Peru. All policies have been directed at everyone equally and not for equity.

Elena Burga, Deputy Minister of Interculturality of the Ministry of Culture, mentions that all this information collected allows them to cross information on other types of topics. As, for example, the 9% of the population that self-identifies as Indigenous has no degree of education, at the same time, illiteracy among Afro-Peruvians reached 6%.

This post aims to make us think about how the State takes ethnicities for explanation and at the same time, how we are not prepared for these questions. Many of us are outraged to see that we were asked this, even if the question were poorly posed, not knowing that for others it would finally be a beam of light in their invisibility. We want to conclude what these types of questions should matter to us, it always got into our heads that we are all mestizos, making this a discourse invisibility for many social problems and with the same minorities.

References:

Autoidentifación Étnica. (s/f). Gob.pe. Recuperado el 27 de mayo de 2022, de http://censo2017.inei.gob.pe/autoidentificacion/

Conoce más sobre la autoidentificación en los Censos Nacionales 2017. (s/f). Gob.pe. Recuperado el 27 de mayo de 2022, de https://www.gob.pe/institucion/cultura/noticias/5332-conoce-mas-sobre-la-autoidentificacion-en-los-censos-nacionales-2017

Cruz, Y. (2017, octubre 17). Censo 2017. RPP. https://rpp.pe/peru/actualidad/censo-2017-antropologos-consideran-que-hay-una-pregunta-mal-formulada-noticia-1083054?ref=rpp

Historias de los censos en el Perú. (s/f). Gob.pe. Recuperado el 27 de mayo de 2022, de http://censos.inei.gob.pe/censos2007/Documentos/Historia_Censos.pdf

Planas, E. (2018, septiembre 14). Censo 2017: pregunta sobre autoidentificación étnica arrojó datos reveladores. El Comercio Perú. https://elcomercio.pe/luces/vida-social/impreso-censo-2017-pregunta-autoidentificacion-etnica-arrojo-datos-reveladores-noticia-557466-noticia/?ref=ecr

¿Qué son los censos? (s/f). Gob.pe. Recuperado el 27 de mayo de 2022, de https://www.gob.pe/534-que-son-los-censos