Victoria santa cruz biography definition

By Karla Méndez

Writer Karla Méndezexamines the contributions of choreographer, composer, and activist Victoria Santa Cruz to Peruvian, Black, and Latin American art and culture. 

Casta Systems 

In Latin America, the construction of race is varied and has, throughout history, undergone significant changes. During the colonial period, racial identities were ruled by an elaborate caste or casta system that determined what position in the social hierarchy citizens occupied. The system was one of the many ways that Spanish and Portuguese colonizers held onto their power and maintained superiority. The system remains unofficially in place despite the passage of time since the official end of colonization. 

Afro-descendant and Indigenous people make up 40% of the population in Latin America, yet they are often placed at the margins of society, with the region embracing a White-European visual representation that does not accurately depict the ethnic and racial makeup. This has resulted in the erasure of Afro-Latina contributions to various Latin American cultures. Many activists, artists, musicians, and entertainers have sought to reinscribe these ignored histories. Among these

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