Afro Peruvians are citizens of Peru mostly descended from African slaves who were brought to the Western hemisphere with the arrival of the conquistadors towards the end of the slave trade.
Early history
The first African Peruvians arrived with the conquistadors in 1521, to return permanently in 1525. They fought alongside the conquistadors as soldiers and worked wherever needed. Because of their previous acculturation in Spanish language and culture, they performed a variety of skilled and unskilled functions that contributed to Hispanic colonization.
Gradually, Afro-Peruvians concentrated in specialized fields that drew upon their extensive knowledge and training in skilled artisan work and in agriculture. As the mestizo population grew, the role of Afro-Peruvians as intermediaries between the indigenous residents and the Spaniards lessened. The mestizo population increased through liaisons between Spanish and indigenous Peruvians. From this reality, a pigmentocracy became increasingly important to protect the privileges of Spanish overlords and their Spanish and mestizo children. In this system, Spaniards were at the top of the hierarchy, mestizos in the middle, and Africans and the indigenous populations at the bottom. Mestizos inherited the privilege of helping the Spanish administer the country.
Furthermore, as additional immigrants arrived from Spain and aggressively settled Peru, the mestizos attempted to keep the most lucrative jobs for themselves. In the early colonial period, Afro-Spaniards and Afro-Peruvians frequently worked in the gold mines because of their familiarity with the techniques. Gold mining and smithing were common in parts of western Africa from at least the fourth century. However, after the early colonial period, few Afro-Peruvians would become goldsmiths or silversmiths. In the end Afro-Peruvians were relegated to back-breaking labor on sugarcane and rice plantations of the northern coast or the vineyards and cotton fields of the southern coast. The indigenous population tended to work in the silver mines, of which they had a more expert knowledge than western Africans or Spanish, even in the pre-Columbian eras.
Slave trade
Over the course of the slave trade, approximately 95,000 slaves were brought into Peru, with the last group arriving in 1850. They were initially transferred to Cuba & Hispaniola but continued to Panamá where they were brought to the Viceroyalty of Peru. Slave owners also purchased their slaves in Cartagena, Colombia or Veracruz, Mexico at trade fairs, and they took back to Peru whatever the slave ships had brought over. Slaves were distributed between encomiendas as a result of the "New laws" of 1548 and due to the influence of the denunciation of the abuses against Native Americans by Friar Bartolomé de las Casas.
Slave owners in Peru also preferred slaves who were from specific areas of Africa, and who could communicate with each other. Slave owners preferred slaves from Guinea, from the Senegal River down to the Slave Coast, because the Spanish considered them to be easy to manage, and also because they had marketable skills—they knew how to plant rice, train horses, and herd cattle on horseback. The slave owners also preferred slaves from the area stretching from Nigeria to Eastern Ghana. Finally, the slave owners' third choice was for slaves from Congo, Mantenga, Cambado, Misanga, Mozambique, Madagascar, Terranova, Mina and Angola.
In the year 1856, President Ramon Castilla y Marquezado declared the freedom of the Afro-Peruvian ethnic groups and abolished slavery, beginning a new stage in history. Today, Afro-Peruvian communities celebrate the landmark decision of Castilla with a popular refrain:
Que viva mi papá,
que viva mi mamá,
que viva Ramón Castilla
que nos dio la liberta'
Hooray for my Dad,
Hooray for my Mom,
Hooray for Ramón Castilla
Who gave us liberty
The newly freed citizens typically took the last name of their former owners. For instance, slaves in the service of the Florez family named themselves Florez or Flores.
Government apology
In November 2009, the Peruvian government issued an official apology to Peru's Afro-Peruvian people for centuries of racial injustice; it was the first such apology ever made by the government. The apology, announced by Women's and Social Development Minister Nidia Vilchez, was initially published in the official newspaper El Peruano. The apology said:
We extend a historical apology to Afro-Peruvian people for the abuse, exclusion and discrimination perpetrated against them since the colonial era until the present.
Vilchez says the government hopes its apology will help promote the "true integration of all Peru's multicultural population.
The government acknowledged that some discrimination persists against Afro-Peruvians, who make up 5-10% of the population of the country. The government's initial statement said, "The government recognizes and regrets that vestiges of racially-motivated harassment are still present, which represent a hindrance to social, economic, labor and educational development of the population at large. Monica Carrillo of the Center for Afro-Peruvian Studies and Promotion indicates that 27 percent of Afro-Peruvians finish high school and just 2 percent get higher or technical education. Although Peru is not the first Latin American government to apologize to its population, it is the first to acknowledge present-day discrimination.Although some human rights groups lauded the government's acknowledgement, other experts criticized the apology overall for failing to reference slavery or promise a change in the status quo.
The public ceremony for the apology held on 7 December 2009 in the Great Dining Room of the Government Palace, with the presence of President Garcia, Minister of Women and Social Development, Nidia Vilchez, the only Afro Peruvian Congress member Martha Moyano, along with the former mayor of El Carmen, Hermes Palma-Quiroz, and the founder of the Black Movement Francisco Congo, Paul Colino-Monroy.
In the ceremony, President Garcia said:
We are here together for an unusual act without precedent, to apologize to the Afro Peruvian people but most deeply pardon to the Black race, that our voice can be heard in the countries inflicted with the slavery commerce, which tore so many men and women, millions of them, and took them away to the ends of the planet to work in plantations.
List of Famed Afro-Latinos
Adriana Zubiate Miss Peru Universe 2002
Andrés Mandros Gallardo, historian, leader of Francisco Congo group.
Antonio Oblitas lieutenant of Tupac Amaru II
Ballumbrosio Family, with Amador Ballumbrosio as head of the family and his fourteen children, all musicians, percussionists, dancers.
Alejandro Romero Cáceres (aka Gordo Casarreto), comedian
Andres Soto, singer-songwriter.
Arturo "Zambo" Cavero, singer and percussionist.
Pedro Carlos Soto de la Colina, better known as Caitro Soto, musician, composer, cajon player.
Cecilia Tait, former volleyball player and regarded as among the best players of all time in the spike. Congresswoman-elect of the Republic during the 2001-2006 legislative period.
"Chocolate" Algendones, great percussionist, a specialist in the cajon. Founding member of the group Perú Negro, a member of Matalaché and Peru Jazz. He accompanied Chabuca Granda on percussion.
Cristian Ramirez, famous viola and piano player and composer in Peru.
Eva Ayllón, Interpreter of modern pop singer of folk music and renowned Afro-Peruvian Latin America.
Francisco Congo, leader of Maroon/Cimarron resistance group during the colonial period.
Francisco Fierro "Pancho Fierro", artist
Geronimo Barbadillo, a former soccer player, played in the Italian football in the 80's.
Guajaja - popular Peruvian musician
Hector Chumpitaz Gonzales, a former soccer player, former captain of Americas 1970-1980.
Immortal Technique - hip-hop artist and activist
Jefferson Farfán, current soccer player of Schalke 04 in Germany.
José Campos Dávila "Cheche", dean of social sciences and humanities at La Cantuta University.
José Carlos Luciano"Pepe", socologist, pioneer in the Afro-Peruvian movement.
José Gil de Castro, "Mulato Gil de Castro," artist, hero of the Peruvian Revolution as well as renowned soldier in Chilean army.
Jose Luis Perez Sanchez-Cerro, current Peruvian Ambassador to Spain and world human rights activist.
José Luis Risco, congressman
José Rayo, revolutionary leader during war of independence
Juan Joya, former soccer player of Alianza Lima Peru, Peñarol Uruguay and River Plate Argentina.
Juan Manuel Valdez first Afro-Peruvian doctor, author, poet, and parliamentary.
Julio Cesar Uribe, a former soccer player, idol of Junior de Barranquilla Americas and Mexico. He also played for Italian football in the 80's.
Julio Melendez, named the greatest Boca Juniors stopper.
Leon Escobar, revolutionary, took over the presidential palace for over a week.
Lucha Reyes, interpreter, folk music singer known for her voice in Peruvian Waltz. In Mexico well known for participating in Boleros.
Lucila Campos, singer and component Peru Negro.
Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro, president of Peru.
Luisa Fuentes, better known as Lucha Fuentes, volleyball player with the Peruvian national team won numerous international titles, winning five championships and three South American Panamerican Subchampionships. She participated in two Olympics (Mexico and Montreal) and six world championships.
Manuel Ricardo Palma Soriano, poet, writer, author of the brilliant Peruvian Traditions”.
María Elena Moyano, civil leader.
Martha Moyano, congresswoman.
St. Martin de Porres, famous Limeño saint, first black saint.
Mauro Mina, a former South American light-heavy weight champion boxer.
Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua, revolutionary and wife of Tupac Amaru II.
Negro Guadalupe, military leader.
Nicomedes Santa Cruz, folklore, afro-Peruvian writer and poet rescuer of the Decima Limeña and northernCumanana.
Pablo Branda Villanueva (aka Melcochita), salsa singer and comedian of world renown.
Rafael Santa Cruz, actor.
Ronaldo Campos, one of the original founders of Peru Negro and preserver of Afro-Peruvian rhythms played on the cajon.
Rosa Elvira Cartagena Miss Peru World 1999, and model for Sabado Gigante, Univision.
Susana Baca in the field of music is probably the best known at the international level (won a Grammy for Best Folk Albumin 2002). She is a renowned composer, singer and scholar of the rhythms of "Afro" descent in Peru. She is responsible for recovering almost forgotten harmonies and rhythms of Afro-Peruvian music.
Tatiana Espinoza, actress.
Teófilo Cubillas, considered the greatest Peruvian soccer player of all time.
Victoria Santa Cruz, folklore and director of the Conjunto Nacional de Folclore del Instituto Nacional de Cultura.
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