Chile and New Zealand - Parallels of Privilege?

As we all know, racism is prevalent around the globe. It has become so entrenched in society, that indigenous people tend to be seen as ‘inferior’ or less-likely to succeed in the dog-eat-dog world we call home. I address this topic of indigenous racism from a point of view I was able to take in South America not so long ago. I look back now and find it fascinating how clearly I was able to make connections and similarities between comments of some New Zealand citizens towards the Maori population, as the Chilean citizens towards the indigenous Mapuche people, during my gap year in Chile.

Now, having heard comments such as the ‘handouts’ the indigenous were able to receive from the government, or the ‘muddier’ coloured skin that the Mapuche have as a distinguishing feature in Chile; I was concerned to continue hearing the negative backlash from the more ‘civilised’ and ‘Europeanised’ Chileans with their paler skin tone, and apparent higher class status. The reason I comment on this is the fact that racism can be observed as something having stemmed from the lines of imperialism and European colonisation. The historical period of subjugation of the people of the newly ‘discovered’ Americas, and not to mention, Pacific islands, certainly built upon, and reinforced the binary of commonly used language aiding in the racist approach that lingers on. Some similar, less extreme binaries I could draw from the two indigenous populations were the so-called ‘laziness’ versus the productivity of an ‘us,’ or the ‘intelligence’ versus the ‘simplicity’ of an ‘other’.

Eurocentrism can be observed as a causal factor in the normalised and dominant discourse of the ‘West versus the Rest.’ The influence of European politics and the ideology that coincides with this, has certainly caught on to the everyday opinions of a society such as Chile, which historically can be seen in its governmental change to a neoliberal, and privatised society. Such a dark history of bloodshed and maltreatment of indigenous populations of colonised countries could be dissected for days, however, the main point I am wishing to address is the parallel between the indigenous of New Zealand and those of Chile. What privileges are provided for the Maori that could possibly heal the wounds of imperialism that hacked away at the native language and cultural identity associated with it? The same goes for the Mapuche people, have they not endured enough suffering and ethnic abuse to be worthy of a scholarship opportunity? Structural racism can also be seen in play particularly due to the fact that the Mapuche are often of low-socioeconomic backgrounds, leading to public schooling and little opportunity to carry on to private tertiary education. Is this not racist in itself- a chain of occupational disadvantage that maintains the status quo?

Modern day society does not cater for indigenous peoples, a scholarship here and there cannot undo the past which is often hidden or suppressed by dominant racist discourses, and therefore not addressed by society. If anyone has anything to comment on an overseas experience or particular form of cultural racism they have noticed, please comment below.