Ethnoracial identity, skin color, and national pride in Latin America

Little is known about national pride in Latin America, a region with strong ethnoracial hierarchies but a history of promoting racial democracy ideals. Some theoretical frameworks imply that ethnoracial minorities will express less national pride than dominant groups. Other theories suggest that inclusive national discourses stressing racial democracy will dilute ethnoracial variations in national pride. Using data on seven Latin American countries from the AmericasBarometer and the Project on Ethnicity and Race in Latin America (2010–2017), this research examines how national pride varies by ethnoracial group and skin color. Regression results show that ethnoracial identity and skin color are poor predictors of national pride. Perceived disrespect of one’s ethnic group is associated with lower levels of national pride, however, which suggests that perceived social exclusion is an important source of minority alienation in Latin America. Analyses of the connection between race and national pride should then consider the diverse ways in which minorities might be incorporated into the national community.