Paternalism, Maternalism, and Ventriloquism as Colonial Legacies in Mexico and Ecuador

ABSTRACT Being “white‐mestizo” in Mexico and Ecuador is not only about skin color or phenotype, but also a way of acting that provides advantages to some groups over others. This article explores the privilege of claiming to protect and speak for others through a discussion of the concepts of paternalism, “maternalism,” and ventriloquism. Maternalism is highlighted given the important role played by upper‐ and middle‐class, White‐mestizo women as mediators in interethnic relations. Like mestizaje , speaking for others and becoming their advocate is a problematic promise of inclusion. The contemporary behavior of dominant groups is traced to colonial social relations congealed in legal figures that have lingered in Latin American legislation until recently. The article argues that these legal constructs continue to shape contemporary inter‐ethnic relations, showing a close relation between law and custom. Finally, the article shows how patterns of paternalist and “maternalist” domination came to constitute a coherent and lasting system for the management of racialized populations.