The Politics of Identity in Latin American Censuses

This book contributes new perspectives to existing discussions about the shaping of multiculturalist ideology in Latin America, its interweaving with the cultural politics of neoliberalism and the relation between ethnic identification resurgence and economic globalization. Scrutinising national censuses across the continent, the chapters reveal clear relationships between censuses, nation-building and government projects, but also strong and determinant connections between domestic and supra-national spheres. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Iberian and Latin American Research.

The Politics of Identity in Latin American Censuses contributes new and original perspectives to existing discussions about the shaping of multiculturalist ideology in Latin America, its interweaving with the cultural politics of neoliberalism and the relation between ethnic identification resurgence and economic globalization.

Scrutinising national censuses across the continent, the studies included in this volume reveal clear relationships between censuses, nation-building and government projects, but also strong and determinant connections between domestic and supra-national spheres. The contributors to this volume open provocative avenues of research on Latin American societies by demonstrating how, in the realm of identity politics, supra-national institutions and normativity socialise national census bureaus in a way that largely annuls ideological differences between regional governments.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Iberian and Latin American Research.