Open AccessThe presence of Africans and their descendants in colonial Concepción, Chile: a first approach
Author(s) -
Pedro Andrade,
Mary Anne Argo Chávez,
Alonso Soto-Cerda
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
revista de historia de américa
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2663-371X
pISSN - 0034-8325
DOI - 10.35424/rha.162.2022.1090
Subject(s) - descendant , colonialism , sociocultural evolution , the imaginary , genealogy , history , population , relevance (law) , ethnology , anthropology , geography , sociology , demography , archaeology , political science , psychology , law , psychotherapist , physics , astronomy
In the volumes that compile the history of Concepción and its surrounding areas, the African and/or Afro-descendant presence during colonial times is usually reduced to trivial events. Unlike what happens in other Chilean regions, no systematic studies mention the permanence of this population in the study area during the Spanish domination. Hence, the local sociocultural imaginary does not recognize the historical depth of their presence and relevance. This research aims to carry out the first systematic compilation exercise regarding the presence of Afro-descendants in Concepcion and its surrounding areas, registering their mentions in currently available primary and secondary sources. As a result, we were able to identify a continued presence of Afro-descendants between the 16th and 19th centuries. Finally, we discuss their estrangement in historical volumes and the development of a paradigm that has made them historically invisible as part of the current social fabric in Concepcion.