Education and How It Keeps Chilean Colorism in Place

April 19, 2025

In Chile, people with lighter skin are often treated better than those with darker skin. This idea comes from the lasting effects of colonization, when the Spanish took control of the land and established a racial hierarchy that privileged European features. People with lighter skin and European looks were seen as better. Today, these beliefs continue to influence media, beauty standards, workplaces, and schools. In Chile, to “have an acceptable appearance” often means being “light-skinned and blonde” or at least having “European” features (Not Another Blog About Chile), while people with darker skin, especially those with Indigenous or African ancestry, often face discrimination.

Class is also closely tied to these ideas. People from higher classes often use negative words for those who are seen as poor or from lower classes. Terms like “flaites,” “ordinarios,” or “rotos” carry harmful stereotypes, describing people as rude, poorly educated, or badly dressed—but these are not direct translations. Not Another Blog About Chile explains that the lower class is often seen as having a “very bad appearance, dark complexion, and… weight problems.” These views reflect how racism and classism are connected in Chilean society.

The school system plays a role in keeping these beliefs alive. The most prestigious schools are private and expensive, giving access mostly to the wealthy. Since lighter-skinned people are more likely to be favored in society and have more economic opportunity, they are the ones who attend these elite schools. That leads to better chances at attending top universities and getting high-paying jobs, while people with darker skin and less money often have fewer opportunities or face more barriers.

However, the issue is not only about wealth and appearance—it’s also about how Chile sees itself as a nation. Many Chileans believe the country is racially homogeneous, but this belief ignores the existence of Afro-Chilean and Indigenous communities. The Cultural Atlas notes that Indigenous groups often “feel ignored.” By claiming that most people are mestizo, or mixed, Chile hides the fact that many racial and cultural groups exist—and continue to be marginalized.

This connects to the deeper role that elite institutions play in maintaining social hierarchies. As Bourdieu explains, elite schools reproduce privilege by giving more advantages to those who already come from wealthy backgrounds. They also use what he called symbolic violence—subtle ways of making inequality seem normal or deserved. In this sense, colorism is one more issue that elite schools often overlook, allowing discrimination to continue unnoticed. As part of this system, we can see how whiteness and elite status are connected. To that end, we extend the arguments developed by Leila Angod in a larger project where she demonstrates “the central role of whiteness in making elite status through multiculturalism and humanitarianism.” In the Chilean context, this means that schools and elite spaces may appear inclusive, but they still rely on old ideas that link whiteness to power, status, and success.

References

Scroope, C. (2017). *Chilean Culture: Core Concepts*. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved April 4, 2025, from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/chilean-culture/chilean-culture-core-concepts

Not Another Blog About Chile. (2021, April 24). The ugly truth about the complex stratification of the Chilean society. Medium. Retrieved April 4, 2025, from https://medium.com/not-another-blog-about-chile/the-ugly-truth-about-the-complex-stratification-of-the-chilean-society-28c21bee82d9

Gaztambide-Fernández, R., & Angod, L. (2019). Approximating whiteness: Race, class, and empire in the making of modern elite/white subjects. Educational Theory, 69(6), 719–742.