Estudos e Pesquisas em Psicologia
ISSN 1808-4281
COSTA, Eliane Silvia SCHUCMAN, Lia Vainer. Identities, identifications and racial classifications: the ‘mixed race’ and affirmative actions. Estud. pesqui. psicol. []. 2022, 22, 2, pp.466-484. 03--2024. ISSN 1808-4281. https://doi.org/10.12957/epp.2022.68631.
This essay aims to collaborate with the discussion of racial identities within the field of psychology and affirmative action policies. To this end, we made a brief historical-conceptual discussion on Brazilian racial classifications, racial identity formations, as well as racial identifications, because, through these concepts, we intend to think of the pardo’s standpoint in the constitution of phenotypically black and white ‘mestizo’ subjects. We have established this discussion for two main reasons. The first reason refers to the fact that, in Brazil, the pardo represents a complex racial identity, often perceived as confusing, diffuse, both denied and affirmed. This theme relates to one of the most iconic dimensions of Brazilian racism, especially since within this group there are variations between the pardo with notably white features and the pardo phenotypically read as black. The second and foremost reason concerns the fact that this theme is keystone in order to understand the manner in which this intermediate standpoint connects to the affirmative action policies debate in the contemporary Brazilian social context.
: racism; racial identity; racial identifications; pardo; ‘mestizaje’; miscegenation..