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9780199337354

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National Colors is a brilliant synthesis of Latin American's centuries-long history of counting and classifying racial groups. It is a treasure trove of information and analysis for anyone seeking to understand the complex connections among race, the census, and state-formation in the region. -George Reid Andrews, Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of History, University of Pittsburgh National Colors deftly examines the historical and political forces that have shaped two hundred years of ethnoracial censuses in Latin America. In recent years, ethnoracial data collection has become nearly universal in the region as many of these countries declare themselves multiculturalist, often in the face of changing international pressures and growing democratic participation. Mara Loveman makes an important contribution to the expanding literature on race and ethnicity in Latin America, revealing how and why these nation-states decide to collect such data, despite efforts to appear racially homogenous. -Edward Telles, Professor of Sociology, Princeton University While Loveman is not the only scholar paying attention to governmental census taking, this book stands out for its theoretical depth, the remarkable mastery of historical context and agency, and its long-term historical breath. Loveman shows that rather than reflecting domestic politics or specific demographic configurations, Latin American states collected data on the kind of racial or ethnic categories that they thought would help document, to a global audience of other states, their efforts and achievements in becoming modern nations. -Andreas Wimmer, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Sociology, Princeton University.. .any preconceived impression about statistics and census data as dry could not be farther from the truth with this book! Loveman has transcended any initial impressions in terms of both content and style, to write a book that provides information and insights, yet offers an almost novel-like appeal for readers. -The Social Science Journal

While Loveman is not the only scholar paying attention to governmental census taking, this book stands out for its theoretical depth, the remarkable mastery of historical context and agency, and its long-term historical breath. Loveman shows that rather than reflecting domestic politics or specific demographic configurations, Latin American states collected data on the kind of racial or ethnic categories that they thought would help document, to a global audience of other states, their efforts and achievements in becoming modern nations. --Andreas Wimmer, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Sociology, Princeton University

While Loveman is not the only scholar paying attention to governmental census taking, this book stands out for its theoretical depth, the remarkable mastery of historical context and agency, and its long-term historical breath. Loveman shows that rather than reflecting domestic politics or specific demographic configurations, Latin American states collected data on the kind of racial or ethnic categories that they thought would help document, to a global audience of other states, their efforts and achievements in becoming modern nations. Andreas Wimmer, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Sociology, Princeton University National Colors is without doubt a major contribution to the literature on comparative race relations, and it is likely to remain the book of reference for anyone interested in the Latin American politics of race and census-taking for years to come. Christian Joppke, European Journal of Sociology

Author Information

Mara Loveman is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.

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