Information AboutAfro-peruvian |
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Afro-Peruvians are citizens of Peru descended from African Slaves who were brought to the New World from the arrival of the Conquistadores to the end of the Slave Trade . They make about 5 tp 6% of the Peruvian population. EARLY HISTORY The first Afro-Peruvians arrived with the conquistadores, briefly in 1521 , and then when they returned-and then stayed-in 1525 . They fought alongside the conquistadores as soldiers and worked wherever needed. Because of their previous acculturation in Spanish language and society culture, they performed a variety of skilled and unskilled functions that directly contributed to Hispanic colonization. Gradually, Afro-Peruvians came to be concentrated in fields that required relatively little training. As the Mestizo population grew, the role of Afro-Peruvians as intermediaries between the indigenous residents and the Spaniards became superfluous. There were more than enough mestizos to help the Spanish administer the country. Furthermore, as additional immigrants arrived from Spain and aggressively settled Peru, they attempted to keep the most lucrative jobs for themselves. Hence few Afro-Peruvians would become goldsmiths or silversmiths. They frequently worked in the gold mines at first but then where moved to the sugcarcane and rice plantations of northern coast or the vinyards and cotton fields of the southern coast. The indigenous population tended to work in the silver mines. AFRO-PERUVIANS IN THE HIGHLANDS Afro-Peruvians and Spaniards settled the same areas. Thus the former could be found in the cities of the Andes , as well as in the towns of the coast. With the increase in the mestizo community and the need for vast numbers of laborers to work on the Ranches , truck farms and Plantations that the Spanish were creating on the coast in order to produce food for the ever-growing number of urban dwellers in the area, in time had the Afro-Peruvian populations caming and being concentrated on the coast. However, there is a legacy of Afro-Peruvians living in the highlands. The Tuntuna dance was created by Afro-Peruvians living in the regions of Cusco and Puno . AFRO-PERUVIANS IN THE AMAZON REGION Although the presence of Afro-Peruvians was mostly directed to the northern and southern coast there was as small community established in the sugarcane fields of what is the High Amazon area of the Huanuco Region , the only territory whee there are small Afro-Peruvian comunities other than in the coast. There they mingled with the spanish conquistadores, imigrantes and the natives creating cultural expressions like a dance called Negritos Of Huanuco . SLAVE TRADE Over the course of the slave trade, approximately 95,000 slaves would be brought into the country, with the last group reportedly arriving in 1850 . Afro-Peruvians came from the same places as slaves in other parts of the Americas - from Senegal in the north to Angola in the south, with just a few from Moçambique . Unlike some slave buyers in other regions, Peruvian slave buyers did not attempted to purchase slaves from different regions of Africa and thereby prevent them from communicating with each other. Generally, they bought whatever they could get. They purchased their slaves in Cartagena, Colombia or Veracruz, Mexico at trade fairs; and they took back to Peru whatever the Slave Ship s had brought over. Peru was not a big enough market to support the intensive direct trade in slaves that would occur in Brazil or the United States . Slave owners in Peru also preferred slaves who were not from specific areas of Africa, and who could would be able to communicate with each other. First choice was for "Guinea" Blacks, slaves from the Senegal River down to the Slave Coast. They were welcome because the Spanish considered them to be easy to manage. These slaves had marketable skills - they knew how to plant rice, how to break in horses, how to herd cattle on horseback. Second choice was for slaves from the area stretching from Ghana to Eastern Nigeria, and then third, for slaves from the Republic Of The Congo , the Democratic Republic Of Congo , Angola and Mozambique . AFRO-PERUVIANS TODAY Currently, Afro-Peruvians represent 5 to 6% of the country's population and generally live on the northern and southern coastal regions of Peru. In the ''southern coast'' of the Ica Region where there are many cotton fields and vinyards has been an area where there are many Afro-Peruvian farming towns such as El Carmen of the popular Chincha Province . There are other towns in the Nazca Province , Ica City and in the district of San Luis in the Cañete Province near Lima. Callao Region is also a place that has always received many of the Afro-Peruvians from the north and southern coast historically. In the ''northern coast'', most Afro-Peruvian communities live in rural farming areas where mango, rice and sugarcane production is present. Contrary to the ''southern coast'', these communities are mainly found away from the costal shores and in to the region of the ''yungas'', right wheen the plain hits the Andean Chain . Communities are found mainly in the outskirts of the Morropon Province , especially in the cities of Chulucanas , Yapatera , Chapica Del Carmelo , La Matanza , Pabur and to the north Tambogrande . All of these cities are belong to the Piura Region , where there are large rice fields and mango plantations. South from there, the Lambayeque Region and north of La Libertad where sugarcane production was in the past very productive, there several cities known for its black inhabitants. Examples are the ghost city of Zaña , also Tuman , Capote and Cayaltí in the sugarcane region. In the Tumbes Region there also scattered Afro-Peruvian comunities mainly comming from the central Piura Region . LIST OF FAMED AFRO/MIXED-PERUVIANS Eva Ayllón ''mulatto'' popular peruvian musician. Susana Baca ''mulatto'' folklorirst and current musician Nicomedes Santa Cruz poet and folklorist. Caitro Soto composer of famed ''Toro Mata'' rhythm. popularized by Celia Cruz in ''salsa'' style Teófilo Cubillas one of history´s greatest footballers ever. María Elena Moyano political leader Jefferson Farfan actual leading scorer and star of PSV team. Julio Melendez named the greatest Boca Juniors ''stopper'' Mauro Mina boxer. Cecilia Tait the greatest ''smash'' in volleyball (Hall-Famer) Ricardo Palma ''Limeño traditions'' writer of 1/4 african blood. San Martin De Porras famous ''Limeño'' saint. REFERENCES
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