Racism in Costa Rica

I just had a fantastic 3 weeks exploring the rainforests and beaches of Costa Rica.
It was a little bit tainted by the fact that there exists the underlying racism and ostracising of indigineous groups and anyone whose skin tone is a shade darker then ´white´.
Talking to locals especially along the caribbean side which is so underdeveloped and neglected, it becomes apparent that this racist undertones persists all the way through society (i know many other countries have racial tensions too).
I happen to be white , fair skinned and fair haired so didn´t encounter it personally but from my observations and talking to people of different shades of skin tone i learnt alot about discrimination and how it sadly influences daily life there.
Considering over 90% of the population is of Mestiso (Spanish/Indian) mix its even sadder that racism should occur there.
I´d like to know if anyone else has observed or had first hand experience of racism in Costa Rica?

Emma.

Ticos consider themselves white and have historically discriminated against the Caribbean blacks who make up about 3% of the population. (It wasn't until 1948 that they were even allowed to venture from the east coast). Current racial tension seems focused more on the Nicas- this isn't to do with skin color but the belief that immigration is not controlled, jobs are taken and crime has increased as a result of the expanding number of Nicaraguans.
So what country can honestly say that its minority racial groups are in no way subject to discriminatory practices and that it in no way holds immigration issues responsible for a variety of social problems (real or perceived)?
I think your comment that there is "underlying racism" against "anyone whose skin tone is a shade darker than white" is way over stated and frankly nonsense. There are many Asians and Indians who happily call CR home. Interestingly, most Ticos hold good manners as such an important social grace that its very rare for visitors of any color to have first hand experience of racism in the country. I'd be interested to hear of any experiences to the contrary.

Well, yes racism has a place in CR, and it is mainly towards the Afro Caribe Blacks, as well as the Indians, but what else is new, Africans are the most abused peoples in almost all the Americas, not just Latin America, from the Miskito coast all the way to the Colombian, Brazillian areas on the coast, they have had para military kill entire villages, major oil and energy companies exploit thier lands, governments seize thier property, and also clashes with other groups, such as native indians and Andean/Inca peoples.

Costa Rica certainly has a obvious vain of heat towrds the Limon province, and thats why its considered off the beaten path, as many tour operators, hotel and tourist industry people do not like it, nor reccommend it to people. But, most the folks I hang out with in CR like the Caribe side very much, and it all come down to ignorance, just like in the USA- people presume one thought, based on bad info from another person, or think one crime is basically the same for all.

Nicaragua suffers the same prejudice, as Nicos are even treated poorly by police and government policy.

I was told my first couple years to no visit Pt Viejo, even my best friend that turned nme onto the country, had a run in with some coke heads late night (Duh), and didnt like the vibe.

When I made it here, I loved it, Cahuita and Manzanillo folks are great, a seperate culture from the western pacific, and the food and music is a lot better.

Now, Limon, with its poverty, and the fact its a dirty hub of dockhands, truck drivers and cargo haulers and helpers, cheap drugs and a party atmosphere, make it a toxic cocktail for the outsider no doubt.

I hope people keep saying bad things about the coast, that measn less tourist will go, so I can have the place to myself :)

#1, I think you got your facts wrong.

The vast majority of Costa Ricans are not mestizo, they are European.

Read this:
PEOPLE: The principal ethnic majority are the Whites of European descent with many pure Spanish. Around 87% of the population are White while 7% are Mestizos who are of mixed Spanish and AmerIndian descent and 3% are Black Africans or Mulattoes.
Reference: Costa Rican Ethnicity

Lonely planet guide is not explicit on this, but I think the Moon guide is.

I envy you visiting CR for three weeks, but maybe it's just me, but I am not going to make racism a topic of my trip report to Costa Rica.

Like TicoTim says, racism exists everywhere and EVERYONE knows it.

Have a good day.
Steve.

optique, I assume by #1 you mean the OP because thats not my quote.
I agree with you that the OP has oddly chosen to take racism to heart on her holidays in a country where racism is probably overall less prevalant than in a lot of other countries.

Personally, we should all take "racism to heart", and avoid being "desensitized" because it's pervalent throughout the world. It doesn't make it any better. Discussion and awareness can lead to positive change. In visting other parts of the world, you don't just see the good parts, you take it all in, and get the full picture, the good and bad, which makes it real. I'm glad Emma included racism on her "trip report to Costa Rica", after all it was part of her Costa Rican experience... and she still managed to have a "fantastic 3 weeks"!

Boomer,

Yeah, I meant the OP. Sorry.

I really like this forum, most of the time!

Good day to all.
Steve.

As Boomer says, Racism or prejudices in CR are really subtle and not on the top 10 list of issues facing the culture...at least from I have observed in 5 years of visiting CR.

It is a very liberal society compared to most it neighbors, when it comes to marriage, family, gay lifestyle, ethnic culture, and social status.

hi emma boomer jas it spot on for historical perspective. my personal opinion is that you see less racisam here than in most of the rest of the world. that said i do notice a definate food chai there. its whites blacks asians in decending order. then comes there nicaraguan servants folowed by the dogs. eating from the garbage cans and last on the food chain are the bri bri indians. kinda sad all in all
don

Lighter skinned people have the advantage in most places in the world. In Mexico, for example, a moreno (dark skinned person), does not have the as his or her light skinned brother or sister. They say they are not racists, but admit to being classists.

Hi everyone,
Reading all the comments was very interesting and from all points of view, which is what i hoped to have debated.
I didn't go to CR looking for any sort of discrimination but i just happened to have noticed it and to me felt far more obvious than in other countries in Latin America i had visited apart from Argentina (which is anjother debate topic!), maybe i'm being over sensitive but that was my experience and thought it right to mention it. I Did have a great time especially on the Caribbean coast side and people friendly and polite most of the time.
I'm now in Mexico but havn't had long enough to ' observe´ the society and culture here, no doubt everyone will have different experiences wherever one goes.

Interesting though that nobody came forward with a first hand experience. Perhaps then not so common as you perceived?.

Been here 13 years and have yet to see racism, lived in Ohio 15 month and ohh boy what a disgrace.

In most of Latin America Racism is exists, depending on what your definition of racism is, as it varies from the north american definition. (I am latin american myself). Racism and social class go hand in hand which is why most of the Nicaraguans despite their skin color still get discreminated against. Lots of good books out there regarding this subject. EX. "Race and ethnicity in Latin America", "Class and Culture in Latin America", "race and nation in modern latin america"
"race in another america:The signifigance of skin color in Brazil". The list goes on and on it is definately a topic that has been written about and discussed a lot.

In most of Latin America Racism is exists, depending on what your definition of racism is, as it varies from the north american definition. Racism and social class go hand in hand which is why most of the Nicaraguans despite their skin color still get discreminated against. Lots of good books out there regarding this subject.
EX. "Race and ethnicity in Latin America",
"Class and Culture in Latin America",
"race and nation in modern latin america"
"race in another america:The signifigance of skin color in Brazil".
The list goes on and on it is definately a topic that has been written about and discussed a lot. It's good to know about it and be aware of these things whereever you go, it doesn't mean you can't love the country and enjoy your trip. It's just a really interesting topic.

im from costa rica...and the vast majority of Costa Ricans look predominantly European, if u go to san jose city and see a bunch of brown people walking they are probably from Nicaragua they are not ticos! there is lots of racism here against Nicaraguans..its like mexicans crossing the border to USA, its the same thing....

You know, Costa Rica has a lot of good points to it, but the discrimination against Americans or anyone who looks like they could be American is intense. It starts with everyone trying to get free English lessons from you on the street, in a cafe, in a bus, in a taxi, you name the location, they think that you OWE them free lessons even though Spanish is the official language. They don’t care if you speak it fluently either. They are all trying to use you for free English. If you only speak in Spanish and don't fall into that trap, you can clean a lot of the users that come at you. That’s first. Then they try to double or triple charge you for everything because you are American and all Americans are rich. They give you lots of sob stories about how hard their lives are, how much they have to fight to make a living, and how you should feel sorry for them and give them stuff. This, however, also happens in Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, and other Latin American countries. What’s worse is that the people who usually pull this stuff on you are the middle and upper class members that could actually pay for English lessons and that probably have better cars (if you even have a car), better clothes and a lot more disposable income than you do. Or those who have run into the retired rich white American man who is too lazy to learn another language and thinks that money solves all of the problems. What throwing free English and free money at people creates is dependency and resentment and the idea that all Americans owe them this. Vicious cycle. And the ones discriminating against you don’t want to hear anything about the actually reality of your life. They just don’t care.

#16- weird take of CR...but I guess you have to call it as you see it....but weird.

I think it could be quite fun to give English 'lessons' to the people you interact with, somewhere like Costa Rica (f they ask, of course).

Yes, I've come across it in Asia (and, as you said, usually as a prelude to something less fun).

...doesn't happen cybergal . Happens in Asia but in my experience mostly as a prelim to some sort of scam...

I'm a 31-year-old disabled combat veteran from the United States who just moved to Costa Rica about 5 weeks ago, and I have had more people spit at me, yell at me, and call me awful names than I would have believed possible.
Yes, I am white. Yes, I shave my head--because it is comfortable, and I'm balding anyway. But I see many hispanic people with shaved heads here, and I've never seen anyone treat them the same way I've been treated.
Before I moved to San Pedro, I was encouraged by all the stories online about how tolerant and nice everyone here is--and many people ARE very nice--but to say that racism against white people is not a problem here is just an outright lie.
I always treat people with kindness and respect--that is how I was raised, and it's how I've always been towards everyone I meet. But the (several) people who have spit at me and yelled obscenities at me never had any reason to--I wasn't in a conversation with any of them, nor had I even LOOKED at them before these events took place.
Costa Rica DOES have a racism problem, and one more flagrant, open, and completely unapologetic than ANYTHING I've EVER seen in the United States, and to pretend it doesn't exist is like pretending like racism doesn't exist in the U.S., either.
Since members of all races deserve to be judged "based not on the color of their skin but by the content of their character," and since I, personally, have never done anything racist to anyone, I think that this is obviously a problem.
I think this is especially true since if the word got out in the U.S. that white people might face racism here, the tourists would stop coming, and anyone with any knowledge of Costa Rica's economy should know that such an occurrence would be disastrous for this country, including the good, tolerant citizens who aren't racist.
So any Ticos or Ticas reading this should probably ask themselves, "What would happen if all the tourists left tomorrow? How many people would lose their jobs, including taxistas, hotel staff, etc. etc. etc.? How would that affect theft in the country?"
I guess I don't expect anyone to take me seriously--why would they?--but now I feel like I've done my part by warning people of the consequences of racism in Costa Rica, so no tengo ninguna obligacion

Edited by: elcastorsonando

Thats a tough post and you have to call it as you see it. One question, you say you've just moved to Costa Rica. Surely you spent some time experiencing the country before you moved there?...how were those experiences and what areas are we talking about?