Hispanisms and Whiteness in Conservative Andean Public History

Abstract

This article examines the construction of conservative public histories in the Andean countries, exploring their continuities and transformations into the 21st century. Rather than viewing history solely as discourse, I approach it as a series of commemorative and communicative practices that project racialized imaginaries publicly. From this perspective, I analyze how conservative public history, linked to Hispanist ideologies, shaped ideas of racial hierarchy both nationally and transatlantically. Particular attention is given to the alleged historical objectivity claimed by neo-Hispanist discourse, its strategic connection to mestizaje as a whitening ideology, the diplomatic use of historical narratives, and contemporary expressions of whiteness through Hispanist rhetoric in media. My aim is to illuminate these critical intersections, opening a broader debate on racialization within the field of public history.