Racism and Mathematics Education in a Racial Democracy: Views from the Classroom

Abstract

Research in mathematics education has clearly evidenced the ways wherein race structures school mathematics experiences of children and youths worldwide. Nevertheless, some countries, particularly in Latin America, position themselves as racial democracies or places where exist peaceful racial relationships and as free from racial conflicts and tensions. In this paper I argue that, in such countries, racism is alive and it is a critical factor in understanding student mathematics experiences and performance at school. I draw upon Bonilla-Silva's notion of racial ideology and its functions to approach racial dynamics within school mathematics. By using ideology critique as a method, I focus on the interchanges between a white-mestizo male teacher and an eight-grader, black female student to interpret and uncover the ideological fabric of discourses and practices within the mathematics classroom aimed to normalize racism. By bringing to light racial discrimination within school mathematics in racial democracies, my study contributes to unveil and understand racism within mathematics education from a global perspective, and to challenge the myth of these mistakenly called racial democracies.