Most Peruvians
are "mestizo," a term that usually refers to a mixture
of Amerindians and Peruvians of European descent. Peruvians
of European descent make up about 15% of the population; there
also are smaller numbers of persons of African, Japanese,
and Chinese descent. In the past decade, Peruvians of Asian
heritage have made significant advancements in business and
political fields; a past president, several past cabinet members,
and several members of the Peruvian congress are of Japanese
or Chinese descent. Socioeconomic and cultural indicators
are increasingly important as identifiers. For example, Peruvians
of Amerindian descent who have adopted aspects of Hispanic
culture also are considered "mestizo." With economic
development, access to education, intermarriage, and largescale
migration from rural to urban areas, a more homogeneous national
culture is developing, mainly along the relatively more prosperous
coast.
Peru has two official languages--Spanish
and the foremost indigenous language, Quechua. Spanish is
used by the government and the media and in education and
commerce. Amerindians who live in the Andean highlands speak
Quechua and Aymara and are ethnically distinct from the diverse
indigenous groups who live on the eastern side of the Andes
and in the tropical lowlands adjacent to the Amazon basin.
Peru's distinct geographical regions are
mirrored in a socioeconomic divide between the coast's mestizo-Hispanic
culture and the more diverse, traditional Andean cultures
of the mountains and highlands. The indigenous populations
east of the Andes speak various languages and dialects. Some
of these groups still adhere to traditional customs, while
others have been almost completely assimilated into the mestizo-Hispanic
culture. |
