Abstract

Although ethnic differentiations began with colonialism, racism was not widely addressed in Latin American social sciences until recently, since class perspectives were predominant. Within this, studies on residential segregation and urban exclusion have ignored race and ethnicity, with the exceptions of Brazil and Colombia. However, these issues have recently become crucial because of the adoption of multiculturalism, the impact of post-colonialism and postmodernism, black and indigenous social movements, changes in State policies, and new migration trends. This paper addresses this gap, reviewing debates and evidence from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. We present evidence on the persistence of colonial ideologies, narratives, and popular perceptions of ethno-racial denial. And we show how these ideologies sustain different types of urban exclusion in the region. Therefore, we call for a new research agenda to decolonize urban studies, acknowledging a critical perspective on the ‘Coloniality of Power’.