Día de la Raza is October 12
Día de la Raza, “The Day of Race,” is October 12. This holiday is recognized across many Latin American countries, including Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela, among others, as a counterpoint to Columbus Day.
Across Latin America, Día de la Raza honors the Indigenous Peoples that were disrupted and harmed by the arrival of Cristopher Columbus to the Americas in the fifteenth century, and is similar to Indigenous People’s Day in the United States. Countries across Latin America have shifted the name of this holiday in order to centralize the indigenous experience and representation in their country. Some examples include:
- In 2020, Mexico changed the name of their Día de la Raza holiday to Día de la Nación Pluricultural en México, meaning “The Day of the Pluricultural Nation.”
- In 2006, Argentina changed the name of this holiday to Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural, meaning “Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity.”
- In 2011, Bolivia changed the name of this holiday to Día de la Descolonización, meaning “Decolonization Day.”
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) estimates that there are approximately 50 million Indigenous People in Latin America belonging to 500 different ethnic groups, representing about eight percent of the population in the region. The countries with the largest Indigenous populations are Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and Bolivia.
Gather locally in San Jose to celebrate perseverance, community, and Latino leadership on October 16 at Latino Leadership Alliance’s annual Día de la Raza.
