Race rape: White masculinity in Andean pishtaco tales

A figure from Andean popular culture, the pishtaco, illuminates the relationship between white racism and sexual violence. Usually spoken of as a white killer of Indians, the pishtaco is often described as a rapist of both men and women, and a castrator of men. The destructive masculinity of the pishtaco resembles that found in other Latin American oral genres, such as Mexicano humor. The intersection of race and sex complicates the analysis, however: these tales present both race and sex as performative rather than essential; indeed, because Indian masculinity is presented as crucially different than white male‐ness, the historically contingent nature of male violence is underscored.

Key words:

• Race
• Rape
• South America
• Chola
• Pishtaco