anthropologically about the social construction of race and ethnicity by reflecting on a case study about the Garifuna of Central America. Identified as Black by others and by themselves, Garifuna also claim indigenous status and rights in Honduras. As Keri Brondo explores, Garifuna communities on the northern coast of Honduras as driven “by a commitment to social justice and a desire to document abuses of power that occur in the wake of disaster” (p. 189). The task of this assignment is to explore some of the various “disasters” – from the 18th century removal of Garifuna from St. Vincent to Roatán; to the violent anti-Black racism in the early 20th century with the establishment of the banana enclave; to the destruction of hurricane Mitch in 1998 and subsequent abandonment by the Honduran state and international non-governmental organizations claiming to “help”; to the various violations of Garifuna territorial control and self-governance with the onset of green neoliberal and certain kinds of environmentalist or eco-tourist projects that ultimately displace Garifuna. This assignment asks that you develop one short essay that thoughtfully integrates a response to prompts of your choosing – by drawing upon concrete examples from the book and making connections between the prompt questions and what you already know about these anthropological topics of research. In other words, instead of writing one answer to each individual prompt, you are to write one complete reflection paper with proper transitions. You need to cite examples from the Brondo book. You should also involve your own personalized reflections and/or your own personal experiences where you feel appropriate. Most questions/prompts ask you to identity topics and themes about the theoretical perspectives and/or analytical tools about how we aim to study the social construction of race and cultural diversity in Anthropology – and how the author approaches these topics in this case study. The questions are designed to guide you through key aspects of the book’s arguments, and to help you focus your response. For the Bondo book reflection paper, address three of the following questions/guiding prompts. Write the numbers of the three prompts you choose at the top of your paper. Explore Brondo’s research methods. What is neoliberalism and how does it get promoted by the Honduran state? How do these processes of neoliberal globalization affect the Garifuna – as residents of Sambo Creek, as political activists? How has neoliberalism as a global phenomenon influenced land rights among the Garifuna? Describe some of the ways this book challenges us to rethink categories of Blackness and Indigeneity – arguing against the supposed dichotomy between indigenous and Black subjects in the Americas. Explore the role of racism in the lived experiences of Garifuna individuals – in both historical and contemporary contexts. Generally speaking, how Garifuna viewed/treated by mestizos and Honduran society broadly? What has been the role of the Honduran state in perpetuating institutional racism?
