Racism (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Key Vocabulary Review
This vocabulary set provides essential language for discussing racism within the context of Hispanic multiculturalism. The terms cover three interconnected areas: attitudes and actions related to racism and xenophobia, measures taken against discrimination, and legal frameworks for combating racism. Mastering this vocabulary enables you to engage in sophisticated discussions about social justice, historical injustices, and contemporary anti-racist initiatives across the Spanish-speaking world.
Racist and xenophobic attitudes in Spain
Understanding how racism manifests requires specific vocabulary to describe attitudes, historical events, and actions. This section encompasses terms used to discuss both historical discrimination (such as during the Inquisition) and contemporary xenophobia in Spanish society.
The vocabulary in this section covers a sensitive period in Spanish history. Many terms relate to the Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834), during which religious minorities faced systematic persecution. Understanding this vocabulary is essential for discussing historical injustices and their lasting impact on Spanish society.
Attitudes and actions
| Spanish | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| la actitud | f | attitude |
| atreverse a | - | to dare |
| azotar | - | to whip |
| bautizar | - | to baptise |
| el colectivo | m | group |
| la Corona | f | the Crown |
| la crueldad | f | cruelty |
| dar luz verde a | - | to give the go-ahead to |
| el edicto | m | edict, decree |
| enriquecerse | - | to enrich (oneself) |
| espiar a | - | to spy on |
| la expulsión | f | expulsion |
| el/la extremista | m/f | extremist |
| incitar | - | to encourage |
| incumplir | - | to fail to carry out, to renege on |
Historical and institutional terms
| Spanish | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| la Inquisición | f | Inquisition |
| la justa | f | joust |
| llevar a cabo | - | to carry through, accomplish |
| la locura | f | madness |
| optar por | - | to opt for |
| la permanencia | f | stay |
| el pincho | m | spike |
| el rechazo | m | rejection |
| el reino | m | kingdom |
| solicitar | - | to request |
| la sublevación | f | mutiny, uprising |
| la tentación | f | temptation |
| torturar | - | to torture |
| el trámite | m | process, procedure |
| el velo | m | veil |
| vergonzoso/a | adj | shameful |
| xenófobo/a | adj | xenophobic |
Example sentences in context
Contextual Usage Examples:
Durante la Inquisición, la Corona dio luz verde a la expulsión de miles de judíos y musulmanes. (During the Inquisition, the Crown gave the go-ahead to the expulsion of thousands of Jews and Muslims.)
Los extremistas incitan al odio racial mediante mensajes vergonzosos en las redes sociales. (Extremists incite racial hatred through shameful messages on social networks.)
El gobierno se atrevió a llevar a cabo reformas contra la discriminación, pero algunos grupos decidieron incumplir las nuevas leyes. (The government dared to carry through reforms against discrimination, but some groups decided to renege on the new laws.)
La tentación de rechazar a los inmigrantes aumentó a raíz de la crisis económica. (The temptation to reject immigrants increased as a result of the economic crisis.)
Es importante recordar la crueldad de los edictos históricos que permitieron la tortura de minorías. (It is important to remember the cruelty of historical edicts that permitted the torture of minorities.)
Pronunciation tip
The verb "espiar" (to spy on) is regular but note the accent: "yo espío, tú espías, él espía". The "í" is always stressed. Similarly, "enriquecerse" adds "-zc-" in the first person: "me enriquezco" (I enrich myself).
National and local measures against racism in Latin America
This section focuses on concrete actions, policies, and initiatives implemented to combat racism and promote equality. The vocabulary encompasses educational programmes, legal complaints, and social measures taken by governments and civil society organisations across Latin America.
Understanding this vocabulary is crucial for discussing contemporary anti-racist movements and governmental responses to inequality. These terms appear frequently in news reports, academic papers, and policy documents throughout Latin America.
Actions and initiatives
| Spanish | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| el/la antepasado/a | m/f | ancestor |
| a raíz de | - | as a result of |
| Asia Meridional | f | Southern Asia |
| la ausencia | f | absence |
| la cárcel | f | prison |
| combatir | - | to combat |
| conmemorar | - | to commemorate |
| constituir | - | to constitute, make up |
| el/la criollo/a | m/f | Creole |
| la denuncia penal | f | criminal complaint |
| la desigualdad | f | inequality |
| disculparse | - | to apologise |
| la diversidad | f | diversity |
| la educación superior | f | higher education |
| elaborar | - | to make, undertake, produce |
| étnico/a | adj | ethnic |
Example sentences in context
Practical Applications in Context:
A raíz de las protestas masivas, el gobierno decidió combatir la desigualdad étnica con programas educativos. (As a result of the massive protests, the government decided to combat ethnic inequality with educational programmes.)
Las universidades elaboraron nuevos cursos sobre la diversidad cultural en sus programas de educación superior. (Universities produced new courses on cultural diversity in their higher education programmes.)
Los descendientes de los antepasados criollos constituyen una parte importante de la sociedad latinoamericana. (The descendants of Creole ancestors constitute an important part of Latin American society.)
Las organizaciones presentaron una denuncia penal contra los responsables de los ataques racistas. (The organisations filed a criminal complaint against those responsible for the racist attacks.)
El presidente se disculpó por la ausencia histórica de medidas para conmemorar la diversidad étnica. (The president apologised for the historical absence of measures to commemorate ethnic diversity.)
Anti-racist legislation in the Hispanic world
Understanding anti-racist legislation requires knowledge of parliamentary processes, legal terminology, and institutional frameworks. This section provides vocabulary for discussing laws, governmental actions, and legal instruments used to combat racism across Spanish-speaking countries.
This section contains specialized legal and parliamentary vocabulary. Many terms are cognates with English legal terminology, making them easier to remember. However, pay close attention to "false friends" like "la Fiscalía" (public prosecutor, not fiscal office).
Legal and parliamentary terminology
| Spanish | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| el ámbito | m | sphere, field |
| la Cámara de los Diputados | f | House of Commons |
| casualmente | adv | by chance |
| despectivo/a | adj | disparaging |
| el desprecio | m | scorn, contempt |
| elaborar | - | to prepare, produce |
| en caliente | - | on the spot, in the heat of the moment |
| el enfrentamiento | m | confrontation, conflict |
| el/la esclavo/a | m/f | slave |
| el evento | m | event |
| exhibir | - | to display |
| el Extremo Oriente | m | the Far East |
| la Fiscalía | f | public prosecutor |
| el foro | m | forum |
| frenar | - | to stop, brake |
Rights and guarantees
| Spanish | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| garantizar | - | to guarantee |
| genocidio | m | genocide |
| guatemalteco/a | adj | Guatemalan |
| heredar | - | to inherit |
| implacablemente | adv | relentlessly |
| la inasistencia | f | absence |
| la ineficiencia | f | inefficiency |
| institucional | adj | institutional |
| el instrumento | m | document, instrument |
| jurídico/a | adj | legal |
| el letrero | m | sign |
| la ley de extranjería | f | immigration laws |
| luchar | - | to fight, struggle |
| la marginación | f | marginalisation |
| el Medio Oriente | m | the Middle East |
Immigration and population terms
| Spanish | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| el/la mestizo/a | m/f | person of mixed race |
| la normativa | f | rule, regulation |
| el/la parlamentario/a | m/f | Member of Parliament |
| pedir perdón | - | to apologise |
| la pena | f | sentence, punishment |
| la penalización | f | penalty |
| la permanencia | f | stay |
| el/la poblador/a | m/f | settler |
| polemizar | - | to start an argument |
| proceder | - | to come from |
| producir | - | to produce |
| el Próximo Oriente | m | the Near East |
| la reclusión | f | imprisonment |
| la rueda de prensa | f | press conference |
Additional legislative vocabulary
| Spanish | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| solicitar | - | to request |
| suponer | - | to mean |
| sustancial | adj | substantial |
| tachar | - | to brand |
| tipificar | - | to typify |
| el/la tirano/a | m/f | tyrant |
| el tránsito | m | crossing |
| el ultramar | m | overseas |
Example sentences in context
Legislative Context Examples:
La Cámara de los Diputados aprobó una normativa para garantizar los derechos de los mestizos y pobladores indígenas. (The House of Commons approved a regulation to guarantee the rights of people of mixed race and indigenous settlers.)
La Fiscalía decidió proceder con la investigación del genocidio implacablemente, a pesar de los enfrentamientos políticos. (The public prosecutor decided to proceed with the investigation of the genocide relentlessly, despite the political confrontations.)
Los parlamentarios guatemaltecos pidieron perdón durante una rueda de prensa por la ineficiencia institucional del pasado. (The Guatemalan MPs apologised during a press conference for the institutional inefficiency of the past.)
El foro internacional elaboró un instrumento jurídico sustancial para frenar la marginación de las comunidades de ultramar. (The international forum produced a substantial legal instrument to stop the marginalisation of overseas communities.)
La nueva ley de extranjería supone tipificar los crímenes de odio con penas de reclusión más severas. (The new immigration laws mean typifying hate crimes with more severe imprisonment sentences.)
El gobierno heredó un sistema despectivo que exhibía desprecio hacia los esclavos y sus descendientes. (The government inherited a disparaging system that displayed contempt towards slaves and their descendants.)
Casualmente, el evento conmemorativo coincidió con protestas que denunciaban la permanencia de letreros racistas. (By chance, the commemorative event coincided with protests denouncing the persistence of racist signs.)
Pronunciation tip
Remember that "producir" is irregular in the first person: "produzco" (I produce). This pattern applies to verbs ending in "-ducir": traducir → traduzco, conducir → conduzco. Also note that "suponer" follows the pattern of "poner": supongo, supones, supone.
Common mistakes & tips
Gender of geographical terms: All three "Oriente" terms are masculine: "el Extremo Oriente" (the Far East), "el Medio Oriente" (the Middle East), "el Próximo Oriente" (the Near East). However, "Asia Meridional" (Southern Asia) is feminine because "Asia" is feminine. Don't let the adjective confuse you.
Verb irregularities to watch: Several verbs in this topic have irregular conjugations that students commonly get wrong:
- "espiar" → "espío" (not "espo") - the "í" is always stressed
- "pedir perdón" → "pido perdón" (stem change e→i)
- "constituir" → "constituyo" (adds -y-)
- "suponer" → "supongo" (like "poner")
- "producir" → "produzco" (like "conducir", "traducir")
Reflexive verbs: Don't forget the reflexive pronoun with "enriquecerse" (to enrich oneself) and "disculparse" (to apologise). Without the reflexive, "enriquecer" means to enrich something/someone else, and "disculpar" means to excuse someone else.
False friends: "La Fiscalía" translates as "public prosecutor" or "prosecutor's office", not "fiscal office" in the tax sense. Similarly, "el foro" means "forum" or "conference", not the English preposition "for".
Preposition combinations: Pay attention to fixed expressions:
- "a raíz de" (as a result of) - requires "de"
- "dar luz verde a" (to give the go-ahead to) - requires "a"
- "optar por" (to opt for) - requires "por", not "para"
- "atreverse a" (to dare to) - requires "a"
Gender patterns: Words ending in "-ción" are virtually always feminine: la marginación, la expulsión, la Inquisición, la sublevación, la penalización, la reclusión. Similarly, words ending in "-dad" are feminine: la crueldad, la desigualdad, la diversidad. This is a reliable pattern to remember.
"Elaborar" has multiple meanings: Depending on context, "elaborar" can mean "to prepare", "to produce", "to make", or "to undertake". Always check the context to determine the most appropriate translation.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- All three geographical "Oriente" terms (Extremo, Medio, Próximo) are masculine, whilst Asia Meridional is feminine.
- Key action verbs for fighting racism: combatir, luchar, frenar (to brake/stop), garantizar (to guarantee).
- Legal vocabulary often mirrors English cognates: normativa/normative, jurídico/juridical, parlamentario/parliamentary, institucional/institutional.
- Words ending in -ción and -dad are feminine: la marginación, la desigualdad, la penalización, la diversidad.
- Important irregular verbs to memorise: espío (espiar), pido (pedir), constituyo (constituir), supongo (suponer), produzco (producir).