Peru Culture

The Spanish imported an estimated one hundred thousand African Slaves to Peru in an attempt to replace the indigenous population of working within the sugar plantations and silver mines. Due to this heavy influx of slaves, Peru’s cultural would be influenced by music and dance

Steven J. Stern’s text, Peru’s Indian Peoples and the Challenge of Spanish Conquest, highlights from beginning to end Spain’s conquest of the Andean people while articulating the transformation of the relationship between these two peoples. He illustrates how Spain’s efforts toward colonialism of the Andes, transformed the natives from a self-sufficient group of people into an oppressed caste system known as “Indians.” Additionally, he introduces the idea that the Spanish needed to break the indigenous and gain their favor in order successfully establish dominance over them and their land. While arguing this, he offers several facts, which contradict the black legend associated with the Spanish and their means of conquest.

1. Before Francisco Pizarro began the Spanish conquest in 1532, the Incan empire dominated the Andes Mountain region. An emperor who demanded strict obedience ruled the land. All business was run by the state, which could draft citizens for its projects. The Inca, terracing the landscape and irrigating the crops, farmed the mountainsides. The Inca were brilliant engineers, whose roadways included bridges. The city of Machu Picchu is an example of their skill with tools like the plumb bob and wooden roller, which they used for in heavy construction. Hundreds of years after their civilization was subdued by the Spanish, the descendants of the once-dominate Incas make up about 50 percent of Peru’s population.

Maria Garcia-Rada, now 20, was born May 13th, 1995 in Lima, Peru. Maria moved to the United States in 2001 because her father got a job offer in Maryland. It was a sacrifice that her father was willing to make because it was an opportunity for a better life for their family. Even though Maria moved to the United States she still follows many of the traditions and practices from her old culture and incorporates them into her everyday life while also following traditions of American culture. When she moved to America, Maria only knew how to speak Spanish. Throughout this interview the interviewer will discuss Maria’s traditions, customs, power distance within the Peruvian culture, and how the two cultures clashed at times.

Sonqo, Peru, the subject of Allen’s ethnography, is in sharp contrast to Felicidade Eterna as the changes seen and discussed are recent. Sonqo had an extremely strong culture, one that seemed impenetrable to unwanted change caused by outside forces. The people of Sonqo, the Runakuna, hated the outsiders, the Mistikuna, and a common theme throughout the ethnography is the Runakuna existing in isolation from the Mistikuna. Maintaining isolation was a necessity as “[t]he Incas’ demands for cultural purity are stringent” (Allen 2002:186). Their culture was incredibly strong, characterized by ancient rituals such as the passing of the coca, the prevalence of reciprocity, the worship of the Tirakuna, and more unique traditions that seemed so well-established that their disappearance was doubtful. The Runakuna tried to resist the outside forces (Allen 2002:186), but as will be seen, these forces were too strong and change was inevitable.

Old Peruvians were remarkable craftsmanship craftsmans with exceptionally created specialized abilities. Pre-Hispanic Peruvian craftsmanship has been gone back to old circumstances through the disclosure of weaving, gourds, wood, stone, gold, silver, earthenware and even mud, which were utilized for everyday living. This tribal legacy is still observed today in the beach front, mountain and wilderness towns, in an assortment of brilliant woven things. Silver filigree, cut gourds, Ayacuchan sacred places, Huamanga stone and wood carvings, Chulucanas stoneware and Monsefú ponchos, among others, are profoundly esteemed the world

A mixed religion country, characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Including Roman Catholic, Christian, indigenous Peruvians traditional beliefs, Protestants ...

Who knew learning about the culture and customs of Peru in just a short amount of time would be so interesting. The amount of knowledge gained when linking with ESAN University lead to the eagerness to learn more. There are many similarities and difference to America, that make Peru a unique country of its own. Although the country is smaller than many others, it has such a great diversity related to the important aspects of life.

Indigenous people have lived in Peru for thousands of years, including the Inca, who still have a large influence on the food culture in the country today (Food and Culture 307). Peruvians today take inspiration from the Incas, immigrants like the Chinese and Japanese, and new twists of their own

In Peru, it is estimated that there are at least 15 uncontacted tribes living in remote areas of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. These include the Tagaeri, Taromenane, uncontacted

The subordinate groups living in the area are Asian as well as Afro-Peruvian individuals following their origin’s

what people do, what they say, and the artifacts people use. In class, we studied Peru's culture through college

Among the great writers of colonial Peru, Guaman Poma stands alone. His First New Chronicle and Good Government, a massive manuscript only recently rediscovered after nearly 300 years, is a unique work that walks the often thin line between text and graphic, Spanish and Quechua, and history and rhetoric. Guaman Poma’s goal in writing his First New Chronicle was twofold: to secure a future for Andean nobility, and a future for Andean customs. These purposes were at odds with each other. On the one hand, securing power for Andean nobles like himself meant presenting Andeans to the Spanish as colonized Catholics capable of self-autonomy, while on the other, preserving Andean customs meant preserving religious traditions that were at odds with

Besides festivals, religion is a big part of Peru. Peru is a predominantly catholic country. A census in 2007 said that 81.3% of the population was catholic. Many of the festivals and ceremonies are religious. The Inca tribes first started in the Andes region in the 12th century A.D., which is southeastern Peru.

Years after the Muslim religion evolved, Muslims came to Peru with the coming of the Spaniards. Muslims were then called “Moros” and they were even called Moors by the Spaniards, the Muslims came to Peru to escape persecution in Spain. They stayed in many places in Latin America, particularly in Peru, where they had a strong influence on the local way of life including, dress, food, architecture, and the social and political systems ( History of Islam in Peru). Similar to the Muslims in the U.S. the woman of Islam in Peru wore hijab’s until just recently, they were called "Las Tapadas Limeñas” for a long period of time.