Afro-Venezuelans’ Perceived Ethnic Discrimination and Its Association with Levels of Depression

Venezuela is one of the Latin American nations that has traditionally participated in the myth of racial democracy. According to this myth, inasmuch as Venezuela is a racially mixed country, racism is largely absent. That has made virtually invisible the plight of Afro-Venezuelans, who continue to suffer discrimination. In the present study, 402 Afro-Venezuelans were surveyed regarding their perceived discrimination and their levels of depression. Results came out showing that, compared to white Venezuelans, Afro-Venezuelans are more likely to suffer both perceived discrimination and depression. Likewise, it was also found that among Afro-Venezuelans, perceived discrimination has a statistically significant correlation with depression. However, one particular marker of depression (suicidal ideation) does not have correlation with any dimension of perceived discrimination.