As a long-time student and writer on Guatemala, I’ve often pondered the country’s inequality and the extreme power of its elite. Although written over thirty years ago, Guatemala: Lineage and Racism goes a long way in explaining it. The author brings a unique perspective to this meticulous study as she is a descendant of one of those elite families. She traces the phenomenon from colonial conquest to contemporary neoliberalism. And her genealogical approach—tracing the intermarriages, business alliances, and ideological continuities among elite families—offers a blueprint for understanding how power reproduces itself across generations.
The author identifies twenty-two oligarchic families who descend from Spanish colonial settlers and twenty-six families that dominate the country’s economic and political life. The oligarchy’s wealth was built on agricultural exports, such as coffee, sugar, and bananas, as well as the manufacturing industry, including beer, cement, and textiles, which the Castillo and Novella families dominated. Other sectors include finance, banking, media and telecommunications, as well as real estate and construction. These industries were not merely economic engines, but were tools of social stratification, labor exploitation, land concentration, and racialized hierarchies. Many of the matrimonial decisions were based on who had Spanish blood or was the whitest.
Arzu explains the colonial origins of Guatemala and how it became a racist and eugenicist nation based on the belief that the country needed to become whiter to improve the race. This helps explain why Mayans are often referred to in such a derogatory way, “Ay! No seas Indio” (Hey don’t be an Indian”. And why only 24% of Guatemalans, many of whom are poor, non-Indigenous, Spanish speaking population known as “Ladinos,” say they have Indigenous blood, while the population is close to 45% Indigenous.
The state upheld the racist system, according to the author. Under President Ubico, the government upheld the Vagrancy law of 1934, which forced Mayans to work up to 150 days on the plantation. The most violent expression of racism and the divisions between the ruling elite and the Mayans were during the violent period in which over 200,000 Guatemalans were killed and millions displaced. Arzu testified at the genocide trials against former President Ríos Montt.
The author tracks the ideological changes among the oligarchy. After the violent era, many elites adopted the language of neoliberalism and democracy, even while resisting land reform and supporting militarized responses to protest.
I found the book challenging as it confronted uncomfortable truths about privilege, power, and historical amnesia. For those of us trying to understand the deep roots of inequality in Guatemala, this book will remain indispensable. Unfortunately, the relevance of the book has only grown as the country continues to grapple with the ghosts of the past and navigate the complexities of the present.
I read the book in Spanish, although it is also available in English on a limited basis.
Product details
- ASIN : B0F3DTZM1M
- Publisher : F&G Editores
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : April 1, 2025
- Edition : 5th
- Language : Spanish
- File size : 4 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Print length : 371 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-9929700376
- Best Sellers Rank: #519,397 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #180 in Society & Social Sciences in Spanish
About the Author
Born in the “golden crib”, Marta Elena Casaú was raised among the same elite Hispanic families who founded the country and continue to influence it to this day. Since the publication of her book in 1992, she’s been considered the “black sheep” of the oligarchy, and some of her own family won’t even speak to her.
Born in Guatemala City in 1948, Arzú is a sociologist, historian, and professor emerita at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. She holds a doctorate in Political Science and Sociology from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and has authored numerous works on racism, elite networks, and intellectual history in Central America. Under the administration of former Guatemalan President Óscar Berger (2004-2008), she led an academic investigation that subsequently served as the basis for a report on eliminating racism in Guatemala.
In addition to her academic contributions, Casaús Arzú founded the Fundación María y Antonio Goubaud Carrera, a space for intercultural dialogue and social justice. Her legacy is not only intellectual but moral—an ongoing commitment to dismantling the ideologies of exclusion that have long defined Guatemala.
The Reviewer
Mark D. Walker was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala (1971-1973). He spent over forty years helping disadvantaged people in the developing world with agencies such as Food for the Hungry, MAP International, Make-A-Wish International, and as the CEO of Hagar USA. His book, Different Latitudes: My Life in the Peace Corps and Beyond, was recognized by the Arizona Authors Association. His second book, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, won the Peace Corps Writers’ Award for Best Travel Book. His latest book, The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives and Amazing Stories, is a Best Seller, recipient of the BookFest Award for self-discovery, travel journals, and nominated for the Eric Hoffer Award. All three books are part of the Yin & Yang of Travel Series.
He’s written 85 book reviews, and of his 30 published essays, two were recognized by the Solas Awards for Adventure Travel. He’s a contributing writer for “The Authors Show,” “The Wanderlust Journal,” and “Literary Traveler.” His column, “The Million Mile Walker Review: What We’re Reading and Why,” is part of the Arizona Authors Association newsletter. He also contributes book reviews to the Midwest Review and The Greatest Writers You Should Read digital magazine hosted by The Authors Show.
His honors include the Rotary International “Service Above Self” award, and he has been interviewed by Voyage Phoenix Magazine, Global Talk Radio, and three times on Global Connections Television. He’s a board member of the Arizona Authors Association, Advance Guatemala, and SEEDS for a Future, as well as an Advisory Board member of Peace Corps Worldwide. His wife and three children were born in Guatemala. To learn more about Mark, visit www.MillionMileWalker.com, https://markdwalker2.substack.com/publish/home, (1) @millionmilewalker.bsky.social — Bluesky and (28) Mark D. Walker MA | LinkedIn