The Role of Mestizaje of Surnames in Paraguay in the Creation of a Distinct New-World Ethnicity

Authors

Christina Bolke Turner, New College of the University of South Florida
Brian Turner, University of Southern MississippiFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-1993

Department

Anthropology and Sociology

Abstract

Most Paraguayans have Spanish, rather than indigenous, surnames. This paper argues that Guarani surnames have not simply been replaced, but have been incorporated into a mestizo naming system that is recognized as part of a distinct Paraguayan national ethnicity. The process by which surnames changed drew upon both the indigenous naming system and Paraguayan history and social structure to create a specific marker of ethnicity and social class.

Publication Title

Ethnohistory

Volume

41

Issue

1

First Page

139

Last Page

165

Recommended Citation

Turner, C. B., Turner, B. (1993). The Role of Mestizaje of Surnames in Paraguay in the Creation of a Distinct New-World Ethnicity. Ethnohistory, 41(1), 139-165.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/8183