This article explores the social and political function of stigma- ideas propagating through a society that are used to adversely describe and assign value in negative ways to the character and intrinsic value of one particular group of ethnically similar individuals. The landmark research of E. Franklin Frasier (1957) inspires this analysis of the origins and function of class distinction and other factors that interact to shape the complex ethnic difference and the social status of Ecuador’s Afro citizens. Through the shared experiences of the activists interviewed as part of this research project, this analysis sheds light on only a few of the political and social ramifications of stigma within the diverse mixture of Afro-Ethnic groups in Quito. Important to this study is the fact that each group normalizes their own particular cultural heritage and adopts the social stigma circulating throughout society to describe and establish relationships with Afro citizens outside their group and with the political structure of the state. Research exploring the role stigma plays in the Afro-Ecuadorian community is necessary because Becker (2012), Rahier (2012), Walsh (2012) and Antón (2011) argue that modern leadership formation and community political participation by Afro-Ecuadorians also directly reflect these inter-group and often opposing and counter-productive relationships. This article argues that there is value in future research projects that utilize the lens of stigma to examine these conflicting cultural priorities and viewpoints within ethnically similar groups.

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