When the Europeans began colonizing Latin America they brought with them stereotypes with profound economic implications. The idea of white economic and social supremacy that inundated the culture is still quite alive and well today.
Historically, homogenous societies have arranged themselves according to wealth and military supremacy. However, with the European conquest in the Americas these became by-products or consequences of upper-class status rather than the foundation upon which the station was built.
Today, the trend is kept alive not so much by the presence of wealthy white Europeans, but rather wealthy, white North Americans. As the predominently white and mestizo upper-class fourishes, the native and indigenous populations composed of the lower and sometimes middle classes become increasingly poorer. It is the constancy of this trend that has contributed to a majority of the revolutions that have taken place all accross Latin America.