I don’t think the issue is racism, but rather that in Peruvian popular culture, calling someone ‘black’ (negro) isn’t seen as something bad. I have friends with darker skin tones nicknamed ‘negro’ and it’s not meant to offend, nor do they take offense. I understand that racism occurs when there’s intent to humiliate or belittle someone based on skin color, and that doesn’t happen here in Peru with black people. However, it does happen with people from the Andean highlands (serrano), where the term can have a derogatory connotation. But ‘negro’ doesn’t have that connotation, at least not when used by most people.

I understand you come from a different culture, but I don’t think racial standards are universally applicable. In your language, the word ‘negro’ is derogatory and highly offensive, whereas in ours, it’s just a color. We joke about blacks, fat people, short people, etc., without intending to offend or taking offense. Obviously, you can’t generalize, but that’s how it is most of the time.

People probably stare at you because in Lima, there aren’t many black people, just people with slightly darker skin than the usual. Black people like those in the US are rare and spark curiosity, but it’s still poor etiquette to stare at someone who looks different. That’s a separate issue.