I'm not familiar enough with either author to rule pre-emptively, especially when whether someone is considered POC can change when they cross a national border.
Isabel Allende has been reviewed on the comm before, but not, I think, since we've started talking about how European-descended Latin Americans intersect with local perceptions of race? If she still lived in Chile, I would argue that she was white. In the U.S., however (which is where she lives now, no?), she may in fact be considered POC; I'm really not familiar enough with her to know how people treat her. If you've read her writing, you may have more info than I do on whether she identifies as POC, and why.
I know nothing of Roberto Bolaño.
If you've been reading the "who's poc" tag, then you've probably also seen the suggestions about questions to ask yourself, yes? Are you trying to squeak someone past the line, and if so, why, and who else may you be overlooking? As mods, we tend not to police the myriad edge cases about who's poc or not, but we do suggest that people take a look at how much time they're spending reading "edge case" authors, and whether that's in the spirit of the comm or not.
Re: Reading the community for suggestions
Isabel Allende has been reviewed on the comm before, but not, I think, since we've started talking about how European-descended Latin Americans intersect with local perceptions of race? If she still lived in Chile, I would argue that she was white. In the U.S., however (which is where she lives now, no?), she may in fact be considered POC; I'm really not familiar enough with her to know how people treat her. If you've read her writing, you may have more info than I do on whether she identifies as POC, and why.
I know nothing of Roberto Bolaño.
If you've been reading the "who's poc" tag, then you've probably also seen the suggestions about questions to ask yourself, yes? Are you trying to squeak someone past the line, and if so, why, and who else may you be overlooking? As mods, we tend not to police the myriad edge cases about who's poc or not, but we do suggest that people take a look at how much time they're spending reading "edge case" authors, and whether that's in the spirit of the comm or not.