Colorism and Colonialism

Paper Summary:

The paper reveals that colorism is still practiced today in personal and professional settings; men and women prefer to marry a light partner while professionally, mean wages rise as skin tone lightens. The paper goes on to show how differences in colorism, such as the differing approaches to race in the United States versus most of Latin America, can be traced back to the different types of colonialism practiced in those different countries. The paper concludes that colorism is a rational response by an oppressed people to a system of colonialism.

From the Paper:

"The idea that the amount of racism and discrimination that a minority person faces depends, in part, upon how much a person looks like a member of the dominant group is not a new one. India's strict caste system, though largely abandoned, continues to designate some people as better than others, and though its proponents will say that it is based in traditional jobs and family history, it is clear that the more menial the caste, the darker-skinned its members. Moreover, the vestiges of colonialism can be found in most of the countries in the Americas, which all spent time as European colonies. After all, racism based on the degree of one's blackness is a widely-acknowledged part of American history."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cruz-Janzen, Marta I., "Latinegras." Frontiers, 22.3 (2001): 168-183.
• Goldsmith, Arthur, Darrick Hamilton, and William Darity, Jr."Shedding 'Light' on Marriage: the Influence of Skin on Marriage for Black Females."
• Goldsmith, Arthur, Darrick Hamilton, and William Darity, Jr. "From Dark to Light: Skin Colorand Wages among African Americans."
• Goldsmith, Arthur, Darrick Hamilton, and William Darity, Jr. "Shades of Discrimination: Skin Tone and Wages."
• Hill, Mark. "Skin Color and Intelligence in African Americans: A Reanalysis of Lynn's Data." Population and Environment, 24.2 (Nov 2002): 209-214.

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