Brown outs: The role of skin color and latinas

Abstract

Skin color has long been a topic of discussion among non-white groups in the United States. How dark- or light-skinned an individual is has been linked to beauty, self-esteem, and life chances. This desire for light skin has become so ubiquitous that a cosmetic product marketed across Mexico called White Secret guarantees lighter skin through a process of skin bleaching. These findings suggest that preferences for light-skinned women continue within the Latino community. The issues of skin color and discrimination against dark-skinned women of color have persisted in the Americas, as well as other regions. Latina women are one of the most marginalized groups in the United States; but not all Latina women are the same. This study hopes to begin a discussion that will broaden our understanding of racism and prejudice, how it is practiced, and what some of the consequences might be. © 2008 Springer-Verlag New York.