Shadeism: Güero, Moreno and the Importance of Color
I’m a light-skinned Latina and as far back as I can remember, I was made aware of the fact that I was a güera. Regardless of what country of origin you identify with, no doubt that skin color is a big deal there. Although my family hails from Mexico, friends whose families are from India or El Salvador or wherever, have also mentioned the importance skin color plays in a variety of social, economic and familial interactions.
I recently wrote a paper for grad school about the consequences of being light-skinned. I am planning on turning this into a future post. Do you have any interesting stories about how skin color has affected your life? Please share.
A documentary called “Shadeism” examines how skin color affects young women in African, Caribbean and South Asian diasporas, according to this. It’s a short film, but from what I hear, worth watching.
[Image via Frerieke; Video via Shadeism]
