- Why would black people in Brazil get upset about
a black woman winning a beauty contest?
The answer ends with "ism" but
probably not the one you think.
(soft techno music)
Today we're talking about a mode of discrimination
that predominantly impacts people of color
and you might be surprised hearing this from me,
but this episode's not about racism.
I'm talking about "colorism".
First, let's be clear about
what the word colorism actually means.
Colorism is not synonymous with racism.
It's a form of discrimination based on skin color.
And before you're like,
wait, isn't that like the literal definition of racism?
Hold on to your social constructs
because we're going to knock a few down.
And today we've got a special guest to
help us with this demolition project.
Hey Lee, let's break this one down.
- Claro que si.
As a Latino of color,
colorism is something I'm all too familiar with.
Racism involves discrimination based on things
such as skin color,
but it's also dependent on
power dynamics that become perpetuated
by years of structural oppression.
Black and Latino men getting longer sentences
for the same crime as white men, racism.
Black and Latino aunts telling you
to date light skin men, colorism.
Because we all think of race with skin color
sometimes distinguishing between
colorism and racism can get tricky,
particularly in Latin American communities
where someone's heritage might include a combination
of indigenous, black, and white European ancestry.
And let me give you a hint,
it usually doesn't get better the darker you are,
unless you're Big Papi.
Everyone loves that guy.
The start of colorism we recognize in Latin America today
likely began when the Spanish brought a European
caste system to the Americas.
Illustrations from Mexico in the 1700s depict
classifications for individuals based on their
gender, race, skin color, or place of birth.
And while this era generated terms like "mestizo",
meant to refer to mixed race individuals,
these hierarchies set the groundwork for associating
whiteness with power and desirability.
How does this influence Latinx culture today?
Buckle up.
First, is privilege.
In a lot of ways, lighter skin is still seen
as better in Latinx communities
and can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Sociologist Margaret Hunter writes in her research,
Mexican Americans with light skin earn more money,
complete more years of education,
live in more integrated neighborhoods,
and have better mental health
than do darker skin Mexican Americans.
A 2012 study showed that employers viewed light skinned
Black and Latino job candidates as more
intelligent than the darker counterparts.
And for those of you who haven't figured this out yet,
skin color doesn't determine intelligence.
Go ask Bill Nye or Neil Degrasse Tyson, thank you.
Prioritizing light skin tone also illustrates how
colorism operates as a mechanism that
encourages "passing", particularly among Latinos.
That's how you end up with a 2010 census where almost
76% of Puerto Ricans identified as white, despite data
estimating up to 46% of Puerto Ricans
had significant African heritage.
Puerto Ricans: who are we lying to?
Which brings us to Number Two: Self Image.
In Brazil, a model named Nayara Justino faced
the impact of colorism head-on.
In 2014 she entered a competition to become the reigning
queen of the Globeleza Carnival,
which is televised throughout Brazil.
The title had always gone
to a woman of Afro-Brazilian heritage,
but Justino was Black and very dark-skinned,
whereas previous winners were traditionally lighter skinned.
Despite that, she ended up winning the competition,
only to have her title stripped away after the Brazilian
public was up in arms because she was
"too black" to be the Carnival's queen.
In this instance, the outrage over Justino's skin color
came from both white and black Brazilians.
She was eventually replaced by Erika Moura,
a lighter skinned woman more in line
with the color of previous winners.
Colorism, it sucks.
This is one way racism and colorism are different.
Systems of oppression favor white people,
meaning black people can't technically be racist toward
other black people, but clearly in this case they can and do
perpetuate colorism in their own communities.
The discrimination is coming from inside of the house.
Example number three: language.
There's a pretty common phrase people in Puerto Rico
and the Dominican Republic grow up with, cafre.
Among Spanish speakers in the Caribbean the word means
someone low class or brutish and is said of people of
all colors and racial backgrounds.
The word implies you're acting darker
in both complexion and behavior.
But the word itself carries a linguistic
and cultural connection to blackness.
It shares roots with the South African racial slur, kaffir.
Should we have bleeped that?
A colonial phrase that rose to prominence
during apartheid and that's often compared
to the "n" word in the United States.
While cafre might not carry the weight of an ethnic slur
in Spanish, it's indicative of how colorism can
quietly become a part of everyday life.
So how do we begin to eradicate
colorism from our communities?
Let's get to work.
It starts with some self-reflection.
Sometimes our learned prejudices
can take over like muscle memory.
So first and foremost,
ending colorism means unlearning
what we've been told about what
beauty and success should look like.
So that goes for you,
the "I'm not Black, I'm Dominican" guy.
You can be Black and Dominican, guy.
But it also means breaking the steady stream of
whiteness that still dominates
Latin American media, politics, and culture.
Trust me, I've been working in entertainment
for a while and I've seen things.
Perhaps, most important, be conscious of elevating
and uplifting voices that break our
cultural expectations when it comes to colorism.
And yes, have those tough conversations with family members,
especially the ones encouraging a premitas
to date a lighter skinned guy.
Grandma, ta quieta, back to you Franchesca.
- Ultimately, no one wants to be judged solely
based on their external appearance.
Whether these judgements come from people
who look like you or don't,
your skin color shouldn't determine your
job prospects, your worth, or your place in society.
We don't have to be colorblind
but combating colorism means embracing the full
spectrum of our skin tones,
especially in our own communities.
Special thanks to Lee Chin for helping out this week.
And thanks for watching,
we'll see you next time right here on Decoded.
(techno music)