Discrimination based on skin tone
Discrimination based on skin tone, also known as colorism or shadeism, is a form of prejudice and discrimination in which individuals of the same race receive benefits or disadvantages based on their skin tone. More specifically, colorism is the process of discrimination that marginalizes darker-skinned people over their lighter-skinned counterparts. Historically, colorism on a global scale has colonial roots, ranging from early class hierarchies in Asia to its impact on Latinos and African Americans through European colonialism and slavery in the Americas. Colorism focuses on how racism is expressed in the psychology of a people and how it affects their concepts of beauty, wealth, and privilege. A key difference between racism and colorism is that while racism deals with the subjugation of one group by another or the belief in racial supremacy, colorism deals with in-group discrimination in addition to between-group discrimination.
Research has uncovered extensive evidence of discrimination based on skin color in criminal justice, business, the economy, housing, health care, the media, and politics in the United States and Europe. In addition, there has been research that evidently shows biases based on skin tone in the educational system. Students of color are facing higher education costs and inequalities in advanced programs and are targeted by their teachers or peers from other marginalized groups. In addition to this issue being documented in the United States, lighter skin tones have been considered preferable in many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America due to internalized colorism. Although less historically significant, prejudice within groups can also be directed toward lighter-skinned individuals, often due to the perception of albinism as a disease. This is referred to as reverse colorism.
Worldwide
affects almost every aspect of contemporary life. Research shows that ethnic minorities are offered fewer opportunities in higher education and employment, are subject to increased scrutiny by police, and are less likely to receive adequate care from physicians. Several meta-analyses find extensive evidence of ethnic and racial discrimination in hiring in the North American and European labor markets. A 2016 meta-analysis of 738 correspondence tests in 43 separate studies done in OECD countries in 1990–2015 finds that there is extensive racial discrimination within both the European and North American hiring processes. Equivalent minority candidates need to send around 50% more applications than majority candidates to be invited for an interview. Mid-2010s research in the U.S. shows that socioeconomic and health inequality among African Americans along the color-continuum is often similar or even larger in magnitude than what exists between whites and African Americans.Africa
treatments and colorism inside of own ethnicity is more common in West and South parts of Africa. In some parts of Africa, people with lighter skin are thought to be more attractive and likely to find more success than those with darker skin tones. In some countries, this barrier has resulted in millions of women and men turning to skin-lightening treatments, many of which are harmful to the body.Historically, skin lightening in Africa can be dated to European colonialism, where individuals with lighter skin received greater privilege than those of darker tones. European colonists in Rwanda established a color-based caste system that placed the Tutsi people above the Hutu people on the basis of their somewhat lighter skin, leading to the development of racialized political identities that had not existed in Rwanda before colonialism. The racial hierarchy and color ranking within colonized African nations left psychological effects on many of the darker-skinned individuals.
In the 21st century, 77% of Nigerian women, 52% of Senegalese women, and 25% of Malian women are using lightening products. Der Spiegel reports that in Ghana, "When You Are Light-Skinned, You Earn More", and that "ome pregnant women take tablets in the hopes that it will lead their child to be born with fair skin. Some apply bleaching lotion... to their babies, in the hopes that it will improve their child's chances."
Asia
In South Asia, a preference for lighter skin is prevalent; however, East Asian countries tend to embrace their natural skin tone.East Asia
The history of skin color discrimination in East Asia dates back to ancient times. In the ancient dynastic eras, being light-skinned implied wealth and nobility, because those privileged persons could stay indoors while servants had to labor outside. The old preference for light-skinned women in East Asia is quite different from Western culture, where women of tan and brown complexions are preferred. Bonnie Adrian writes that American culture makes white women feel inferior for having pale complexions and reddish features, and that she risked skin cancer and wrinkles trying to darken her pale skin. According to 21st-century research, the younger generation of women in China asserted tan skin as the new female beauty ideal. According to Tai Wei Lim, Chinese women in the media sport bronze complexions, and this is viewed as a reclamation of women's autonomy from the fading Chinese patriarchy.Japan
Hiroshi Wagatsuma writes in Daedalus that Japanese culture has long associated skin color with other physical characteristics that signify degrees of spiritual refinement or degrees of primitiveness. In Japan, there is considerable discrimination and stigma against the skin color of white European women. Japanese women commonly state that white women's skin is too pale, or that it is rough, wrinkled, or has too many spots.Middle East
is a common practice in Jordan. The use of skin lightening products in the Middle East has been attributed to the desire for upword social mobility and attractiveness.South Asia
India
The implications of colorism in India have been apparent since the nation's conception. The legacies of Mughal, Northern, and European colonial rule on the Indian subcontinent have influenced modern relations between light skin and power dynamics. Multiple studies have concluded that preference for lighter skin in India is historically linked to both the caste system and centuries of rule by peoples from other areas: Persia, Mughal territory, and Europe. The Kamasutra's advice for men to avoid sexual relationship with women who are extremely white or extremely black may reflect an early form of colorism in ancient India.Although light skin is seen as beautiful within India, this only applies to 'Indian' light skin, which is not as light as European skin. Very light skin is considered abnormal within India, and neither light eyes nor light hair are considered beautiful. Channa writes that there is a folk-based prejudice against very light skin, and especially light eyes on women. Channa recalls how her grandmother told her that green or blue eyes are unattractive features for a woman to have, and further suggests that these features may be associated with ancient invaders or outsiders within India. Colorism in India was also fed by the attitudes of Europeans, who favored lighter-skinned people for administrative positions and other prominent social positions, so power was conceptually intertwined with light skin. Rich Indians often tend to be light-skinned due to less exposure to the sun. Also, individuals were judged by their occupation. Being born into a lineage of farmers, for example, would typically make one unable to leave said lineage. Migration between occupations was rare, and though the caste system's legality was altered in 1948, it is still influential and practiced in many parts of the country. As these factors generated the caste system, it grew to include both economic standing and societal positioning. Existing prejudices also influenced European officials. This sentiment remains.
Colorism has societal implications, many of which severely harm the socioeconomic mobility of darker-skinned Indians. These can manifest in gender stereotyping and regional discrimination. Studies of melanin index in individuals across regions show that there are variations in skin color, which contribute to the level of discrimination darker-skinned individuals face in these respective regions. In some regions of India, dark-skinned people are often seen as "dirty" and of lower status than lighter-skinned ones. A light complexion is equated with male and female beauty, racial superiority, and power and continues to have strong influences on marital prospects, employment, status, and income. Most of the girls were denied employment due to their darker skin tone. A few got jobs, but only as out-of-sight ground crew. According to Werdhani et al., persistent colorism is a legacy of the British colonization of India, during which Indian women were hyperfeminized and considered too demure for work by the colonizers, while Indian men were feminized and viewed as inferior to white men.
Other forms of colorism in India can be seen in the cosmetic industry, where skin bleaching creams are popular. In the Indian film and media industry, most hires are light-skinned, and actors and actresses are often photoshopped to look lighter. Skin lightening cosmetics are shown to have significant side effects, which increase in frequency over time. It is a burden on one's mental health in a societal setting; users of skin creams, on average, remain dissatisfied with their complexion even after using the product. Unregulated products can contain harmful chemicals that can cause dermatitis, chemical burns, and, in severe cases, increase the likelihood of skin cancer and melanoma. As these mechanisms interplay with the presence of existent capitalistic institutions that control much of today's world, the skin-lightening industry benefits this system through the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
A 2021 article by CNN describes the situation where a woman uses a topical steroid known for its side effect of skin lightening. Steroids are used to combat skin issues like eczema and only under the supervision of a doctor for brief periods as it is bad for your skin. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man in the United States, which led to protests against racism worldwide, the debate about colorism and skin tone in India has been discussed in several media outlets. As part of the general critique, a big Indian matchmaking website, Shaadi.com, removed a filter where one could mark skin color preferences for their potential partner. Outside India, dark-skinned individuals and immigrants are typically treated with the same low level of social respect and acceptance, similar to the experiences they endure within their country.