Colorism and the Afro-Latinx Experience: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Using Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological Model, this systematic critical literature review investigated factors that contributed to the development of colorism, as well as the effects of colorism on Afro-Latinx persons, in Brazil, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, and the wider Latin American region. Agencies within the macrosystem and chronosystem were used to investigate factors involved in instituting colorism in Latin America. Constituents of the microsystem and mesosystem were used to research the effects of colorism on Afro-Latinx persons. The development of colorism ideologies and practices in Latin America was largely due to the endorsement of laws, cultural values, and cultural beliefs that arose from the perceptions and interactions between the region’s main ethnic groups and the biases that emerged from these interactions during key eras throughout their history. It was found that several studies documented the de facto impact of colorism on the family, school, community, and professional lives of Afro-Latinx persons.

More than just a game: Using Lotería in play therapy with Mexican/Mexican American clients.

“…The inclusion of these cards can bring to the forefront discussions surrounding a client's experiences with discrimination, microaggressions, alcohol/drugs, violence, sexuality, and colorism. However, not including these cards could further perpetuate the erasure of Afro-Latinxs/Indigenous heritage, which is common in the Latinx community to overrepresent and prefer European ancestry/ features (Charles, 2021). Each clinician should use their own clinical judgment to decide if and how they would like to include or not include these cards.…”

Legitimized Tongues: Breaking the Traditions of Silence in Mainstream Engineering Education and Research

“…All of the classes I took as a graduate student in the higher education program discussed race and systems of oppression openly, connecting these subjects back to student development, diversity, history of higher education, etc. In learning about social stratification and Latinx student development, I was forced to acknowledge my own internalized racism, growing up in a culture that does not openly talk about race but operates on colorism (Charles, 2021). Reading and learning more about Ogbu (1987), I was forced to acknowledge the allusion of the immigrant mentality.…”

Afrocentric beauty: The proliferation of ‘Texturist’ and ‘Colorist’ beliefs among young women in Kenya

“…Not only is light skin color linked to more attractiveness, higher likelihood of marriage and higher desirability (Corso 2014), but also it is associated to socioeconomic status and privilege (Hughes & Hertel 1990, Dixon & Telles 2017 and emotional stability and intelligence (Maddox & Gray 2002). Darker skin tone on the other hand, is associated to poverty, being aggressive (Maddox & Gray 2002) unattractiveness (Lincoln 1967, Jablonski 2012) discrimination, less intelligent (Charles 2021) and harsher legal punishments (Adams et al 2016).…”