The Persistent Problem of Colorism: Skin Tone, Status, and Inequality

TLDR

Colorism, the stratification of skin tone that privileges light‑skinned people of color over dark‑skinned ones, persists in the U.S. and worldwide, influencing income, education, housing, marriage, and fueling a multibillion‑dollar skin‑bleaching industry while reflecting broader racial inequities.

Abstract

Abstract Colorism is a persistent problem for people of color in the USA. Colorism, or skin color stratification, is a process that privileges light‐skinned people of color over dark in areas such as income, education, housing, and the marriage market. This essay describes the experiences of African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans with regard to skin color. Research demonstrates that light‐skinned people have clear advantages in these areas, even when controlling for other background variables. However, dark‐skinned people of color are typically regarded as more ethnically authentic or legitimate than light‐skinned people. Colorism is directly related to the larger system of racism in the USA and around the world. The color complex is also exported around the globe, in part through US media images, and helps to sustain the multibillion‐dollar skin bleaching and cosmetic surgery industries.