User:Charlenecharles21/Discrimination based on skin color

Colorism in the Caribbean
Colorism in the Caribbea n has served as a form of status, in other words the standards of whiteness results in privilege and benefits. The standards are rooted in a variety of social historical factors, essentially it’s a rejection of indigenous ways of being to favour a white supremacist system that values European beauty and cultural standards.

For instance, an important characteristic of societies in the British Caribbean is a white bias, essentially it stems from slavery, where white slave owners were source of power and authority. Additionally, an important distinction was made between field slaves and the majority and domestic slaves. The the household slaves were able to acquire European culture traits denied to the most part of the field slaves this privileged position made domestic slaves both envied in admired.

Ultimately, the historical situation was further complicated by the development of white men and black women offsprings, which in many instances these children were favoured by their master father in some cases they were favoured from their task and in another cases they were sent to Europe to be educated. The result these mulattoes or “gens de colour” served an important position in the social system of Caribbean society. Ultimately, this helps create and solidify colorism in the later years in the Caribbean. For instance, the more lightly coloured people were admitted to high office and rank of government service while the darker skin tone people were less likely to obtain hierarchical positions.

On the other hand, in the Caribbean Is a form of assimilation left by Colonialism in other words is a form of performing his arm of whiteness done by people of colour in exchange for economic rewards and high status. Essentially, many psychologists have argue that the consequences of colonization on the black minds and soul have impacted their own self identity, which led to the idolization of whiteness and the compulsion to us simulate to European standards within previous colonized places.

Additionally, due the psychological impacts of colorism skin bleaching practises to achieve this whiteness is popular in the Caribbean. Essentially, it’s becoming more popular among men and young adults including teenagers. For example, in Jamaica skin bleaching practises, which Jamaicans refer to as “Browning” stems from a historical response to economic and complexion related oppression due to darker skin of the working class and the poor population. However, skin bleaching has been associated with many health effects ranging from dermatitis, exogenous ochronosis, steroid acne, mercury poisonings and nephrotic syndrome. Although, certain chemicals are regulated in the US and European union there are still many illegal skin bleaching products that are available online globally.