Culture
In The Community
Colorism is a word that might not get as much attention as racism, but its impact runs deep, especially within Latino communities. It’s the unspoken reality that lighter skin often grants privilege, while darker skin can bring unfair obstacles, even within our own families, workplaces, and social circles. While many might brush off these biases as relics of the past, the truth is, colorism remains woven into the fabric of Latino culture in ways that continue to shape identity, opportunity, and self-worth.
What is Colorism?
At its core, colorism is the preference for lighter skin over darker skin, often within the same racial or ethnic group. Unlike racism, which targets entire racial categories, colorism plays out subtly within communities, favoring those with lighter complexions while pushing those with darker skin to the margins. As Dr. Nayeli Chavez-Dueñas, a professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, explains in an ABC 7 article, “It basically means people that are lighter-skinned are preferred and have more privilege than people that are darker-skinned.”
For Latinos, this phenomenon is nothing new. The roots of colorism trace back to Spanish colonization, when a rigid racial caste system placed Europeans at the top and Indigenous and African peoples at the bottom. Over generations, this social hierarchy has persisted, dictating who’s perceived as beautiful, successful, or even worthy of opportunities.
How Colorism Manifests in Latino Communities
Colorism rears its head within Latino communities in many different ways. For one, lighter-skinned Latinos are often assumed to be more affluent or educated, while darker-skinned Latinos face stereotypes associating them with poverty, crime, or a lack of sophistication.
"Colorism is something you see so much, unfortunately, in the Hispanic community. Oftentimes, it is believed those who are of a lighter complexion are of a higher class than those with a darker complexion," Karen Villanueva-Sierra, an Afro-Latina from Puerto Rico, shared with ACB 11. This bias has real consequences. A Pew Research Center poll found that 62% of Latinos believe darker skin hurts their chances of getting ahead in the U.S., while 59% say lighter skin helps.
From telenovelas to Hollywood films, lighter-skinned Latinos dominate media representation. While it doesn’t deny the fact that Latinos, no matter their skin color, all face challenges in these industries, Afro-Latinos and Indigenous-looking actors are constantly either excluded or relegated to supporting roles. In Spanish-language media, white Latinos are positioned as the romantic leads, while darker-skinned actors are typecast as maids, criminals, or comedic relief. This lack of representation reinforces Eurocentric beauty standards.
This exclusion isn’t just a media problem, it also trickles into everyday life. The beauty industry, for example, historically catered to lighter-skinned consumers, offering a limited range of products for darker complexions. Latino communities have also heavily relied on descriptors based on skin tone, hair type, and facial features—labels like "trigueño," “pelo malo,” "morena," and "güerito"—which may seem harmless but often reinforce hierarchy.
Beyond labels, casual jokes and phrases continue to fuel colorist ideals. Many darker-skinned Latinos have experienced being told to "mejorar la raza" (improve the race) by marrying someone lighter-skinned. While seemingly offhand, these comments send a clear message: lighter skin is better.
Afro-Latinos and the Burden of Colorism
For Afro-Latinos, colorism within Latino communities adds another layer of marginalization. Many Afro-Latinos report struggling with their sense of belonging: too Black to be fully accepted within Latino circles, yet too Latino to always feel embraced by broader Black communities. This dual erasure is especially evident in professional and social spaces, where Afro-Latinos often feel pressure to "prove" their Latinidad through cultural knowledge or Spanish-speaking skills.
Discrimination also impacts Afro-Latinos’ economic and educational opportunities. Studies have shown that Afro-Latinos experience lower wages and fewer job prospects than their lighter-skinned counterparts. The Pew Research Center survey revealed that Latinos with darker skin were significantly more likely to experience discrimination than those with lighter skin, with nearly 64% of darker-skinned Latinos reporting discrimination in the past year at the time of the survey.
Breaking the Cycle: Confronting Colorism in Latino Communities
Confronting colorism within Latino communities requires both unlearning biases and actively challenging them in everyday life. This begins with recognizing how colonialism and historical racism shaped colorist attitudes, which continue to influence social norms today. Acknowledging this history is the foundation for meaningful change. Education also plays a crucial role, so engaging with Latin American and Latino Studies programs or community discussions can help Latinos gain deeper insights into how colorism operates. On a personal level, self-reflection is essential to identifying internalized biases and questioning how they manifest in daily interactions.
Latinos can also work toward change by critically analyzing instances of colorism in media, social media, and even everyday conversations, rather than passively accepting them. Being aware of the way colorism is embedded in beauty standards, hiring practices, and cultural expectations allows individuals makes it easier to identify these biases and confront them. Open conversations with family and friends help to dismantle long-held stereotypes, especially when they’re approached with empathy.
Representation also matters, and advocating for more diverse depictions of Latinos across all skin tones in media, workplaces, and public spaces can contribute to shifting harmful narratives. Supporting spaces where Afro-Latinos and Indigenous Latinos can share their experiences helps foster solidarity and visibility. Additionally, revaluing cultural norms that have historically reinforced colorism—such as the preference for lighter skin in marriage or social mobility—can allow communities to move beyond outdated, colonial mindsets.
At a broader level, community education initiatives and policy advocacy are necessary to address systemic issues tied to colorism. Organizing workshops that bring awareness to colorism’s impact and working towards policies that prevent discrimination based on skin tone can create tangible changes. Building coalitions with allies ensures that the conversation around colorism remains ongoing and leads to action.
The Final Takeaway
By actively working to unlearn and confront colorism, we can foster more inclusive and affirming Latino communities where all skin tones are recognized and valued. The work starts at an individual level but has the potential to reshape societal norms.
Colorism is a difficult, often uncomfortable topic, but it’s one that Latinos must confront if we’re serious about embracing the full diversity of our culture. The idea that one’s worth or opportunities should be dictated by skin tone is a legacy of colonialism—not an inherent part of Latinidad. By recognizing and challenging colorist attitudes, Latinos can move toward a more inclusive and self-affirming future, one where all shades of brown, from the lightest to the darkest, are equally valued.- Afro and Black Latino Identity Is Complex, But Media Keeps Getting It Wrong ›
- The Roots of "Pelo Malo" and the Harm It Still Causes ›
As of 2024, there are about 3.52 million Latine families in the United States led by single mothers. This isn't just a statistic; it’s the vivid reality of Latinas shouldering the responsibility of parenting without the active support of a co-parent figure.
Absent fatherhood in the Latino community touches everyone and contributes to cultural norms, expectations, and stereotypes.
For many, the historical passivity adopted by some generations towards absent fatherhood still resonates deeply in our cultural roots. The phrase "déjelo en manos de Dios, mija" has been passed down from generation to generation as a resigned comfort in the face of disconnected fathers. It’s the old, "boys will be boys" sentiment.
This leaves women to shoulder the burden of raising children on their own without much expectation of receiving help from the father. Latino culture often expects women to be unreasonably “strong” and capable of handling any situation that comes their way. A 2017 Census Bureau report found that 80% of all custodial parents were mothers, and of these custodial mothers, 56% of white mothers were awarded child support versus only 44% of Latinas, according to a 2016 review of child support claims.
Lower claims of child support are only one very limited way in which cultural self-sufficiency expectations manifest themselves. This can also lead to emotional isolation and extreme pressure to keep up. In the 2021 April/May issue of PARENTS LATINA, Ernestina Perez, a Mexican-American therapist and founder of Latinx Talk Therapy, stated, "There's a lot of stigma around single motherhood in the Latino community because of traditional gender norms that view men as the protectors and financial providers, and women as the selfless, do-it-all caretakers."
As culture continues to shift and outdated machista beliefs are dismantled, many different approaches to tackling absent fathers are being taken.
When fathers skip out on their financial responsibilities, it’s important that Latinas pursue a child support claim. Single moms don’t have to just grin and bear it. Latinas already face too many economic disparities, including consistently having the largest wage gap of all women, to have this add to the economic stress. In 2022, almost 30% of Latine single-mom families were struggling financially. When Latinas don’t pursue child support, it keeps fueling a poverty cycle and upholds unreasonable gender expectations.
Where are the Fathers? Why aren't they Taking Responsibility?
In the Latine community, where old-school gender roles still have a say, patriarchal culture directly influences fatherhood expectations. It’s a common experience for young women to be kept at home under strict rules while young men are allowed to go out at their pleasure, without any sexual education or warnings to abstain from, or practice safe sex.
This adds to the lack of accountability when a man does end up impregnating a young girl or woman, while shifting the burden and “blame” to the young girl or woman for not heeding the warnings of their family.
Factors like migration also contribute to the splitting of families. From harsh immigration policies that regularly deport one or both parents to inhumane border security policies that continue to separate parents from their children, women are often left as sole caregivers of separated families.
Latino men are also experiencing a positive role model crisis. There’s been a downward trend of Latino men pursuing higher education, and the Latina versus Latino education gap continues to widen. Even as the number of Latinas/os attending college has steadily grown over the last few decades, the proportional representation of Latino men continues to slide in comparison to their Latina counterparts.
The stigma around seeking mental health support is more pronounced in men versus women, and it’s even worse in the Latino community. Research indicates that Latinas are more open to seeking support than Latino men, which leaves them attempting to deal with their challenges on their own. Not to mention that Latino men are also still facing the same issues that Latinas face: discrimination, disproportionate poverty, absent fathers, and cultural norms that teach them harmful behaviors.
The disproportionate absence of fathers in the Latino community is extremely complex and nuanced. The causes mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of fully understanding the nature of the problem, but even with this superficial understanding, some solutions can be identified.
How Can We Begin to Solve the Absent Father Problem?
Raising a New Generation of Empowered Children
Latina moms have the power to shift things for the better. Teaching our kids how to challenge concepts of toxic machismo and irresponsible behaviors is an essential task. This isn’t limited to moms; on the contrary, despite there being a disproportionate amount of single moms, there’s an even bigger number of families with active fathers, and they are taking on the responsibility of raising their kids differently than how they were raised.
Breaking Down Traditional Masculinity
As gender roles continue to shift across generations, ditching the old-school view of masculinity is gaining momentum. Both women and men are actively challenging the harmful notions that femininity and masculinity are traits that are limited to certain genders. Groups like Bloom Homi, which are led by Latino men, are actively working to change the expectations of Latino men and are working to build communities of support where men can feel supported as they participate in dismantling machismo.
Meanwhile, Latina-led parenting groups like Latinx Parenting are not only providing support for moms but also building an inclusive community that actively brings Latino dads into the fold, ensuring that there’s space for everyone who wants to learn how to disrupt harmful cycles of family dysfunction.
Changing Parenting Roles Through Public Policy
It’s no secret that parental leave in the U.S. is shamefully lacking compared to other comparable nations. Only 27% of U.S. workers have access to paid parental leave, and while under FMLA, families are entitled to at least 12 weeks of parental leave, all this does is guarantee that they won’t be fired from their jobs. If they decide to take family leave, it’s unpaid, and most families can’t afford to be unemployed for three months.
Even when paid parental leave is offered, paternity leave is even less accessible than maternity leave. New dads are still expected to fulfill the “breadwinner” role, while moms are left to fulfill their childbearing and child-caring role, despite a significant amount of research confirming the many positive effects paternal newborn bonding has on both the dad and the newborn.
Changing Media Narratives About Dads
The portrayal of dads in media has a massive impact on how they are expected to behave in real life. Studies have found that there are two main ways in which dads are portrayed in media. On one hand, men are rarely portrayed as nurturers and are relegated to the hard, cold, but steadfast stereotype of protector and provider. On the other, they are shown as incompetent, foolish, and emotionally disconnected parents, where competent, wise, emotionally connected mothers must often come to the rescue of those fathers.
Latino dads are portrayed even more negatively because of the severe lack of Latino representation in the media. There are so few roles for Latino men that they haven’t even made much of a dent in fatherhood portrayals, much less changing those roles to address machismo and reflect any positive change that’s occurring in Latino culture.
Just as it is imperative to change media portrayals of Latinas in media, the same has to be done for Latino men, especially as it relates to family gender roles and dynamics.Supporting Community Spaces and Men’s Groups
No, we’re not talking about the incels who hate women and blame them for all their problems. We’re talking about the exact opposite.
Men’s groups are popping up all over the country and are a place where men and dads can swap stories, pick up tips, and have each other's backs. Like any group, they all have their own dynamic and focus, and sometimes a few have to be tried until a good match is made, but accepting these groups as part of a healthy community is critical to getting men the support they need.
Digital communities like Bloom Homie, as well as organizations like the National Compadres Network, and their Fatherhood & Family Initiative are contributing to the ecosystem that’s helping to dismantle harmful narratives and also build community amongst men who want to break harmful patriarchal cycles.
While none of these solutions will produce instant improvements, they are all things that everyone of any gender can help implement. While it may not be easy to reduce the amount of absent fathers in Latino households, research shows that it’s attainable, and that alone makes it worth pursuing.
In the United States, societal attitudes toward marriage are evolving, evidenced by a significant decrease in marriage rates – dropping from a robust 76.5% in 1970 to a more modest 47% as of 2022 – this trend spans various communities, including the Latino community, which is actively challenging conventional norms, reshaping roles, and forging new paths in their conceptions of love and family.
Challenging the Status Quo
Although there have been some changes in recent decades, Latino culture still holds onto many outdated traditions and rigid gender roles. Many Latinas report still feeling pressured by society and even their own families to get married early and start a family. These expectations are sometimes pushed by older women in the family who insist that their daughters embrace the roles of marriage and motherhood, even when their daughters have entirely different goals in mind. These women end up backing the patriarchal system without even realizing it; a phenomenon referred to as marianismo.
The marriage rate for Latinas has decreased significantly since the 1950s. Today, approximately 43% of U.S. Latinas are married, representing a 33% decline in marriage rates over the past 70 years. It's worth noting that there are differences in marriage rates between U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinas. Among U.S.-born Latinas, the percentage of those married decreased from 51% in 1990 to 36% in 2017. For foreign-born Latinas, the marriage rate has remained relatively stable, declining only slightly from 62% in 1990 to 58% in 2017.
That the marriage rate has dropped so much in recent years is a clear indication that Latina women are challenging traditional gender roles, choosing to focus on their personal development, education, and career, sometimes before or even instead of marriage.Independence and Choice
The decision of younger generations to not get married is meaningful, particularly when considering the significance of marriage in Latino culture for many years. The declining marriage rate mirrors how Latinas are reconciling their cultural traditions with more progressive ideas, leading to the creation of new collective views and realities.
Latina women are achieving unprecedented levels of education and workforce participation, giving them greater economic independence. This autonomy has expanded their life options. For new generations, marriage is no longer seen as the only route to stability and success, but as one of many options on a broader spectrum to achieve personal fulfillment.
Breaking this paradigm is also influenced by the multicultural environment of the U.S., where Latino traditions are merging with new ideas and dialogues that challenge traditional and outdated systems based on patriarchy, creating a contemporary reinterpretation of what it means to be a woman and being Latina in today's society.
There are a few additional factors at play that have led to a decrease in marriage rates. One significant factor is the declining religious adherence to marriage. There's also a growing trend of reduced enthusiasm for marriage among the general public that has contributed to this decline.
A Ripple Effect on Men and Society
As women gain more autonomy and redefine their roles, Latino men are also experiencing a change in their traditional roles. So, how are Latino men adapting? Are their views on marriage, family, and gender roles in these areas shifting too?
The answer tends to lean towards no. Men, in general, aren’t faring too well as women continue to increase their life and dating standards. A recent study of 46,054 people in 237 countries found that men are now more likely to be "lonely and single" than women, which wasn’t the case 30 years ago.
Greg Matos, PsyD, a couple's therapist, wrote in “Psychology Today” that men are struggling to bridge the "relationship-skills gap" as women search for partners who are "emotionally available, good communicators, and share similar values."
As men find new ways to participate in family life and relationships, the shift could lead to a reevaluation of masculinity within the Latino community. This change creates opportunities to challenge gender stereotypes and foster more equitable and collaborative relationships in maintaining a home and raising children.
The Future
We are already starting to see more single-parent families or non-traditional family arrangements. This shift could influence several aspects of daily life, including parenting, community support, and social safety nets.
The increasing participation of Latina women in higher education and the workforce is having a considerable impact on the domestic economy. The Latina GDP 2024 Report showed that Latinas contributed $1.3 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2021 alone. This shift might make Latino families start to rethink how they handle their money, make investment choices, and decide on their spending priorities.
A New Latino Identity
The low marriage rates in the Latino community reveal a shift in gender dynamics, educational empowerment, and an ongoing interplay between traditional values and modern viewpoints in a multicultural setting. All these factors are shaping a new Latino identity.
The Latino community in the United States is not only adding to the country's cultural diversity but also taking a lead in some of the most important discussions of our time regarding gender, culture, and identity. In an ever-changing world, adaptability, resilience, and the willingness to challenge the status quo are not only valuable but essential. And in this scenario, Latina women in the United States are, undoubtedly, at the forefront.
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