Meghan Markle’s Dilemma and Latinx Culture’s Complicity in Colorism

Meghan Markle interview with Oprah.
Photo Credit: Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions

Growing up in the almost-exclusively Latinx neighborhoods of my city, I always got compliments on my olive skin tone and light hazel eyes. After hearing Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah where she discussed how it was a point of concern with some in the British royal family over how dark her unborn child’s skin tone might be, I was surprised by the seemingly odd wave of people that were shocked by this concept of colorism. I grew up with many conversations of not pairing myself with someone too dark in fears of “dañar la raza” or basically ruining my future children’s skin tone by having them with a darker skinned partner. Though not ill-intentioned in nature, this concept of mixing races with those of darker skin tones was always something to avoid at all costs.



Meghan Markle listening to Oprah.Copyright: CBS

Euro-centric beauty standards are not new to the Latinx community, though we have seen a rise in the curly/natural hair movement where mujeres are now embracing their “pelo malo” in lieu of trying to conform to straight hair beauty standards with chemical and heat tools. With Meghan Markle’s interview though, it’s important to point out that many in BIPOC and non-BIPOC communities have glamourized the concept of having mixed-race or light skinned children, something directly related to colorism.

The issue with this is that it not only contributes to the erasure of our ancestors who came in all skin tones but it also feeds into the concept of light skin being more desirable in our communities because of its top position in color hierarchy.

Despite the strides we have made in our own communities in self-love, colorism continues to pervade many women of color despite how successful they are.

It says a lot about society that Meghan’s Blackness, despite being light skinned herself, still created an obstacle for her children in being fully accepted into the house of Windsor. While Meghan’s skin tone was not as punished in her marriage to Harry (how cruel the press was is a different story), it became a problem when she chose to bear his children, the potential darker skin tone of her child making the Windsors fear how that would damage their image.

Meghan Markle’s plight to love and defend her child is invaluable in a world where Blackness is peddled as being less desirable to whiteness.

Meghan Markle with her son. Source: Instagram

In a society where assimilation is celebrated, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose to relieve themselves of their roles in the royal family rather than raise their children in a toxic environment where they would be seen as others.

After the birth of their son, Archie, it was revealed that the declaration Queen Elizabeth made to give the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate’s children prince and princess titles would not be extended to Archie, who as a result of not having a prince title, would also not have royal security protection. After exiting the royal family duties, it was revealed that media mogul Tyler Perry gave them safety and security in California.

We continue to encourage everyone to reject this exclusion and celebrate ourselves as we are, in the skin color we’re born with. At the end of the day, there’s nothing royal about racism.

bop the bigot video game logo

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

a woman giving the side eye to a man

Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

Keep ReadingShow less