Preview

Colorism In The Spanish

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
509 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Colorism In The Spanish
“Colorism”
Colorism is biased attitudes or prejudiced treatment of people based on the relative lightness or darkness of their skin in comparison to others of the same race. For as long as we have lived, colorism have always been around. Dating back as early as 1533, a debate arose in Madrid, Spain’s capital, over whether or not descendants of Spanish men and Indian or African women should be acknowledged by the Crown and educated as servant of the empire. Skin color mattered to the Spanish. There was no word for mixed-race people in the Spanish language in the mid-sixteenth century, there was only an official measurement of blood mixture, the Spanish based their definitions of race and social belonging to Limpieza de Sangre, the purity of
…show more content…
The Españoles stood at the peak of the social and racial hierarchy. They were white, pure-blooded Europeans, and could prove it, usually by detailed family trees, baptism records, or birth certificates. The Castas, on the other hand, broke into between 5 and 15 Calidad think blood purity progressively based on the percentage of European blood in a given category’s ancestry. The Casta System hierarchy, developed in Mexico City in the 1680s, contained two general groups, each divided into among two and three more precise categories. All of these ancestral categories fell into the same basic social position, they were considered members of society and given certain rights and protections from the government. A color-based hierarchy developed not only within the Casta System but also in society as a whole. Although Spanish law made no distinction between the rights and privileges of any of the mixed-race groups, the groups themselves slowly developed prejudices toward each other, rejecting or accepting individuals as friends, partners, and spouses based largely on skin color and the Casta category to which that individual belonged. Today, colorism isn't as significant as it once was, but still has a substantial importance in the lives of people with color. Many people struggled to identify themselves as black due to the fact of the historical past and how blacks are classified. People who are mixed struggle with their identity and would rather identify as white because it's so-called "better". In the video, blacks are called "ugly" and seem to be classified as a lower status than other. Young children seem to get the impression that this is true which keep colorism

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Lewis argues against the traditional meaning of casta in early New Spain and forms her own idea in the book. Casta could be defined as a sanctioned domain of non-ordered pyramid of stratification that depends on sanctioned and unsanctioned domains that allow movement throughout the social hierarchy(33). New Spain society turns into a mingling of the different branches of society that form amongst the social hierarchy. Raza or race is another very important concept that is introduced in the book also(23). Spaniards started to link raza with the purity of bloodlines and genealogy of people within their society that were connected to Moors and Jews. Spanish inquisitors would often ask people if their raza contained Jewish or Moorish blood(23). The Spaniards considered Jewish of Moorish blood lines to be undesirable and be impure; consequently, the Spaniards would also link it with religion that challenged Spanish Christianity. Casta characteristics was often seen as being fluid which allowed social mobility and allowed interactions of groups throughout the social pyramid of society(33).…

    • 765 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As outlined in the article, a person's skin color outlined the inferiority in society. The darker the skin color the more inferior you where as a person, as a class as well as a race. White servants were not subject to hard labor because Iberians did not think of them so much as laborers but as good investments, because of the money they could receive from them and the possible religious outcomes. People of dark color were thought of as not having…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism did not exist for Jorge back in his day. There was societies of color and there was never hatred toward one another due to the pigment of your skin. There was always…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Inferiority had a complex/sense of insecurity with the Europeans contact outside of Europe. When the Europeans embarked on different parts of the world they noticed that the people of these countries had melanin, skin color, in which they did not have. As Europeans explored even further, they concluded that they are the minority in the world. Hence, they wanted to be the majority. The problem with this desire was that the Europeans could not obtain a darker hue. This state of mind caused the Europeans to want to oppress the people opposite of them. So, they began seeking…

    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    "Los Chicanos" ethnic identity is described as a mix between two backgrounds: Spanish of the Mexicans and on the sounds of the the Anglos' incessant. This is similar to DuBois concept of Blackness because Anzaldua was pressured into shedding her cultural values during the migration to the states. The similarity between the two can be understood with the contending images of blackness–those images produced by a racist white American culture, and those images maintained by African American individuals, within African American communities. Both are being forced by the whites to alter themselves to fit the “mold” that they want them to maintain. Anzaldua connects language to race because she says that she is a woman with many cultural backgrounds…

    • 161 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    First, Rodriguez's skin color means nothing to his identity because he realizes his color does not make him "disadvantaged" in life. (149) Rodriguez believes his skin color is a label for a Mexican worker based on people's biased opinions on his race and class. When he used to go at Stanford one of his friend had asked him if he was available for a summer construction job. (140) His friend was almost apologetic…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On the second page of Cisneros’s short story, “Mericans” A lady form out of town asks for a photo in Spanish and is surprised when they speak English, saying “‘But you speak English!’” to which the brother replies “‘Yeah,’… ‘we’re Mericans’” (Paragraphs 23-24). Many have believed for so long that simply if you look different, or ‘foreign’ you can only have that one culture, no matter who you are or where you’re from. Cisneros talks about the members of the family, with deep regard to race and skin color, such as “Auntie Light-skin, who only a few hours before was breakfasting on brain and goat tacos after dancing all night in the pink zone” or about “Uncle Fat-face, the blackest of the black sheep” (Paragraph 2). Her observations heavily contrast the deep Mexican roots of the rest of their family, such as the as she notices and thinks about race more heavily than anyone else in the family. This shows that even if someone has grown up in a very strong foreign background, and or home life, an individual can always be a true…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is human nature to try and categorize the surrounding world. Science created a classification system in order to visualize the similarities between animals and plant life. The problem with this system occurs when one does not fit into a specific place. Even amongst themselves, humans have tried to assort themselves based on outward appearances, but many people fail to comprehend how diverse the human race truly is. Throughout history, variances in skin color, hair type and facial structures have been used to distinguish between types of people; among these, is the labels placed on each ethnicity. The ‘Hispanic’ group is one of the largest populated ethnicities with multiple countries that fitting into it. However, each nation, is completely…

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the issue racism has created among both the Native and African American communities is the concept colorism. The ideology behind racism, that there is a superior class, is often being practiced within racial groups. While colorism is not an official term, it is a concept rooted in racism and slavery. Slaveowners often used it as a way to create a rift between slaves by separating them based on complexion. The slaves with lighter complexions where often seen in the house while those with a darker complexion performed manual labor.…

    • 248 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Afro-Cuban Revolution

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages

    However, certain individuals were given more power and higher status despite their race or gender, because of the higher amount of wealth that they had. However, despite the efforts of certain individuals, hierarchies of race and gender remained throughout the history of Colonial Latin America and beyond. Race, culture and class were all created by humans and as time goes on they were shaped and reshaped. The concept of race was different in the U.S from colonial Latin America. Sadly, the racism that lied between most of these nations in colonial times still exists today. Racism needs to stop, but the solution is yet to be found. The way that we see people will always be in the back of our minds and so it is difficult to get that image out. The same goes with gender; men were always seen as better than women and it’s difficult to get that idea out of one’s mind. Thus, race and gender have created significant systems of power in colonial Latin America, but it’s time for change. The challenge is to assure equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their skin color, their ethnicity or even their gender. However, to end racism and inequality between genders, the mindset of society has to change which is not easy. Until this happens, if it ever does, then nothing will…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Say, what right and what justice do you hold in such cruel and horrible servitude to these Indians?” Friar Antonio de Montesino claimed these powerful words in 1511 AD to the Spanish. The Spanish were racist to the Dominica’s and treated them like slaves. Although many people think that the Dominican Republic is only a wonderful island with amazing beaches. Although true, the Dominican Republic has always some racism issue and still deals with some even now. In the Dominican Republic racism has occupied a place in history, modern day society, and everyday life.…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pigmentocracy is a social or class distinction ranging from the darkest to lightest skin color based on who dominates society. White people dominate the modern world only…

    • 1626 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this research paper, I will identify the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial conversations status of Hispanic group such as Mexican American, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominican who are living in the United Stated. I will conclude this research by summarizing the major differences and commonalities that are apparent among the Hispanic groups. Mexican Americans are American of Mexican ancestry. They account for 9% of the country’s population. As of 2006, 28.3 million Americans listed their ancestry as Mexican (Wikepedia, 2008). According to an American community survey, Mexican American forms the largest Hispanic or Latino group in the United States, and contains the largest group of White Hispanic and Latino Americans. Most Mexican American ultimately descended from a combination of Europeans, especially Spaniards and the Indigenous people of Mexico. There are many political dimensions of Mexican American life in the United States. In 1960, The Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) was founded in Fresno, California.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Race In The American West

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the late 15th century Columbus encountered African Americans which was a factor to how the race was invented. The race was set by a system of rules and a hierarchy where people were set on a scale depending on their race. The color of people's skin and their cultural beliefs are what set up the idea of race. Race in the American West was based off certain rights and if the people in the American West during this time weren’t considered fully white they were discriminated in American societies. The race is looked upon differently in many parts of the world. The American West compares to racism around other parts of the world based on the social hierarchy of racial status.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Chicano Identity

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The majority of people around us have parents with histories beyond our local area. They come from places hundreds of miles away, such as China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and even Mexico. As they set to live in America, they give birth to a new generation and these children are raised differently with a whole new standard. These standards are different from other countries whether it’s their educational system, laws, or social behaviors. This causes heritages to become diluted and less family oriented. In such cases these can be seen through religious changes, tradition changes, and even native language changes. These new generations are raised without knowing who they are and where they’ve come from. In the case of Anzaldua’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” this occurrence takes place; however, she has a vivid understanding of who she really is and where she comes from.…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays