The Penetrating Impact of Colorism on Individuals and Communities

Name:
Course:
Professor:
Date:
The Penetrating Impact of Colorism on Individuals and Communities
Introduction
Hersch in his work “Colorism Against Legal Immigrants to the United States” states that immigrants in the United States, especially those with darker skin, experience a major pay penalty not explainable by their individual and job characteristics. These occurrences and others are explained through colorism. Colorism simply refers to a special form of discrimination that is based on one’s skins color. Noe-Bustamante, Luis, et al., write that colorism sets the notion that some ethnicities are superior than others, and it is the reason why the darker the skin the in US, the lower the ability to get ahead in several aspects of life. in this paper, the critical question is, “in what ways does colorism manifest in society & what are its effects on individual and communities?”
Historical Roots of Colorism
The history of colorism can be traced back to the European colonial era, the plantation period for African Americans, and early class hierarchies of America and Europe. But despite the deep historical nature of colorism, this form of discrimination is well maintained in today’s society by the widely known system of white racism. According to the white supremist, any other skin other than white represents irrationality, savagery, inferiority and possibly ugliness. Whiteness, by itself, is the opposite: beauty, civility, superiority, and rationality (Noe-Bustamante, Luis, et al.). These contrasting definitions have continued to enforce the colorism agenda despite several efforts in place to ensure these forms of racism are thwarted.
Colorism if African Americans and Latinos came about during the European and slavery America (Reece). These