A majority of Latinos say darker skin leads to more discrimination, a new Pew Research Center survey found, with skin color shaping their daily life experiences a lot.
Majorities of Latinos say discrimination is worse and getting ahead is harder for Hispanics with darker skin, but about 80 percent see themselves as having lighter skin, a Pew Research Center poll found.
Latinos responding to the Pew survey released Thursday said skin color affects their lives, with 62 percent saying having darker skin hurts Hispanics’ ability to get ahead at least a little.
“Regardless of their skin color, Latinos are very aware of colorism in their community and how having darker skin color can hurt their chances to get ahead in life and, in the opposite way, how having lighter skin can help them get ahead,” said Ana Gonzalez-Barrera, lead author of the Pew report on the survey.
The types of discrimination and the overall share of Hispanics who said they experienced them were: Police acted as if you were not smart, 35 percent; experienced discrimination by someone who is non-Hispanic, 31 percent; experienced discrimination by someone who is Hispanic, 27 percent; criticized for speaking Spanish, 21 percent; told to go back to your country, 21 percent; feared for personal safety, 21 percent; called offensive names, 20 percent; unfairly stopped by police, 9 percent.
For example, while a quarter of light-skinned Latinos said they experienced discrimination by someone who is Hispanic, 41 percent of dark-skinned Latinos said they experienced discrimination from other Latinos.
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