LALS 031. Colorism in Paradise

Cross-listed with ANTH 031
This course will introduce the concept of colorism, its relationship to racism, and consider the prevalence of color over race as an identity and social category across Latin America and the Caribbean. We will study colorism as a part of nationalist projects, including the confluence of anti-Haitian and anti-Black discourse in the Dominican Republic, the worship of Hindu Gods in popular Afro-Trinidadian festivals, and the so-called Racial Democracy of Brazil. We will also explore how colorism is internalized and experienced by individual actors through practices such as skin bleaching and hair straightening, and acknowledge contemporary efforts to expose colorism.
Eligible for BLST

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