Para las Morenas (For the Brown-Skinned Women)

Going to Guatemala, I was excited to immerse myself in the culture and be with people who resembled me. I’m someone who loves her ethnic features and who views others with darker complexions and ethnic features as beautiful. I find that our warm toasted skin, round facial structure, and deep brown eyes, which come from our ancestors, are so beloved and sacred. So, it was shocking to come into Guatemala and see that this was not true for all.

I first came in with such excitement and was in awe of the culture. The moment I stepped out of the airport, I saw a group of Guatemalan women of all ages holding their children. The women were wearing colorful garments, bright pink, orange, and red, embroidered with incredible patterns. These women were different ages and sizes but all fairly darker skinned. I thought it was so powerful to see them embrace their culture since typically, in the U.S., it is less likely to see Latinos wearing their traditional clothing. 

Eventually, my group had to go to our homestays. We rode on the bus and, while passing through the stunning streets of Guatemala City and looking at all the different stores and fast food places, many advertisements caught my eye. While I noticed that most women in the advertisements were lighter-skinned, I didn’t realize the implications of colorism at first. But by the third and fourth ad, I started to recognize a pattern. However, because of my excitement, I simply carried on and brushed it off. 

By the end of the trip, these thoughts were soon affecting me. At a certain point there was a moment where I looked at myself in the mirror and in my head said “Gosh, I look so tan,” in a negative way. I even said this out loud to my friend and she reminded me of how lucky I was and how being tan in the U.S. is something to brag about.

It felt like I was being snapped back into reality. What was I thinking? How could I ever even think that? I was so shocked at myself as someone who prides herself in loving all and every skin tone. It was saddening to hear myself say that.

Upon reflection, I have come to terms that this was not just me and my own insecurities. I was being influenced by all the advertisements, all the commentary from my host family, by the actions of the boys in our group. I wondered: If that questioning and doubt of my skin color developed while only living there for two weeks, how would a young woman feel living with these standards her whole life? 

In Latin America, one common pattern I saw was lighter skinned influencers or celebrities on TV. Many people who have a social media presence, who are famous (not just celebrities, but politicians and other high-ranking people) have fairer skin or light eyes. When I was in Guatemala and went to exchange money or went anywhere “high-class,” many of the workers were lighter skinned.  I compared this to the people who were doing construction or seeing people who were farming in San Miguel Escobar who were darker.

For instance, I noticed how sometimes some boys would choose white or lighter complexion women to dance with first. I would stand there hoping one of the teenagers (chapines, as we called them) would at least choose me because we were friends and would talk often but this would not be true. I noticed how they would compliment the girls with “colored eyes,” green or blue, and how beautiful they were. Or how guys would come and tell me they had a crush on a girl. This girl would have pale skin with long blonde hair and blue eyes. 

The media reflects reality. When you watch TV in Latin America, usually the characters or people are lighter skinned with colored eyes. It’s not only just TV media, but all types of media. If a woman or young teen never sees a dark skinned makeup influencer on her feed it damages her self esteem over time. Only looking at lighter skinned women as beauty influencers says so much about the standards in Latin America. These women are so young and can be influenced much easier especially since at such a young age you can be more sensitive and hyper aware of everyone else and their opinions. Learning and discovering that your skin tone is deemed as not “fit” for the media can affect your views on yourself and others for the rest of your life. While in Guatemala, I noticed that on my host family’s phones the main influencers were mostly white. Personally while growing up in the U.S and watching Telemundo and Univision, both Latino news outlets, I noticed that it tends to be just lighter skinned people. 

Being surrounded by this constant lack of representation not only affects children, young teens, and women but also men. The negative belief that people with lighter skin are the only ones who can be rich and worthy turns into this cycle that we start to see when looking for jobs or a partner. These decisions and societal pressures damage the mental health of a person who is of a darker complexion. Seeing yourself as the last choice is harmful. 

If media included more people, fictional or otherwise, with a darker skin tone, it would show children and young teens that they belong, help them feel seen, and tell that they are worthy of having their story told. 

According to NPR, “In Mexico, people with Indigenous features are looked down on, while white-skinned Mexicans are among the most powerful politicians, businesspeople and celebrities.” It is so common in Latin America that to be considered beautiful and attractive you must have pale skin although I do understand not all people think like this. It is still an issue that is so blatant and does cause mental health issues to many women being affected. 

In many TikTok street interviews in Mexico, an interviewer will ask men which state has the most attractive people, and many of the answers point to Jalisco, Mexico. Jalisco is known to have the whitest “gueritas,” (lighter-skinned/blonde women) while some say the “ugliest” are from Oaxaca, a place known for having women and men with more Indigenous features. 

I asked Kathryn Lyson, a Black woman who lives in the U.S but lived in Honduras and Bolivia when she was younger, about where she believes these Eurocentric beauty standards in the community come from.

“Supermodels. Advertisements on the TV shows,” she said, and went on to explain how lighter-skinned parents sometimes enforce them on their own kids. “[The parents] try to force it down their children. They try to make their kids bleach their skin because they want them to be able to get out of the hood streets… They just want their children to have a better [life].”

She told me that it “seems to be a requirement,” and shared how, for a lot of people, “the lighter you are, the more attractive you are.”

This influence of classism in beauty standards is not unique to Latin America. This is something that can be found around the world in all kinds of different cultures and places. But we see this huge difference in the U.S. where almost everyone wants a tan to look like they went on vacation or have more time for leisure. This is a more commonly popular trend  for white people and is sadly only benefiting on their part while actually being tan because of genetics and race is not as gratifying for actual people of color. It’s quite saddening to see how in one way being dark is considered an incredible lifestyle while in another it’s not.

Women of color are often seen as something negative by society. So it’s important to show, especially on social media, that all colors and races are beautiful.  When in Latin America or in the U.S., we can still advocate for change and continue to break these cycles.

“Accept who you are,” Kathryn told me when I asked her if she had any words of wisdom to those who feel insecure in their own skin. “You are beautiful inside and out; don’t let anybody [tell you differently] that what you see … is not what God intended for us to have. Accept your flaws. Accept your imperfections. That’s what makes you. And love you.”

I still think those Guatemalan women at the airport are beautiful and I have much more respect for them. To live and breathe in their culture in a community that might scrutinize them for their Indigenous features and skin color is very admirable. I now feel that there is so much work on behalf of the Latino community to break these barriers and to start creating change. I already do see that in the media morenas (darker skinned women) have been speaking out against these injustices and many influencers have been taking a stance to encourage the thought that all women of different colors (especially those with indigenous features) are beautiful.

Although this is a timely and difficult process it’s still incredibly important. I hope that one day all the dark-skinned women who have been discriminated against because of their looks will one day notice how fortunate they are to be able to call themselves morena. Remember that every skin color is unchangeable and perfectly absolute so live and appreciate your beauty that was given to you. Morenas, your color tells a story; do not wipe that away. You are captivating and beautiful in every possible aspect.