Skin color/shade in the White community an issue?

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So I have Asian, Hispanic, Native American, and Black friends that I've talked to and we've all recollected on the major issue of skin color within our communities, families, societies etc. Usually with Asians (Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans etc) usually the lighter you are the better. But too white like extremely pale is considered to be sickly and ugly. With my Native American friends the lighter you are the better yet again but it doesn't seem to be as serious, among certain groups of Native Americans it doesn't matter but they still have the same issue. Blacks and latinos seem to have the deepest issues in regards to skin color (raises hand). Like major psychological issues. of course, it has always been the lighter the more beautiful, more respected, the more powerful; the darker the uglier, the more animalistic, the more hyper-sexualized, more associated with poverty.
I've discussed this with alot of my Dominicana, Puerto Rican, Mexicana, and Colombian friends where it was actually instilled by parents and elders of their family that the lighter you are the better. Even in my own family the Cubans and Brasilians are always stressing that I need to be lighter. I used to hate my skin color because of it but now I've learned not to care. Among my black friends, the light-skinned girls and guys are always treated much differently than their dark-skinned counterparts. This is nothing new to me since I've dealt with it literally all my life, but it's still effed up. I feel like this mentality is dying out among my generation yet still staying strong at the same time.
But I've never discovered this issue with any of my white friends. Skin color is never brought up... ever. So, do you guys really not have any issues at all or is there something I'm missing?

I have absolutely no issues with color... my issue is with attitude, regardless of color. Treat me with some sense, and I'll do the same.And Abi, though you already know this, I think you're a total cutie. And from you pictures I've seen you have a very beautiful skin tone.

Quote:pay good money to have skin the color of yours in that picture. Same here!!!Living in Canada, I'm pale for 7-8 months a year!! IT SUCKS ASS!!!!

In English books from the first half of the 20th century people who are swarthy tend to be mistrusted as 'looking foreign'. There was evidently considerable xenophobia around there in those days.

Well it's not really the color, again it's the attitude. As my favorite comedian, Wanda Sykes, say that when people ask who is the REAL Michelle Obama they actually mean when is she going go all attitude on them. Look it up on YouTube it's hilerious!! Also Steph I only have a real sub for about a month and the tan never leaves!! Lol

Skin color is never an issue with me. FWIW, I even find darker skin more attractive than overly pale skin.

I DO have a bit of a problem with some cultures though. Perhaps it's, as Ineligible hinted at, that some folks associate skin color with a particular culture. Though that may have been true many, many years ago, all bets are off these days.

some of it goes toward either fear of or attraction to someone different.I'm attracted to people who are different. Although she's white, my g/f is much darker than me (english boy lol)

I've never known about any issues with different shades of white (grey-scale?). Irish people don't have problems with that sort of thing because most of us are as pale as fuck. But there are also Irish people with very sallow skin (such as myself) due to a large amount of Spanish blood floating around in our gene pool (Explanation). But I've never known it to be in any way an issue.

But I must say that there is a large amount of xenophobia in this country. This is mainly because until the 1990s, Ireland wasn't really a place that anyone would want to come and live. But then we had a huge economic boom, the country became quite well off and it attracted a lot of foreign people looking for work. This rapid influx of lots of people from different places all over the world came as a bit of a culture shock and the small amount of bad eggs amongst the immigrants really gave the group at large a bad name.

We have die hard Republicans (not the same as American Republicans) who think that because our country has only been free for a very short amount of time (our full independence was only recognised in 1937) that we shouldn't be flooding the country with foreigners, they think that Ireland should just be for Irish people.

Our problems with race though are actually cultural problems, for example there are very few black people in Ireland that were actually born here, so most black people are seen as being part of these foreign groups that we're apparently having trouble with. But skin colour isn't the defining feature, Irish people have huge problems with Romanian and Polish people who are, for the most part, white.

But its definitely an issue with the older generation and less educated people. I know many foreign nationals who are good friends of mine. For years I was head over heals with a Chinese friend of mine. I'm good friends with, and have slept with, an Indian girl that I've known since I was 5 who has an Irish accent 24/7 except when she's talking to her parents. In secondary school, I was good friends with the son and daughter of the Nigerian ambassador. My favourite teacher in secondary school was black and had the strongest Cork accent I've ever heard! I have 3 friends in college who are black, all of them from Nigeria, except one talks with a Nigerian accent, one with an Irish accent and one with an American accent.

And I'm not a very politically correct person. I make racial jokes with these guys and they do the same with me and its always in good fun. This year I almost convinced them to dress in loincloths with spears and jump up and down in front of the college to freak out the first years. I've walked in on one of them having sex in a dark room and he had a pair of white socks on, so I shouted out how it looked like 2 pints of Guinness floating around in the air. These guys have never had any issues with people in the college over their skin colour and are very popular people.

Hmmm, gone way off topic here...

A long time ago, people with lighter skin were usually considered to be higher in society. In the white community today, I'd say it's different. Media is always pushing people to get tans and not be so white. Everyone I know that can't tan wishes they could. I know many people that have gotten married within the last few years and they all try to get as dark as possible before the wedding day. I don't think the skin tone is associated with the person's actions or instincts. It seems to be that today's society considers darker skin to be more attractive. Just my opinion.

Now that we're on the topic of Skin.

Anyone heard of Sammy Sosa? I know anyone over 25 has.

check this out: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Sosa+lightens+under+skin+rejuvenation/2203912/story.html

wack.

I don't know I'm native american and unless I hide from the sun for long periods of time I'm pretty dark red and I don't see to have any problems.

Quote:It seems to be that today's society considers darker skin to be more attractive. I don't think society on a whole, but rather just certain communities. Cause you sure don't see pro-dark skin in latino/black communities.My friends and I were discussing it recently about the disappearance of dark-skinned women in music videos (it's a no-win situation in my opinion) but also these lame rappers and singers that glorify "red bone" or light-skinned girls aka lil wayne. He's madd ugly though so I wouldn't count him but in a way I have to cause he influences too many people. But yea...

Well you're still hot, no matter what shade!

Originally Posted By: bobaliciousWell you're still hot, no matter what shade! Mmmmmm. Choklit!

Yeah I definetly think he looks better looking black as opposed to white.

I am not pale, I am PINK. I used to always, always be teased about my complexion when I was younger, because I can't truly tan, and when I do, I get tons of freckles... I just think skin color is another way people can make others feel bad.

If your hair is dark, you want it light.If it curly, you want it straight.haha right. i wanted dark hair and so i colored it (twice). noone liked my hair dark i did..... noone else tho.i have wavy long hair.... i wish it was stright like my sisters. She wants my hair. shit, some of sara and shannon's friends want my hair. i use a hair strightner on it to make it look stright. i have ice eyes... there like so light blue... most like them but i think they stick out too much. i've been asked if there my contacts but ther not. i have to get a special type for stigtisim and to let air get to my eye. they don't make them in colors - if they did ild get soem dark blue ones or brown or somthng. My sis does have the ones wiht colors but she uses regular contacts. My sis ter also wants to color her hair dark- she thinks it might help wiht her not looking so much liek casey.Shannon was never a natural burnette and has whent back to her blond hair. 0.o i liekd her dark hair but i'm getting used to her blond hair. i happen to think red heads are unique.

beware the redheads! I've dated the equivalent of a small village worth of redheads and they're all a bit nuts (cute... but nuts!)

I cannot picture Shannon a blond. How did that saying go, "Red on the head, wild in bed." or something like that?I like girls with dark hair. ...in both locations.

As a white Englishman living in London I see people of every creed and colour every single day...I don't really understand the colour issue to be honest, I don't even notice it. You are not defined by your colour, you are defined by your personality and other things that make you you.If you are a good person, you are a good person regardless of what colour your skin is. If you are a ct, your a ct regardless of what colour your skin is.If you see yourself as a colour and not a person you become part of the problem in my eyes. I am aware that the US is prehaps still has a little way to go in regards to race equality but if you start seeing people and not races life is a lot better! Ultimately how we are braught up will have an impact on our views on race but never think you arent as good as someone else because of your colour, the US has a black president. If someone said that 30 years ago the'd have got lynched, its reality now! Embrace people of different races, religions and cultures, they bring a vibrance to society and half the reason I moved to London was to experiance it, sure there are the minority of people who have issues with diversity but I love it!