Shades of Identity: Examining the Interplays of Racism and Colorism on Ethnic-Racial Identity, Skin Tone Satisfaction, and Skin Tone Centrality Among Latine Youth

Abstract

Colorism is pervasive globally and holds salience within Latine populations. Adolescence is an important developmental period when Latine youth make meaning of racialized experiences, and examining how racism and colorism shape youth development and lived experiences is needed. First, it is important to understand how racism and colorism co-occur, and research should explore how racism and colorism relate to how youth feel about their ethnic-racial identity (ERI; i.e., negative affect) and come to terms with their ERI (i.e., exploration and resolution), as well as how youth view their skin tone (i.e., skin tone satisfaction). Second, research utilizing advanced longitudinal methods is needed to understand how racialization experiences inform youth development across time. The current dissertation sought to contribute to colorism and ERI literature through these foci across two papers by using advanced quantitative methods and analyses. The first paper explored how negative racialization experiences (e.g., racial microaggressions) relate to the ERI of Latine adolescents, and how skin tone, skin tone satisfaction, and gender moderate this association from an intersectional and cultural ecological lens. The second paper examined how racial discrimination relates to skin tone satisfaction over four days among Latine adolescents, and how skin tone self-concept moderates this association. Understanding the complexity of colorism, racism, and ERI across distinct dimensions and approaches will advance our understanding of Latine youth development and well-being.