'Their Racism Versus Our Racism': Professor Speaks on Institutionalized Racism in Mexico Madison Hite - The Brown and White
go to original February 18, 2017

Viral Racism in Mexico - English Subtitles (1NopalY3Tunas)

As a young girl, Monica Moreno Figueroa was given simple advice from her grandmother: marry a man who had lighter skin than her to “improve” their family’s genealogy.

Moreno Figueroa says her experience with image and racial bias is common in her home country of Mexico. A lecturer in sociology at the University of Cambridge, Moreno Figueroa spoke about her research on institutionalized racism and the racialization of health and justice in Mexico.

Moreno Figueroa’s grandmother has blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. Moreno Figueroa, who has dark hair and a dark complexion, says she grew up thinking her grandmother was the ideal image of beauty.

“We don’t look like we come from the same family,” Moreno Figueroa said. “This is how it is in Mexico. One sister can have fair skin, and the other a dark complexion. This normalizes racism.”

As she matured, Moreno Figueroa said she began to question her grandmother’s words. This was no small feat, she said. It seemed talk of a “more beautiful” skin type was not limited to her house but was ingrained in some national practices in Mexico.

She said one practice is the class system.

“Lighter skin is thought of as richer,” Moreno Figueroa said. “It is a common thing to look to ‘improve’ the race. For example, don’t marry a dark man.”

Moreno Figueroa showed a video of children with two dolls, one white and one black (video above). The children in the video were asked which was prettier, which was nicer, which they liked better and which they identified better with. Every time, the children picked the fair-skinned doll.

Moreno Figueroa said she uses this example to show how early young people in Mexico are taught to value light skin. Although there are no segregation laws in Mexico, the topic of race still makes people uncomfortable.

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