I usually stick with “light-skinned black person”, “medium brown black person”, and “very dark black person”. It seems to work OK. Of course, “dark skinned white guy” is a different color than “dark skinned black guy”. We probably could have better words for describing skin color but I work with what we’ve got.
Yeah, your race is one of your identifying features. Once worked in a place where I was the “white [name]” as opposed to “black [name]”. It was the easiest way to distinguish between us for those who didn’t know us personally. Given I live in a city that’s 85% black, it’s not unknown for me to be referred to as “the white girl” in a group of people. 99% of the time it’s not offensive, it just is.
Being unbiased doesn’t mean ignoring race, it means race/skin color/whatever is just another trait, like hair color/texture, height, and so forth.
This. I picked ‘‘bloodless.’’ There are existing photographs of me that look like some kind of ghostly apparition more than living, breathing, human. I’m allergic to the sun.
Make-up color is ivory. I burn in five minutes, and it doesn’t turn into a tan. I’m relieved that my children all have hard-to-burn skin ranging from olive to light brown, thanks to their paternal genes.
I chose “bronzed”, but I’m not sure that is completely right. I have a good bit of American Indian in me, but the European influences leave me looking pretty darn Mexican/Latin American. Many people are surprised when they find that there is none of that in my heritage.
And yes, people do occasionally approach me and speak Spanish. I speak a little, but not nearly enough to carry on a conversation.
I’m half Filipino, but I look like a mid-toned white guy. However, for some reason, I appear to burn faster than other, whiter-skinned people. The rest of my friends are in the water while I’m still changing into my long-sleeved hooded swimming top and applying sunscreen to every square mm of my exposed hide.
I know a Jewish guy with red-hair who is REALLY, REALLY tired of hearing how no one ever met a read-haired Jew before, isn’t it unusual for Jews to have red-hair, you look like Kyle from South Park, etc., etc. People can’t seem to think of anything else to talk about.
Even Jews feel compelled to talk about his hair, which is only unusual, because it’s usually gentiles who feel compelled to comment on Jewish people’s appearance. Gentiles seem to be unable to resist commenting on the degree to which you do or do not look Jewish, and many of them proudly exclaim “I knew it!” or “You really look it,” when I tell them I’m Jewish.
I don’t know that commenting on relative skin tone carries more baggage than any other comment on our appearance, but I hear so many comments from how (when I was younger) I was “Pretty for a Jewish girl,” to how I wouldn’t have lasted 10 seconds in Germany in 1939, because they could spot me three blocks away. In the summer, when I’m tanned, I get asked if I’m Israeli. If I’m wearing a dress, I get asked if I’m Orthodox (Yeah, if I could choose any wig at all, this is what I’d choose).
Of course, that’s people who have heard of Judaism. Everyone else still thinks I’m Hispanic.
Yeah, I get that and I’m vampire white and only half Jewish. In accordance with that half the time I get “I knew it! You look Jewish!” and the other half “Really? You don’t look Jewish…”
Is translucent a color? Seriously, I’m pale. Not so much back in the day when I played softball 24/7, but now I’m sure I scare small children when I wear shorts. However, I’m usually set in advance for Halloween.
