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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

RELEVANT THEORIES

The Critical Race Theory Bell D. A., Freeman A., Crenshaw K., et al., which is racism is a

result of both individual prejudice and bias, as well as systemic racism in laws and regulations is the

theoretical underpinning of this study. According to critical race theorists, racism and race affect

people, society, and the organizations that uphold the policies of the three branches of the US

government. Article I. CRT claims that because it relied on immigrant and slave labor, as well as

the subjugation of Native American nations, the United States of America developed and

prospered. The nation's history of racial and class divisions and gender hierarchy is deeply

ingrained in the laws, regulations, and social conceptions that have shaped the United States of

America. The country was founded on the subjugation, domination, and extermination of people

of color.

Critical race theorists dissect these activities in order to undermine beliefs of neutrality,

fairness, and white racial supremacy that the majority of Americans accept. The theorists explore

the effects of practical and social repercussions for people of color using crucial legal texts and

legislation. Critical race theorists show how philosophical assumptions of colorblindness are used

in reality by people infected with racism as a means to preserve authority and avoid sharing

resources with people of color in the U.S.A.

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The connection of this theory in our study is that according to Critical Race Theory, racial

injustice in education is a competitive achievement system. It investigates the influence of

educational policies and practices in maintaining normative whiteness or paleness. The idea

opposes the conventional narrative in education about people of color's inherent inferiority and

white or pale people's normative superiority. It challenges historicism and investigates the

historical connections between modern educational injustice and racial oppression. It also engages

in intersectional analyses, recognizing the interaction of race with other identity markers (e.g.,

gender, class, the field of sexuality, language background, and legal status).

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

According to Herrero's (2021) research, colorism is a prevalent desire for light skin. Racism,

slavery, and inequality are the foundations of this discrimination. Colorism, like whiteness, is

sometimes the cause of the beauty standard in schoo. Owing to the way whiteness has historically

been constructed, the consumption of whiteness is commercialized through markets, such as

whitening soaps, lotions, bleaching, photo editing like Photoshop, using filters, etc. Ellis (2023)

Although racial inequality is commonly researched in education, educational researchers

have paid less attention to it, and the real social activities in schools that cause these differences

are not widely recognized (Hunter 2015). The origin of colorism is in early colonialism and

slavery in every corner of the world. Colorism grew to become what it is now due to the

traditional desire for whiter skin and the establishment of the caste system in South Asian, East

Asian, and Latino cultures. Colorism is perpetuated by socializing agencies such as mass media,

schools, government, and family through music, movies, policies, and language (Raham 2020).
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Bullying is also one of the causes of colorism. According to Webb (2016), colorism in

education arises from implicit prejudices regarding persons with a darker complexion that

educators may be unaware of. It may also be a source of tension among students, resulting in

harassment, intimidation, or fights. Labels such as caramel, jigaboo, light-bright, yellow, high

yellow, red, redbone, blackie, darky, burned, blue-black, and charcoal should be noted. "Pretty for

a dark-skinned girl," "I'm not black; I'm brown," "Black and ugly," "Pretty light-skinned girls,"

and "Acting light-skinned" are some examples of judgmental remarks to pay attention to.

Colorism is also caused by family. Eugene (2023) discovered that participants'

comprehension and attitudes regarding colorism were profoundly affected by their familial

history. The findings additionally showed similarities in experiences across ethnic groups,

emphasizing the cross-cutting and multicultural character of colorism. Finally, intersectionality

aided participants in critically explaining how colorism arises in teaching methods. The

implications for policy and practice are examined.

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

RELATED STUDIES

Foreign Studies

Thompson (2015) studied the effects of race and skin tone on academic success and

discovered that there is significant skin-tone discrimination in GPA both between and within racial

groups. African Americans have flat skin tone differences, whereas those with darker skin tones

have lower scores. The data emphasizes the relationship between colorism and racial
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categorization, highlighting the negative effects of racial discrimination and nonblack populations’

addressing colorism.

According to Crutchfield (2022), colorism in schools causes academic, social, and

emotional difficulties for students of color. The goal of this scoping study is to compare the

educational backgrounds of students from various racial origins (African Americans, Native

Americans, Asians, and Latinos) in US public schools with colorism. When viewed alongside

African American and Asian students, it will be expected that the overlooked population of Latinx

and indigenous students of color would face discrimination based on color in academic settings in

a unique way.

Haynes (2021) found the effects of colorism on non-White female academic leaders, with a

particular focus on how it is seen in educational environments. The research questions address

how colorism affects the careers of women and/or people of color in positions of power, how it

relates to equal rights attitudes about higher education, factors associated with colorism

experiences (age, skin tone), and how women and/or people of color respond to and cope with

colorism in the workplace.

Crutchfield (2023) also found that lighter skin tones and Eurocentric traits were connected to

superior academic achievements across ethnic and racial groupings, according to the study.

Students of color, particularly those with darker complexion, may modify their physical

characteristics to reduce the effects of colorism and prejudice in schools. Students with darker skin

tones had higher encounters with mental health and substance addiction issues. Future school

reform leaders, according to advocates, should focus on culturally responsive teaching, curricula,
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and programming. They ought to additionally affirm various skin tones that more closely

approximate "blackness" and monitor school discipline for colorist prejudice in punishment,

incentives, and achievement patterns. Colorist situations for students of color must also be

addressed and prevented through targeted counseling and mediation.

Local Studies

According to De Los Santos (2023), in Philippine culture, colorism, or the desire for a lighter

complexion over darker skin, is prevalent. You can see it in the startling number of ads and

billboards promoting whitening creams, tablets, and procedures. You may see it in comments from

close friends and relatives encouraging you to wear sunscreen and cover yourself when you go out

in the sun to avoid tanning. It's seen in young Filipinas' desire to marry a Western immigrant and

have children with fair complexion.

According to Sabado-Liwag (2022), Filipinx/a/o Americans (FilAms), the third-largest Asian

American group, and the systemic racism they face. It argues that racism creates a list of the seen

and discusses how racism and colonialism continue to affect Filipinos. The authors highlight both

historical and contemporary behaviors that obstruct efforts to eliminate systemic racial barriers that

have an impact on Filipino health. They support a variety of approaches, citing solid population

data, recognizing neocolonial factors that don’t recognize and ignore FilAms, and supporting

organizations that seek to improve self- and community-care.

In this study by Regencia (2023), a highly favorable body image improvements is caused by

the internet’s admired representations can lead to anxiety and depression. Resulting people are less

accepting of their physical appearances as a result of a rising trend of skin-lightening practices

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linked to psychological suffering. This protocol employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate

the links between skin-lightening actions, body image perception, and mental health in Filipino

teenagers and young adults.

Laforteza (2022) observed that this veneration of whiteness comes with judgment towards

those with darker skin, resulting in serious psychological and physical consequences, including the

effect it has on Filipino women's sense of self-worth and our ingrained association of lighter skin

with better employment and passionate prospects.

In the study of Medina (2020), Filipino colorism, commonly known as the "bleaching

syndrome," is a long-standing problem in the Philippines, deriving from European enslavement and

colonization. As a result, pale skin tones and Anglican characteristics have been kept as the

aesthetically pleasing ideal, promoting colorism in European-colonized nations. Furthermore,

colorism remains in schools, with a 1990 research finding a roughly equal schooling difference

between light-skinned and dark-skinned African Americans.

Furthermore, according to Alcade's (2022) research, a primary contributing cause to the

prevalence of colorism in the Philippines is the lack of education regarding the subject. This is

crucial to prevent colorism from influencing children at an early age, especially for those from

postcolonial backgrounds. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) has said that action and education are the only ways to combat racism. Many Filipinos,

particularly students, are speaking out against colorism and using their own experiences to educate

themselves after traumatic experiences. Not every person should have to rely solely on experience.
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