light and dark skin in Mexico

["Erlinda Castanon-Long" <longsjourney@...>]

I find it interesting that after 500 years we Mexicans are still 
trying to explain our skin color.
My maternal grandmother was poor as a church mouse but was very 
proud of her white skin and my mothers blond hair and blue eyes, 
they were from Jalisco.  My fathers family was from Zacatecas, 
darker skinned with Mestizo blood lines.  When my father married my 
mother my maternal grandmother was very upset because he was dark 
skinned.  Her first question when babies were born was always "what 
color are they."  It's no wonder with this background as a child 
raised in a color concious California when people told me I 
didn't "look" like a Mexican I was proud, not something I am proud 
of now... As I grew up and learned the history of my genealogy I 
learned to take pride in all that I am and not the color of my skin, 
and now when someone askes me what nationality I am and they say the 
usual "you don't look like a Mexican" I always respond, "What does a 
Mexican look like?"  I also understand how that happened to my 
grandmother and her intentions in wanting to keep the family light 
skinned.  Life is harder with more life lessons when your skin is 
dark regardless of your origins.  In Mexico and the U.S we are a 
society that favors light skin.  The true value of forums like this 
group is to regain the pride that our immigrant ancestors had taken 
away from them because they were "different" regardless of skin 
color.

Like Emilie I live in Washington and there are times where I am told 
I am the only Mexican they have ever met!  I can't change the 
attitudes of the world but I can change opinions one person at a 
time by my behavior, sense of pride and sharing the knowledge I'm 
learning about my Mexican roots.  I undertook this quest when my 
grandson called a Tortilla a little pizza!

Thank you to all who've shared opinions and information on this 
issue.

Linda