The Effect of Skin Tone on the Implicit Categorization and Stereotyping of Latine Americans

Latine Americans, the largest racial minority group in the United States, exhibit significant intragroup diversity in physical appearance. Research shows that Latine people are perceived as racially ambiguous, with few facial features used to reliably identify them. Our research examines the role of skin tone in the implicit categorization and stereotyping of Latine Americans. Across three studies (N = 782), we found that Latine individuals with medium skin tones were more likely to be implicitly associated with the Latine category (Studies 1a and 1b) and perceived as foreigners compared to those with lighter skin tones (Study 2). Although all participants associated darker skin with being Latine and foreign, Latine participants did so to a lesser extent than non-Latine participants. These findings suggest that skin tone plays a key role in how both Latine and non-Latine individuals implicitly categorize someone as Latine, with prototypical targets more likely to be associated with negative stereotypes.