Forum Index
»
Infants, Toddlers, & Preschoolers
Skin color qestion for east asian parents
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Hi,
My 4-yo son had a discussion in his pre-K class on 'what color is your skin.' We're ethnic Chinese and his teacher said he's bronze/brown(???). Being a foreigner myself and with my limit vocabulary on colors I'm not sure which one it should, but I guess it's bronze? I just wonder if any east asian parent who's born/grew up here could share what best describes our (typical Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc.) skin color? He's mentioned his skin color a few times now and because I know this answer is going to stick with him for a LONG time, I want to get it right from the beginning. Thanks! |
zumbamama
Site Admin Offline
Site Admin Offline
| I have seen East Asians range from white to yellow to brown...but I would prefer to say olive, golden or tan. |
Anonymous
|
I am curious to know what the curriculum of that class or discussion were. Why would you introduce such a topic at that impressionable age? Without knowing the content of the rest of the discussion, ... I don't like that he has to be aware of the color of his/her skin so early.
|
Anonymous
| Yeah, I don't get it. Why would there be a discussion entitled "what color is your skin?" anyway? My kid is part Korean, part Asian Indian and part Caucasian. I wonder what color his skin is??! |
Anonymous
... or to be aware of anybody else's skin color for that matter. I'd have a talk with the teacher(s). I've heard the reference to Asians as being yellow comes from events in the 1800s when the Chinese immigrants on the West Coast of America would walk away from fights rather than dishonor the reputation of their families. So Americans called them yellow. I'm ethnic Korean and where the sun don't shine, I am white and after tanning, I turn tan/brown. |
Anonymous
| I think it's weird that it would be part of the cirriculum to discuss skin color at such a young age. But, kids recognize it from very early on. I think I remember at early 4 is when mine started to talk about it. He is now 5 and last night he was telling me about a new friend in school and one of his descriptors was that he is brown. He calls people with freckles polka dotted. He used to call his own skin yellow but not so much recently. Now he calls himself tan. In the summer he calls himself almost brown, which he really seems to like. I will have to listen close to see how he describes his Asian friends. |
Anonymous
|
We come from an Asian background.
The topic of "what color is your skin" has come up in our household as it has come up in discussions at school. Not as part of the curriculum. Just as part of every day pre-K chit chat at school, on the playground, in the cafeteria, and everywhere else I suppose. It is so innocent, but I always cringe when I hear about these conversations. For now, my children have settled on calling themselves "tan." |
Anonymous
| I am one of three asian sisters. We say we are olive with yellowish undertones. For make up purposes we are honey-beige or medium. You can take him to the makeup section at the drug store and play with the samples. He can see all the different shades that people come in.e |
Anonymous
| My son is part Caucasian, part Filipino-he has an "olive" skin tone. |
Anonymous
| My son has no idea in the world what color olive is. To the PPs who posted that they or their children have olive toned skin, do your 4 and 5 year olds recognize that as a color? |
Anonymous
And I'm sure he's gorgeous! I've seen that mixture a fair amount around these parts, including my godson. It's a combination that always seems to work. But you may be interested to know my godson refers to his "white" skin. He's right, he is very fair, but I've always wondered whether that upsets his Filipino parent. |
Anonymous
"My son has no idea in the world what color olive is. To the PPs who posted that they or their children have olive toned skin, do your 4 and 5 year olds recognize that as a color? " He's golden-looks sort of tan all year round. Some asians have light skin, however since the Phillipines was invaded by the Spanish for many years, they have darker skin because of the mix. People are always trying to figure out my son, he doesn't look asian, unless he's with his daddy, then you can see the similarities, and he has some of my features...but has asian hair. Lets put it this way, he's not "fair". Of course, I'm biased because I'm his mommy-but he is awful cute! I could look at him all day long 
|
Anonymous
| 21:57, just curious...I thought the Spanish invasion of the Philippines lightened up the natives, thus creating the mestizos who were fairer, being mixed with the European blood of Spain. I am mestiza Filipina, and it seems my family with more native features are darker than the ones with Spanish blood. My two DCs are one quarter Filipino, but one looks very Asian and the other looks completely European. |
Anonymous
|
My husbands extended family have more of a tan complexion-they're from Manila. My husband told me that the islands have even darker skin. I really don't know that much about it. Also-I've never been there and my husband doesn't visit.
His mom has light skin but she has a lot Chinese. It's all very confusing to me! |
Anonymous
Spaniards (in Spain) are white/very fair skinned. The further north you go, the taller their height and lighter their skin, than in southern Spain, where they're shorter, darker, & hairier. There's a misconception in the US that Central Americans are Spanish. They speak Spanish but are latino, a mixture of the indigenous Indians, Spaniards, & other ethnic groups. |