Color me Khmao:The effects of social factors on colorism among Khmer women

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: Given the lack of academic literature on colorism focusing specifically on the Cambodian community and the lack of colorism scholarship focusing on the influence of the complexion of those in the community, this study seeks to analyze how Khmer women's perceptions of colorism are shaped by their family and community contexts. The data and methods consist of forty in-depth qualitative interviews of Khmer American women and their experiences with colorism analyzed through a thematic analysis. Findings reveal factors such as family support and Khmer cultural connections worked in combination with relative skin tone in both women’s families and their broader communities to shape their self-esteem and experiences with colorism. Women with darker skin did not necessarily have the lowest self-esteem, especially if they had supportive families and lived in communities with more darker skinned people. Similarly, women with lighter skin did not necessarily have the highest self-esteem, especially when their families reinforced color hierarchies and they lived in communities dominated by White or East Asian Americans. By examining and understanding the structural issue further that is colorism, communities of color work towards racial and ethnic justice while considering strategies for future generations to engage in moving forward against colorism.

Type of resource	text
Publication date	July 19, 2023

Author	Veak, Vanessa
Advisor	Saperstein, Aliya

Subject	Cambodian community, colorism, complexion, Khmer American, Khmer cultural connections
Genre	Text
Genre	Thesis

Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/vr907bw3389

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License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND).

Preferred citation: Veak, V. (2023). Color me Khmao:The effects of social factors on colorism among Khmer women. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/vr907bw3389.

Stanford University, Department of Sociology, Co-terminal Master's thesis collection.

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