Light skin is an ideal in the United States because it is indicative of the dominant mainstream population. For Hispanic Americans whose skin reflects a range of colors, this causes distress. In their efforts to assimilate via a domination model, they are forced to internalize norms that conflict with that range. A result is the "bleaching syndrome, " manifested in the preference for light skin where applicable. The alternative causes them to su;ffer depression and other mental health disorders. Only by adhering to the internalization of nonns that idealize their population in toto can Hispanic Americans assimilate fully without incident.
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