| SUMMARY: |
As an identity shift that has existed for centuries, passing is a
strategy to change one’s perceived identity that cannot be
separated from colorism, or the preference for individuals
exhibiting European-like bodily features. The results of the
psychological study of colorism undertaken by Crutchfield et
al. show that this predilection is a “historical trauma response
[that] not only incorporates subjugation of oppressed African
Americans, but can also incorporate resistance” (826). Passing
can send mixed messages where oppression contaminates
resistance and vice versa. |
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