I recently learned that using food to describe someone's skin tone is offensive. I'm trying to find an alternative descriptor for my Hispanic male character. I feel bronzed, tanned, golden are overused and I don't want to use one of those descriptors. Any thoughts on how I can describe his skin tone. Thank you in advance.
Is it necessary to describe his skin tone? If you just say "Hispanic", most readers will form an image in their minds.
food doesnt have to be offensive, but yes as nao says if you say - Julio was hispanic... we all know what he looks like... come to that if you tell us that his name is Julio Mendez (or other typically hispanic name) then you don't even need to tell us that much bear in mind as wrey was saying the other day that hispanic means that he is spanish american origin, it is not fully interchangeable with latino... the brazillians for example are latino but not hispanic
My story is written in the first person, so I find it a little difficult to say he was Hispanic. The sentence currently says: His caramel-colored skin begs to have my hands all over it. I'm trying to keep that tone and not be offensive to anyone with a darker complexion. I found a web page written by an African American woman and she says that she finds using food to describe completion extremely offensive because eating food symbolizes domination and ownership, as in slavery.
could you just nix the food all together? maybe describe a cultural tradition or a relative speaking in a different language. There are many, many shades. My friend recently explained to me that, although she is Mexican, she is considered "Caucasian" because she appears white. both of her parents are from Mexico. Her husband is from Hondoras, but because he is darker skinned, on census records, he has to put "Black." They are both Spanish speaking Latinos. perhaps you can describe general descriptions, like eye and hair color or something. but skin color/tones? thats tricky. go with traditions to get your point across (me thinks)
some people will be offended whatever you do ... i don't think there's anything wrong with the line as written, but you could also just say 'his skin begs....' since his colour presumably isn't that important to the attraction
This website is my go-to starting point if you are worried about this sort of thing: Spoiler EDIT: Why is it not letting me just post a link? It keeps making it into an image. I didn't ask it to do that. [spoliered by a moderator due to size]
Well, again, as moose said earlier, if we know his name by this point and it's a Hispanic name, there's no need to describe his skin colour. We can envisage it if we know he's Hispanic.
I like that idea. I think the readers will know that he is Hispanic since the other characters are speaking Spanish. I didn't even think of that. Thank you every one for your wonderful suggestions!
I've used a type of coffee before. Even the term 'as dark as space', to describe skin tone. Though there are many ways to describe something like that, but most of the time it isn't necessary unless the MC is making note of what they are seeing, since most people don't describe themselves in much if any physical detail typically.
Why not mention it the first time the character in first person see this person? It would be weird to mention it at the point you mention, but I also think that you should include descriptions when a character is first encountered. If I've been imagining this person as having very pale or dark skin, it would be annoying to suddenly find out that I guessed wrong part-way through.
This is was the first time the readers encountered this character. I have since changed the beginning and I think it will be pretty clear to the readers what his ethnicity is with this new beginning.
I can't say thank you enough to this community. I asked this same question on a writer's group on Facebook and got called a racist. Thank you for your help!!!!
