Paler Is not Prettier: Little Evidence of Colorism among Asian American Speed-Daters

Although racial preferences in dating are often studied, colorism receives less attention. In addition, most research on colorism within the United States has focused on Blacks and Latinxs. Therefore, we examined the role of colorism in attraction among single Asian Americans ( N = 262) through speed-dating. Participants reported their racial/ethnic preferences in dating and participated in speed-dating, which yielded their revealed preferences for skin tone and ethnicity. Findings indicated little evidence for colorism. Overall, skin tone did not predict speed-dating success (mate desirability ratings and second date offers). U.S.-born men and women showed slight revealed preferences for darker skin, whereas foreign-born men and women diverged in their preferences, with women preferring lighter skin in men and men preferring darker skin in women. Skin tone also played little role in stated racial/ethnic preferences in dating after accounting for the participant’s generational status, ethnicity, and gender. Findings indicate that these demographic factors might underlie previously documented effects of skin tone among Asian Americans.