well, I got my info from an anthropologist study, and it seemed conclusive.
The preference of whiter vs darker skin is prevalent among many cultures, in Asia and India, for example, probably also Near & Middle East.
In India, the lighter the skin, the higher the caste.
In Asia, lighter skin is considered beautiful since the ancient times until today, which is why you can buy "whiteners" in every store down there.
There is hardly a connection between ancient asian customs and the US slave era
and just as a side note, light skin was also valued in Europe in earlier times, called "noble pallor", because it indicated a higher social status to not be sunburned.
It was not about ethnicity, if you so will, but about social status; those chilling inside were the rich and those working in the fields the poor.
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