Why in Guatemala is there two different coloured people?

Question

I am from Guatemala and i am what you would call the whiter side but i also have relatives you are darker
What is the reason behind this?

Answer 1

Genotype are the genetic characteristics and phenotype are the visible traites. Because of the crossings between spaniards and indigenous people you have the "mestizo". Well to be honest many people call them "races" but that term is long discarted from science. Your phenotype may be white eventhough you parents have darker skin (my case). I'm from El Salvador and we have the same situation here. People in the norther part of the country are usually white and green eyed, this is because "white" genes are more predominant than the indigenous. But we have all white and glond o really dark brown in the same area but all of this is given by the "gene lotto".

Answer 2

If youve been in Guatemala you will know that there are many diferent tones in the population, not just two. For example, people in the Atlantic, in Livingston are darker because of their foreparents who initialy settled the area. Others in warmer climates are dark but not so much, still others have just a slight darker pigment in their skin, and others are completley have white skin and green eyes (like myself).

It all depends en your genetics, for example many Spanish and other Europeans came to settle/conquer Guatemala in the begining, and that may account to the lighter skin. For example there is a town in the highlands called Sija, where a lot of Spanish took settlement and did not mix with the locals, and even when it is located in the highlands arround very native villages whose inhabitants have darker skin, most of them are white white.

Remember when the Spanish came some of them made families with the locals, and they bore mestizos. These people may have lighter skin. Add that to the people already living in Gutemala when the spanish came, The mayas, who continued mating normaly, having their own race.

You probably have some family members that belong to come from spanish or other europeans and others that come from the maya, that makes you lighter (like myself). I for one am very proud of my mayan forefathers.

I am very white, too white for my taste, but my grand father was very darked skin.

Again.... it all depends on genetics.

Answer 3

It could have to do with their ancestory being the Mayans. They looked like Indian ppl look, darker than most Hispanics now.


My husband is from Guatemala and he is medium dark. But he told me there are ppl there that are more white than some Americans are.

It also could just be the difference in ppl, like here, in the US, ppl are all different colors.

Answer 4

You are mestizo. The "criollos" were the white spanish. The "mestizos" were the mixed white and indian and the last but not least was the pure indian or pre-columbian.

Answer 5

Fortunately, Guatemalans come in every color and hue.

Answer 6

You are just lucky. Don't press your luck.