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Emmie asked this question about The Color Purple:
I am so in love with this book but there are some colloquial words that I don't understand, and I can't find a specific definition for this one: "yellowskin". Here's the word in context from page 81: "I see Harpo cross the room with his little yellowskin girlfriend." What does yellowskin mean? Does it mean Squeak is white or...?
Connie "Yellowskin" refers to a bi-racial person. Also referred to in the past as "High Yellow". These persons are usually of 1/4 or 1/2 black ancestry. A lo…more"Yellowskin" refers to a bi-racial person. Also referred to in the past as "High Yellow". These persons are usually of 1/4 or 1/2 black ancestry. A long time ago, a person with 1/4 black ancestry was referred to as a "quadroon" and a person with 1/8 black ancestry, was sometimes referred to as an "octoroon". (less)
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The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
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