FRIENDSHIP IS SKIN (COLOR) DEEP

Abstract Friendships between members of different ethnoracial groups can help to reduce prejudice and ease tensions across groups. A large body literature has explored possible determinants for the formation these friendships. One unexplored factor is role an individual’s skin color in influencing their opportunities befriend other This study seeks answer two questions: For minorities, how associated with likelihood that they will engage a cross-ethnoracial friendship? Does depend on combination one another? Using waves 1, 2, 3 National Longitudinal Survey Freshmen series multinomial logit models, results suggest function relative levels social status another. I argue lighter-skinned lower have greater having close friendships higher There also limited evidence darker-skinned group, specifically Asians, friends from group.