why is that white people want to be tan????????

Interesting. I think it has something to do with the primal brain and mating instincts. No, really. Maybe, subconciously, color in the skin implies health and vitality. Melanin protects you from aging and implies strength. Color attracts. Socially, the emphasis is on lighter skin because of caste and class placing. European nobility seemed to want to appear too pale and delicate for physical labor. It was considered coarse to be able to withstand the sun. Nowadays, perhaps it is just a simple matter of choice and fashion. (Yeah, right!)