AYA Marlboro
By: Madison Barnes
For forever, beauty has been sought after in all its myriad shapes and forms. It has become a source of positivity but with it comes an alarming amount of negativity.
Beauty is pain. Beauty itself is always subjective; however, oftentimes in Asian culture, this is not true. Asian beauty seems to always have a standard: one specific eye color, one lip shape, one jawline, one skin tone. This causes pain to those who cannot conform or are not born with such ideals; it’s toxic.
What is Colorism, and what does it mean in the Asian Community?
Dating back many centuries, countries in Asia have long been associating beauty with fairer skin. Instances of this belief in the mainstream can date back to 710 AD Japan when Geishas with matte white skin were popular, continuing on in modern-day Asian media where white-washing became a fad within Asian entertainment netizens and officials. This is called colorism, or the prejudice against individuals with a darker skin tone. Colorism is most prominent among people of the same ethnic or racial group.
How fair skin became “more beautiful” than dark skin in Asia
The working class of Asia could be told apart from the wealthy by skin tone. Since they spent their days laboring under the sun, their skin was darker; it was a symbol of their class and social status – or lack thereof. This is as opposed to wealthy aristocrats that spent a majority of their time indoors so their skin was lighter. Thus, lighter skin became a symbol of wealth and success in these communities.
Successively, this evolved into lighter skin becoming a more desirable physical feature, as it was a trait of the wealthy and successful. This consequently ostracized and depreciate the darker skin tones of the “poor”.
Moreover, in India, the notion that lighter skin is more beautiful than darker-colored skin can be traced back to colonialism. Once under British rule, darker Indians were known as inferior. Europeans conveyed pale superiority while in India: “If you had lighter skin you were closer to the opportunities that were only afforded to white people.” Not only was this indoctrinated in India, but victims of colonialism also included the Caribbean and places in Africa.
Examples of Colorism and why it is toxic
Just like many other prejudices or discriminations, Colorism is extremely toxic. Many Asians have a cultural affinity to fairer skin due to previous beliefs and teachings. In America, colorist beliefs are affluent in many business environments. Matthew Harrison, a doctoral student at UGA, conducted a study that proved “dark-skinned African Americans face a distinct disadvantage when applying for jobs, even if they have résumés superior to lighter-skinned black applicants.” While this study featured African-Americans in American workplaces, the preference of lighter skin, same race applicants is “universally valued” in many cultures. This is especially prominent in Hindu culture and other Asian cultures.
Colorism is toxic because it is a prime source of self-consciousness. Victims of colorism begin to curse themselves for their natural skin tone – this should not be. However, some people do think these toxic thoughts and some will even act on them. How do they do so? Bleaching.
Results of Colorism in the Asian Community
Skin bleaching is an industry worth more than $8.4 billion U.S. dollars, sessions costing from $150 to $400. People shunned for their natural skin color are willing to pay the same price for a Chromebook just to conform to the toxic standards and ideals of their Asian acquaintances. Skin bleaching involves using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten the skin featuring chemicals like Mercury. If the name “skin bleaching” doesn’t scare anyone, I hope the process does. In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Trusted Source issued a notice that “over-the-counter (OTC) skin bleaching products are not recognized as safe and effective. The products were deemed not safe for human use based on a review of evidence.”
As mentioned before, colorist beliefs also place darker-skinned people at a disadvantage at their workplace. Furthermore, regarding jobs, many darker-skinned workers face prejudice and bullying for their skin color. Such is shown when Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee spoke out about being bullied for her darker complexion.
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Ultimately, colorism is an unhealthy practice because it should be known that no skin color is greater than another. To turn a blind eye to colorism (as many Asians I personally know have) is to turn a blind eye to prejudice. This is not ok – this needs to change.
1. Adamu, Ngunan. “Colonialism and the Origins of Skin Bleaching.” https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/XIfdHRAAAKbQ_FWB
2. Williams, Phillip, and Phillip Williams. “Shades of Black.” https://news.uga.edu/shades-of-black/
3. Santos-Longhurst, Adrienne. “Side Effects and Precautions of Skin Bleaching.” www.healthline.com/health/skin-bleaching
4.
Noman, Natasha. “Skin Lightening in South Asia Is Why We Have an Anti-Blackness Problem.” www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/skin-lightening-south-asia-why-we-have-anti-blackness-problem-ncna1233549
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