In light of Stacey Dash’s comment on the outrage of the Oscars Awards being “too white”, I bring to light the controversies within races. Though many races are discriminated against and are racially degraded, we knowingly and sometimes obliviously act out racial discrimination and segregation within our own races. Blacks, Hispanics, Latinos, and Asians perpetuate the many stereotypes associated with our races and try to seek validation in different terms and conditions. A popular misconception especially within Latino and Black cultures is the “Team Light Skin vs. Team Dark Skin” controversy.
Despite the cry of injustice that these races speak of, A big part of ethnic social culture depends on skin color. And this viewpoint goes as far back as slavery times within the United States. Back in slavery times, Blacks, depending on their skin color and beauty, we given certain jobs and made to reside in certain places within the master’s dwellings. But the skin of a light skin black person was viewed as a threat amongst white people and also seen as a crime due to their belief that a slave had relations with someone of Caucasian decent. Many African Americans believed that due to their skin color, a light skin person was “uppity” and full of themselves, viewing themselves as better than the darker skinned community. This debate of power and position due to skin color has continued to the 21st century.
Today, many artists and other celebrities have displayed this illogical belief by changing there skin color. They bleach their skin in order to feel beautiful and more excepted. This practice can cause major damage to skin cells and many other health complications.
I look at this in disgust and disbelief. Despite who you are and whatever your skin color is, beauty doesn’t fit into one category. We are different shades and we have different features for many reasons. If we all looked the same, then there would be no individuality. Its time to make a change within the multicultural races. No more shaming over skin color or beauty, its time to progress from 19th century values and upgrade to 21st century values, our desired equality.
I think this topic is super interesting, especially because of all the things I have seen. There have been so many videos, ones for example from My Strange Addictions, where people do actually bleach their skin. I also saw a video of toddlers, some white some black, be sat down in front of a white doll and a black doll and asked things like which do you think is prettier/uglier, which is nicer/meaner and stuff like that. All the children, and I do mean all of them, said the darker skinned doll was both ugly and mean. I do wish you would have gone into more detail about the things you brought up. Like the skin bleaching, the fact that in slavery lighter people would get better treatment, etc.
This is becoming a bigger issue that darker skinned people do not find themselves beautiful. I kind of understand where it comes from. If you look at magazines, many if not all of the models are white. Girls look up to these models and since not many of them have dark skin, these girls just assume that lighter skin is prettier, that it is preferable to be put in a magazine. this article I read mentioned the fact that when a mixed couple has a child, the often hear the phrase, “I hope the baby comes out light”. That kind of makes me sad because not only is it thought that light skin is prettier, but light skin is easier to have. Even back in slavery times, and now, being white is so much easier. From the majority of things in beauty and fashion being made “skin color” which is white to all the stuff about public safety and the police.
It is so many hundreds of years after slavery, and quite a few years since segregation. We have had may people die of this, and it is still not resolved. In my opinion though, the end is near and I think with new generations we will be able to unite and accept.
http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2013/10/colourism-why-even-black-people-have-problem-dark-skin
I really like this topic. This is something that I never understood while people continued to point out what “team” they fit into. I myself I’m mixed, 1/2 white and 1/2 puerto rican. When you look at me you probably wouldn’t even know that I’m hispanic, unless I had a tan. It’s interesting to see how racism is deeper than just two different races but even within shades of one race. I’ve had numerous people tell me that I’m lying because I didn’t “look” Spanish, or because my hair wasn’t a certain way or because my name isn’t even remotely “Spanish” sounding.
Referring back to Natalia’s comment, about the origin of this racism is interesting. It’s true, many people within the hispanic community continue to discriminate one another because if you were darker, or if you have thicker curlier hair, you were believed to either descend from slaves of the wealthy or that you were part black. Unfortunately in this culture there is not only internalized racism, there is also the general “White vs. Black” ideology.
My own family used to call my mother, Negrita, or little black girl when she was growing up because while both her parents were fair, she was born with olive skin. Of course, if you were to look at her grandfather, he was a very deep skin toned man with a long black hair, typical appearance of a Taino Indian (peoples native to the caribbean ) It’s appalling to think that families would judge their own blood on their appearance simply because they have a predisposed idea of what beauty is. The idea of you being lighter skinned is also a double edged sword. You said how some people who have lighter skin, were considered to be “uppity” and it’s crazy! We are all born generally the same way, our shade of skin doesn’t determine our personality or our socioeconomic status. From my view, I’ve been praised to have fair skin and “good hair”(that phrase infuriates me to no end) I’m viewed as beautiful to some family members because they associate light skin with wealth, yet at the same time I’m also accused of hating my culture because I don’t speak fluent spanish and partake in perpetuating this racist ideology.
I don’t know if you are familiar with the phrase, “Mejorar la raza” Ill leave the link at the end. I didn’t even know their was a phrase that could sum up this idea, but it’s along the lines that Hispanic peoples are encouraging their children to marry those with a lighter complexion in order to “Mejorar la Raza” or “improve the race”. The idea of having pin straight hair and fair skin is something I don’t understand why people would idolize, like you said. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. It’s terrible to see how racism can be perpetuated even within the affected race.
All I know is, I long for that day where people are not persecuted, judged or convicted because of their skin color but rather are judged based upon who they are on the inside. Race is not a indicator of a criminal, skin color is not a sign of a more civilized race. We’re all human, we smile, cry and love the same way.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-alejandra-casalehardin-/mejorar-la-raza-an-exampl_b_7558892.html
As someone part of the Latino community, I’ve had some first-hand experience with attitudes like this one. People don’t imagine that there exists racism between people of the same race, but honestly it couldn’t be more true. There’s a common misconception that latinos are all very tan, with dark hair and eyes, when in fact, we all look very different (either dark skin or very pale, or with light hair and eyes, etc). It is true that a lot of us do fit the latino stereotype (I kinda do, in a way), but it’s also true that there are many differences between us. Within the community there’s also a lot of unveiled racism towards people with darker skin. Some people think it’s somehow better when they’re a pale latino. Part of this is because they believe their life will be easier if they look like they’re white, since people won’t automatically assume the negative stereotypes of being a minority. Another reason could be that sometimes having dark skin is tied to being of a lower socioeconomic status, since many of the “whiter” people in Latin America are descendants of wealthy European immigrants (not always, though). However, I don’t agree with any of this at all, clearly skin tone shouldn’t be used as a reason to discriminate others or assume their socioeconomic status.
I also read an article titled “What happens when you’re a light-skinned latino”, and the author’s experiences are all very similar to what I talked about earlier. Some people don’t believe that you’re latino when you tell them if you look “too white” or they think that means you’re gonna have more advantages in life because of how you look like. In my personal experience, some people have told me “I never would’ve guessed you’re Colombian, you look like you could be white,” while others, have said that “they see it”. So I guess I’m just a weird case. Either way, I found this post really interesting and relatable in a way because of my previous experiences with racism within my own race.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fernando-hurtado/what-happens-when-youre-a-light-skinned-latino_b_6098348.html
All I can say about your post is, wow! I never realized this was truly a problem. I didn’t know people of the same race would be discriminated against if they aren’t dark enough or don’t look enough like the norms of that certain race. I truly believed that as long as you were the same race as someone, you were accepted. I figured they would accept you because you share something so special in common. What’s the advantage of making fun of someone of the same race for not being enough like the norms of that race!!!! I would personally never make fun of someone who was caucasian for not being white enough. Since we share that similarity, I feel a connection to them.
I’m very confused as to why celebrities would change their skin color. How could that make someone feel more beautiful or more accepted? There is always going to be someone with lighter skin than you, darker skin than you, and even the same skin color as you! There’s no need to feel uncertain in your own skin color… everyone’s born the way they are for a reason.
I agree with what you said. We are all different shades and have different features for many reasons. Being unlike people around you is sometimes an advantage. I am Jewish, and although I may look like every other caucasian out there, I am different than majority of people I am around. I love being different. Other people should love being different as well, whether it be in skin color, appearance, or even in beliefs.
Going back to the bleaching skin issue, I am appalled! People are using chemical substances in order to lighten their skin tone. There are many harmful effects of this, with the worst being skin cancer. Everybody should feel comfortable in their own skin. If they don’t, they are being surrounded by the wrong people.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201601261642.html
I was so excited to read about your thoughts on this topic, but then the teacher took over to realize that you barely got to half the word count and there are no sources.
Invest in this work.