The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines colorism as ‘prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin.’ It is prevalent in many different cultures and locations around the world, but it is most significant in India.
Different skin tones in India
The Indian subcontinent has a variety of different cultures and subgroups. Since India is so diverse and large, there are distinct groups, thus different skin tones. People in the North part of India generally have paler skin, which is more desired. Whereas people in the South parts of India have darker skin tones.
Ancient Indian Texts
In the ancient religious texts, the Mahabharata and the Vedas, different color tones are celebrated equally. Colorism was not engrained in Hinduism, so it did not exist long ago. So how did it come to be? Who created colorism if India was equal in the beginning?
Discrimination started at the time of British colonial rule. The British, who had fair skin, started to spread the idea that their fair skin meant superiority and intellect, and that dark skin meant inferiority. Thus, the Indian Caste System was born, with lighter skin tones in the higher castes and darker skin tones in the lower castes.
Colorism is found in all forms of media, including movies, television, and advertisements. One advertisement that comes to my mind is the Fair and Lovely advertisement. Fair and Lovely is a makeup and skincare brand that marketed a face cream as one that makes your skin lighter. They would take celebrities and make them seem ‘fairer.’ These advertisements were shown on television all the time, and even little children would see them, hoping for a ‘prettier’ skin tone.
Fair and Lovely Advertisement
Colorism can affect people’s mental health, especially for women. I remember whenever I went to India, my uncles and aunts would always comment on people’s skin colors either being so dark or pale. Of course, they are not aware that they are being slightly discriminatory because that is what they grew up with. However, these comments are engrained in them.
Overall, colorism is still prevalent in India. Since the caste system still exists, but is not as prevalent, colorism also exists. There is a long way to go but by highlighting the issue, we get closer and closer to understanding and stopping this discrimination. It is important to talk about colorism, as it may not be that significant in America, but it very much exists in India and many other areas in Asia as well.
Sources:
Colorism Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster
Did colourism always exist in the Indian subcontinent? | The Daily Star
How Fair & Lovely Bottled Up India’s Insecurities – Kajal Magazine
Colourism: A Subtle Form Of Stigma That Has Taken Over Bollywood (inbreakthrough.org)
How Fair & Lovely Bottled Up India’s Insecurities – Kajal Magazine
Veda Vyasa: the sage who compiled the Vedas – Hindu American Foundation
I am also from India, and I totally know what you mean. My extended family always compliments lighter skin-toned people, and there is an engrained idea that they are somehow better. It’s crazy to think considering your skin tone is due to the luck of genetics. When I had Indian television, Fair and Lovely ads would always pop up and the lighter-skin toned version of the person was so much happier. I do not understand why people praise being light-skinned so much or even associate to different castes. The British really left their mark once they left India. Overall, I like how you write about this topic to bring light to this issue. We must meet up in person to talk about this!
This post was so interesting to read! I learned a lot about Hinduism and the Indian caste system during one of my classes last year, and find it so wild how much the caste system seems to determine the entirety of someone’s life in India (and so many other aspects – like how different family names give away what caste you are in, etc.). I know that the caste system also stems from Hinduism, but never knew that the different levels were separated by different skin colors. I totally agree that even if the comments made about someone’s skin tone are passive, it makes a big mark, especially if it’s your family who then spreads their beliefs to future generations, and thus colorism lives on. Thanks for such an insightful post!
This is so educational! I did know of colorism in India, but did not know the extent of it! I do know of the seriousness of colorism within my own culture though, which is horrendous. However, there is not a big process to get your skin lightened like in India. It is horrible that women and men are forced to go through these processes to being placed in a higher level of the caste system. The advertisements of these products are disgusting and thank you for producing such an insightful post!