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This link will lead you to a very powerful documentary about the issue of shadeism. Shadeism, in this video, describes the discrimination between light and dark skinned women in the same community.
A wonderful documentary. Loved the way it was put and how it talked about discrimination against people of color. It really got me, when I saw how that little niece of the creator (of the video) shares her personal experience of being so tanned brown and wanted to be a lot more lighter and of fair-er skin complexion. Because this sort of issues do affect young people on an extreme level. You would notice that whenever u give a kid to draw and color human beings they would always color their skin with lighter/cream colors. I have personally noticed it on many children when I was teaching visual arts, few years back.
I personally never experienced Shadeism, but this is one issue that really bothers me.
Since last few years, my cousin was receiving proposals from various families, for marital purpose. When her biodata/cv was viewed by these families, they were really impressed, but the moment they came and took and took a look at her, she was right away rejected because of her skin color!!! I remember, one of the response from one of those potential guy's family "She's an extreme nice girl, and wonderful overall, BUT we are looking for a fair-skinned girl for our son"...I was soo Frigging Pissed at that comment. Seriously, felt like B* Slapping that commenter. It's insane, ways in which beauty and skin color still gets to be a top priority, even after all these years.
Would love to read further responses on this issue :) so:
I also enjoyed the documentary and was happy to see that young women of color were addressing the issue of shadeism through their experiences and views.
There is an ideal ‘norm’ out there which is based upon the assumption that the lighter you are the more attractive you are, or that it signifies beauty. And I realize through my experiences shadeism spreads across cultures and becomes internalized especially among young women. I have witnessed my family, and friends women who are of color experience this in many ways. My aunts in Pakistan would bleach their faces so that the hair on their faces was lighter. The fairer you are the more acceptable you are. My friends straighten, perm and dye their hair, and I have died my hair several times also.
In my experience I found myself internalizing this message and notion of what beauty is or what is normal or acceptable. I just recently colored my hair to my natural color as I had been dying it shades of blonde for a portion of my teenage years and into my 20’s. And it is just recently that I had to seriously ask myself what my issue was with my natural hair color.
On one episode on Tyra, African American women were invited to discuss skin bleaching. Not only were these women bleaching there own skin, but of their children’s who were mostly under the age of 8, I believe. These mothers were bleaching their children’s skin, and I remember one who had her toddlers hair permed. This is Not Okay! But the issue goes deeper than just the act itself.
Within history people of color have been separated from what is considered normal, and have been Othered based upon skin color and race. And the darker you are visibly the lower you are on the human chain, so the messaging holds greater ramifications in my opinion. Outside of the west, this is also prevalent; among cultures and regions, tribes and castes.
A wonderful documentary. Loved the way it was put and how it talked about discrimination against people of color.
ReplyDeleteIt really got me, when I saw how that little niece of the creator (of the video) shares her personal experience of being so tanned brown and wanted to be a lot more lighter and of fair-er skin complexion. Because this sort of issues do affect young people on an extreme level. You would notice that whenever u give a kid to draw and color human beings they would always color their skin with lighter/cream colors. I have personally noticed it on many children when I was teaching visual arts, few years back.
I personally never experienced Shadeism, but this is one issue that really bothers me.
Since last few years, my cousin was receiving proposals from various families, for marital purpose. When her biodata/cv was viewed by these families, they were really impressed, but the moment they came and took and took a look at her, she was right away rejected because of her skin color!!! I remember, one of the response from one of those potential guy's family "She's an extreme nice girl, and wonderful overall, BUT we are looking for a fair-skinned girl for our son"...I was soo Frigging Pissed at that comment. Seriously, felt like B* Slapping that commenter.
It's insane, ways in which beauty and skin color still gets to be a top priority, even after all these years.
Would love to read further responses on this issue :) so:
What do you all think?
I also enjoyed the documentary and was happy to see that young women of color were addressing the issue of shadeism through their experiences and views.
ReplyDeleteThere is an ideal ‘norm’ out there which is based upon the assumption that the lighter you are the more attractive you are, or that it signifies beauty.
And I realize through my experiences shadeism spreads across cultures and becomes internalized especially among young women. I have witnessed my family, and friends women who are of color experience this in many ways. My aunts in Pakistan would bleach their faces so that the hair on their faces was lighter. The fairer you are the more acceptable you are. My friends straighten, perm and dye their hair, and I have died my hair several times also.
In my experience I found myself internalizing this message and notion of what beauty is or what is normal or acceptable. I just recently colored my hair to my natural color as I had been dying it shades of blonde for a portion of my teenage years and into my 20’s. And it is just recently that I had to seriously ask myself what my issue was with my natural hair color.
On one episode on Tyra, African American women were invited to discuss skin bleaching. Not only were these women bleaching there own skin, but of their children’s who were mostly under the age of 8, I believe. These mothers were bleaching their children’s skin, and I remember one who had her toddlers hair permed. This is Not Okay! But the issue goes deeper than just the act itself.
Within history people of color have been separated from what is considered normal, and have been Othered based upon skin color and race. And the darker you are visibly the lower you are on the human chain, so the messaging holds greater ramifications in my opinion. Outside of the west, this is also prevalent; among cultures and regions, tribes and castes.