non-american media
Earlier in the year, I was interested to know the statistics regarding racial representation in the media of countries aside from America, keeping in mind that the social justice discourse in America is oftentimes myopic on a global viewpoint. For example, what does it mean to be a “person of color” in China, a country that is more racially homogeneous than America? Do white people face the same privilege in a place like China, where a white person would be considered a racial minority? How does that factor into our analysis of racial representation in the media, which we often assume is a place for global, inclusive discourse? And furthermore, is whiteness the standard of beauty worldwide, or just in America?
Race is a social construct that changes on a geographic basis. And there are hierarchies of whiteness that do exist. For example, the Romani people living in Europe are not considered "white" and face much discrimination from their heritage, but they would probably be white-passing in the US and have all the privilege that comes with being white in the US. However, in Europe, they are oppressed based on their physical appearance.
Back to the main question I'm trying to answer - is whiteness the standard of beauty worldwide? Based on my personal experience, yes.
Race is a social construct that changes on a geographic basis. And there are hierarchies of whiteness that do exist. For example, the Romani people living in Europe are not considered "white" and face much discrimination from their heritage, but they would probably be white-passing in the US and have all the privilege that comes with being white in the US. However, in Europe, they are oppressed based on their physical appearance.
Back to the main question I'm trying to answer - is whiteness the standard of beauty worldwide? Based on my personal experience, yes.
Above is a very old picture of my family. You can't really tell, but I am the one with the lightest skin, on the left. It's always been that way - between my sister and I, I was always the lighter one. As a kid, I didn't spend a lot of time outdoors (I didn't do sports - my sport was ballet). My sister, on the other hand, likes to run around in the sun and is very tan.
Growing up, my Chinese relatives and Chinese family friends always praised me for my light skin. "Your skin is so white!" they would exclaim. And they would tell my sister to "stay out of the sun" so she could get whiter like me. But since all my American friends always wanted to go suntanning at the beach, I was always confused as to whether or not I should consider light or tan skin beautiful.
But whiter skin isn't only considered more desirable in just Chinese culture. Skin lighteners are marketed all over the world, especially in areas where people with darker skin live.
Growing up, my Chinese relatives and Chinese family friends always praised me for my light skin. "Your skin is so white!" they would exclaim. And they would tell my sister to "stay out of the sun" so she could get whiter like me. But since all my American friends always wanted to go suntanning at the beach, I was always confused as to whether or not I should consider light or tan skin beautiful.
But whiter skin isn't only considered more desirable in just Chinese culture. Skin lighteners are marketed all over the world, especially in areas where people with darker skin live.