Colourism — Dare to not Care
Growing up with a South-Asian background I have come to realise the beauty and richness that lies within my culture, whether it is in the music, food, art or traditions. All of which that have been somehow passed down through many generations.
However, there is one such belief that seems to have been passed down without fail, the belief that fair (brown) skin is more desirable than dark brown skin. This is known as ‘Colourism’. Not many people are aware of this term, let alone the concept, but I can guarantee you it exists and is rife within South Asian communities.
Colourism can be understood as the discrimination towards an individual due to their skin tone. This belief predominantly affects women in the South Asian society, however there is no doubt that men also face the issue to a certain degree.
Colourism is undeniably, deeply rooted within the culture and can be said to have stemmed from many decades ago. This problematic concept of beauty has been influenced by many factors. One of which includes the class orderings dating back to colonial times, where people of a lower class would be required to complete manual labour in the sun as compared to those of a higher class who would stay or work indoors, therefore not getting darker due in the sun. Colourism is seen within the South Asian society where women with a lighter (olive) skin complexion are seen as more desirable and beautiful than those women of a darker (dusky) skin complexion.
Why is it important to dismantle this belief?
Personally, I have had firsthand experiences of this happening to close friends and the colourist comments are simply toxic. This skin tone preference takes a toll on the way women feel about themselves and as a result affects self esteem.
An incident most dusky skin toned women can agree to have encountered is receiving backhanded comments or being ‘advised’ by older women in the community (respectfully referred to as ‘aunties’ even if there is no actual relation) that certain outfit choices or makeup looks do not ‘suit them’ because they are dusky.
“You’re pretty for a dark girl”
“Don’t go out in the sun, you’ll get darker”
“Don’t wear that, it’ll make you look darker”
My very first experience of this idea was when a close friend of mine was told by an older aunty that she should change the shade of her lipstick as the one she was wearing did not suit her because of her dark complexion. The older aunty expressing her opinion, clearly goes to show that my friend was being reduced to as that “dark girl” who must be advised because of her skin tone.
A common piece of advice given to not only darker brown women but also lighter brown females is being told not to spend too much time in the sun as it causes you to become “darker”. This clearly demonstrates the stigma around being ‘dark’ within the South Asian society and the effect it has on the mentality of individuals. Most usually, older generations.
Even though there is a long way to go, there is increasing awareness about colourism and its effects in South Asian society. The youth of today are vocal and are ensuring that mindsets change and reforms occur, starting from their own family and friend groups. These reforms are important so that such beliefs are not carried further and cannot harm generations yet to come.
In saying that, it is still present to this day within South Asian culture and it has, is, and will, continue affecting women if it is not dismantled. This form of oppression leads to women being unable to celebrate their skin tone and in turn feeling burdened with it. Furthermore, some women feel like they must adhere to beauty standards by ‘fixing’ their shade.
The Media
The media plays an inherent role in the way colourism is imbedded within the culture and the mindset of individuals. Let’s be real, the media has its ways of reconstructing the way in which not only South Asian females but many individuals feel about themselves. Nearly every person has had a moment in their life where they feel mediocre in comparison to the portrayal or paradigm set by the media.
Moreover, within South Asian countries skin lightening products hold a powerful position within the beauty and skin care industry. A household name and skin lightening product called “Fair & Lovely” is infamous for promoting colourism not only through their products but also their marketing and advertising content. The way in which the media promotes colourism via advertisements, shows, and most notoriously — films, creates an ongoing detrimental cycle of misrepresentation of South Asian women. The media essentially likes to portray that dark skin is a curse and fair skin is a prize.
Colourism and Millennials
News flash! Times are changing, the world is changing, and so is the mind-set of individuals. The current generation of women are taking a stand through media platforms, encouraging others to recognise this false perception of beauty that eventually must be eliminated.
Many pages and campaigns on social media are reaching out to an audience of South Asian women and women of colour promoting the fact that ones skin should not be a barrier to anything in life. As for combating the issue of colourism, there is still a long way to go, however the first step in removing this issue is by educating and bringing about awareness in people.
Live Tinted is an online platform founded by an America-South Asian beauty guru and influencer, Deepica Mutyala. It not only empowers South Asian women but women of all colours. Their website and social media account includes various testimonials of successful ‘tinted’ women encouraging others and most importantly the younger generations, to embrace their true self.
Our skin tells a story of a rich and beautiful culture filled with many strong and wonderful women all of which are sun-kissed in many shades and tones, therefore I question, why must this be erased?
It is time for these women to let society know that they are completely capable of living a successful and positive life and their insecurities will no longer be formed by the opinion of society.
Thomas Jefferson once said, every generation needs a new revolution…
Lo and Behold, our revolution:
