"Colourism" & Power

What up beautiful people?!

"Fairness Cream" or lotion that's supposed to whiten your skin sell like tooth paste out in India. Now this is out here in Singapore too. The babes want to be white. They want fairer skin. The ads in India show girls/women in more favourable circumstances just because they got their skin "whiter". What's that supposed to mean? What's the message? Being naturally black, brown or tanned is a curse?

In India, till today, being white gets your farther...in the social and work environment. Yes, it is changing for the better but I can not rule out that should two individuals, one tanned and the other fair skinned, compete for a position the fair skinned one would have the upper hand even before a word is spoken.

I saw the same in Bali, Indonesia. But sometimes it's not just about the colour of skin. Maybe it's the "foreign" concept. As a Singapore DJ visiting Beijing or Bali, I got more respect and attention then I ever did back home in Singapore (from the Industry). Foreign DJs who visit Singapore get their ass licked...even if they don't know the difference between vinyl and wax. When I was in Beijing I got better treatment than the DMC Champ of China. And that's because I wasn't from Beijing, I was a foreigner and I looked different.

But culture plays a part too. Look at Hip Hop music. Bentley sales have gone through the roof. Tattoo shops are inking 24/7. Denim sell like never before. South Indian dudes are shaving their heads and showing off their undershorts...and briefs with loud labels sell real well these days, retro sportswear isn't just back but it has evolved, and there isn't a better time to be Black. And so if you're a Black, your stereotyped. It means you can either sing, rap, dance, play basketball, or all of the above. And if I was in Beijing with a Black dude and my DMC Champ mate, the Black would get more respect because he's not just foreign material...he's Black. Back to colour...negative or positive...one would still be judged by colour.

My mate Cedric from France knows this too well. He's based in Bali and spins at various clubs all over Indonesia. He's Caucasian. He loves the beach and the sun but was once told by a Balinese DJ to not get too tanned because "club managers and the locals like white DJs". White DJs sell better. At least in Asia. That's one of the many reasons why Caucasians love living in Asia. They get treated like royalty. Back where they come from this would be a dream. Yes, it pisses me off when there are those who are aware of their "status" take advantage of that. But let's be kind, I personally know many who, while they acknowledge that being white on this land is good, do show respect.

This literature is not an attack against the Caucasoid race. The whole point of this article is my frustration of the lack of pride, confidence and identity amongst us Asians. To me, most Asians aren't proud of their culture. If you want to be like somebody else, if you try to be like somebody else, you're obviously insecure or you just don't love yourself enough. This isn't about idol worship or some crazed fan. This is about your identity, self-concept, self-esteem.

And while the Indians, Malays and Chinese want to have fairer skin, the white folks want to get tanned. And they go to extreme lengths to achieve that shade of brown. So do the Japanese. Yes, these days it's more of a question of beauty. A fashion statement. But is it really?

I have come to the conclusion that there are various factors involved here. It's not just about physical appearance but self-esteem as well. The notion of a "superior-race" is man-made, and it is absurd. People of the third world (here we go again, branding, stigmatization) may perceive the people of developed nations as superior. The latter are aware of this. The former can't help but envy, admire and even experience threat. Bear in mind that the term "Third World" is a "political designation originally used (1963) to describe those states not part of the first world, that is, the capitalist, economically developed states led by the U.S., or the second world, the communist states led by the Soviet Union. The third world principally consists of the developing world, former colonies of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With the end of the Cold War and the increased economic competitiveness of some developing countries, the term has lost its analytic clarity" (Third World, Britannica, 2007).

So who came up with this term "Third World". A bunch of men and women in suits had this important meeting and came up with this term? Did China, India or Indonesia get to have a say in this? Was it just laid out like that? I can not help but feel that this was an imposition by the so called "Developed Nations", the more "powerful" nations.

Look at India's and China's rise today, note the potential finally being realized. There are still issues to iron out. The class gaps are way too wide, extremely rich and extremely poor. This is not new in India but relatively new for China. And India and China are now working much closer together. The United Sates and other "Developed Nations" can not help but feel threatened.

Yes, racism exist. But "colourism" is the root. You need not be a foreigner to experience this. Individuals of the same race exercise "colourism" amongst themselves. It is not rare to see fairer skinned individuals get better treatment than their darker skinned brothers and sisters, and here I mean all are of the same race!

I'd like to quote Laszloffy & Rockquemore, in their book, Raising Bracial Childern.
In the United States, during the system of slavery, the enslavement of human beings because of the colour of their skin was justified by the belief that whites are superior to all other races, that is, white supremacy. This belief also supplied the rationalization of why the system was just. Black people were deemed to be subhuman, animal like creatures best suited for manual labour. Because their intellectual capabilities were believed to be limited, they were considered unable to care for themselves, so enslavement was deemed benevolent. The ideology of white supremacy made slavery possible, while simultaneously justifying its continuation. In short, that uniquely American principle that “all men are created equal” actually emerged at a time when blacks were not considered “men”, and women were not considered at all. So “all men” really meant “ all land owning white men” are created equal. ~ Laszloffy, T. & Rockquemore, K. A. (2005). Raising Bracial Childern. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press

We can not change our pigmentation, but we surely can change our attitudes.

Peace & Love,
r-H