#45: No More Discrimination (PART 7)

【Pre-Determined】
Especially when the female models of African descent are depicted in magazines, TV and most recently on the internet. Time and again, we witness the whitewashing of their skin tone to appear lighter by retouching or modifying the photos, videos and even animations. Regrettably, what we saw in the 1900s in the US is still present today, even in Japan.
 
That is, to widely promote across our society a pre-determined standard of beauty: Beautiful means white. It’s a hurtful conformity, indeed, to require sameness based upon a pre-determined standard. Today, it’s no accident that so many of the world’s top actresses and models are Caucasian or women of colors appearing lighter in skin tone.
 
And it’s a terrible truth that a woman of color is exposed to this beauty whitewashing from early childhood, negatively affecting the self-image of a young girl whose skin tone is naturally darker. And almost unknowingly, her self-esteem is eroded away, day by day, because she’s conditioned to believe that I’m not beautiful.
 
White is desirable and Black is undesirable. This beauty whitewashing is a product of white supremacy, a deliberate product of discrimination that grossly twists the ancient symbolism of White as light and Black as darkness. Knowingly or not, more than just a few Asian people including some from Japan have jumped on this racist bandwagon, thereby diminished to the enablers of racism.
 
Many researchers report that children who feel unwanted or undesirable are at a greater risk of suffering negative self-esteem. And the consequences of negative self-esteem can be dire, as it’s found to have close correlation with anxiety, fear, depression, underperformance in studies, alcohol/substance abuse, violence, and suicide.
 
Knowing the real dangers of such distress, to further expose women of colors to this beauty whitewashing from early childhood. In other words, to hurt people through unjust exclusion or rejection based on a trait that they were born with. That is discrimination, and it must be repudiated.
 
“May be so. But some Black people who I know say that they’re not offended by the blackface or whitewash. So, it’s no big deal.” Occasionally, we come across such comment.
 
Nevertheless, there are 1.3 billion individuals of African descent living here on earth, just like each and every one of us. Surely, a few dozen or perhaps a few percent may say that they’re not personally offended by it. Yet, it’s simply outrageous to thereby dismiss these acts of discrimination for all people of African descent. 
 
To be sure, no one has the free pass to discriminate even if it were against a person of one’s own race. What’s more, no one has the right to decide for one’s own entire race that discrimination is Inevitable at times in life. Simply because we share the same race, it doesn’t mean that we have the free pass to say or do as we please. Discrimination must be repudiated regardless of who does it or whom it’s against. That holds true for everyone regardless of race.
 
When we come to realize that fact, we understand that no one has the right to decide for no other person, let alone for one’s own entire race, that a certain act of discrimination is no big deal or inevitable just because we personally don’t feel offended by it. Truth be told, the right to demand equality belongs to each and every one of us.
 
“May be so, but such a society seems just too uptight and suffocating – to be so sensitive about everything,” some may say.
 
Nonetheless, those of us who hurt others and those of us who unknowingly end up hurting others aren’t in the position and don’t have the right to decide what’s so sensitive or not on behalf of the same people who we unjustly hurt. If we were, indeed, the ones who are unjustly hurt, then we would certainly demand the utmost sensitivity to our own equality.
 
And in the real presence of the people who are unjustly hurt because of our ignorance. No matter how uptight the society may seem, we must honestly confront discrimination. No matter how suffocating we may feel, we must see the individual as who s/he is and engage with honesty and sincerity. If we were, indeed, the ones who are unjustly hurt, then we would surely yearn for that.
 
Naturally, we all know that no one wishes to be discriminated against. And when each and every one of us look to that common ground, we can prevent discrimination.

Read Next: No More Discrimination (8)【Trading Places】
Read Previous: No More Discrimination (6)【Even if Unintentional】

Complete Series: No More Discrimination (1)～(12)
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Read Theme: Discrimination