The current climate of the world is nothing short of an eye opener. Amidst a global pandemic, we’re going through our generation’s version of the biggest civil rights movement this country has ever seen. History is being made as we speak. Perhaps the world needed this rude awakening to realize just how ignorant we’ve all actually been. Breaking racist stereotypes, raising awareness to unfair treatment based on the color of your skin, and the solidarity of the world standing together and fighting for Black lives has proven to be an educational experience for us all. What’s moving about the Black Lives Matter movement is that most of us have been forced to realize that not only was it necessary for us to LEARN but UN-LEARN racism and recognize the cracks starting from our own homes.
I want to speak specifically about the Desi community today. It’s important for me to ensure that every person reading understands the term colorism. Colorism is essentially discrimination towards a person or group of people based on the color of their skin. It’s ingrained deeply in our communities, and our generation needs to work together to ensure that this repulsive form of racism isn’t passed on to the next generation.
Skin color has always been an obsession for Desi's. We do everything in our ability to ensure our skin stays “fair” because this is a major beauty standard in the countries we all come from. Any which way you put it, this is RACISM at it’s finest. From the beginning of time, light skin has always been preferred over dark skin. Centuries ago, it was a symbol of wealth. But why is it STILL such a prevalent thought this day in age? Why haven’t we eradicated this ignorant way of thinking?
Well for one, skin lightening products are promoted by Bollywood actors/actresses. Bollywood is such a prominent industry in South Asian countries, let alone India. Bollywood entertainers are idolized in such a way that it’s almost to the point of obsession. So when you have the biggest names in Bollywood such as Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone endorsing products that promise to lighten your skin, its ingrained into young minds that this is what we all need to look like as well. It’s a sad reality we have to face. Just because somebody has a platform, however, it doesn’t mean they’re going to use it correctly and for the better of the world. That’s where we must EDUCATE ourselves and re-visit how we perceive beauty standards- especially for our youth. I do have to stress that even though these actors are promoting such products, some of them have been showing their support to the BLM movement. Does that mean they truly believe in what they’re posting or are they just hopping on a trend? It’s important to recognize these contradictions.
I remember always being told to stay out of the sun because if I was out there too long- I was going to get dark. I find myself still avoiding the sun, but I’ve un-learned the idea that I’m avoiding the sun for the sole purpose that my complexion is going to become darker. The only reasons I would stay out of the sun now would be to protect myself from harmful effects such as skin cancer or sunburn. I remember going to my cousin’s wedding, and her friends were sitting next to us. They started talking about how my cousin was the fairest girl out of our family- in front of us- without any shame. They were literally COMPARING each girl's skin color, and trying to determine who was the lightest in such a degrading way. I remember instantly feeling ugly because I wasn’t as fair as she was, and probably never would be. It’s unfortunate that this way of thinking is so deeply rooted in so many Desi’s to the point where it’s normalized to even point out the color of someone's skin and equate it to beauty.
I recognize that cultural colorism is no where near what Black people in America have had to face and are still facing to this day. The purpose of me writing about colorism in Desi society is to bring awareness to how ideas like this are forms of racism that we can easily avoid. This problematic thought process leads to accepting and participating in racism in America and the world. Dismantling these small-minded ideas is a step in being a more aware, empathetic and open minded human being. Accept that beauty does not equate to the color of your skin- in fact it has NOTHING to do with it.
We also need to recognize that we have privilege. With this privilege, we have the ability to educate our families on WHY and HOW they're being racist, even if they don't have the intention to be. With this privilege, we have the ability to stand up for what’s blatantly and morally right, so that we can eventually pass these ideals down to our own children. Challenge colorism any chance you get. Embrace your skin color and encourage others to do the same!
-love Sof
P.S. we have a long way to go with the BLM movement! Here are some ways you can show your support in addition to educating yourselves...
This thread on twitter is a list of petitions that still need to be signed: https://twitter.com/katsukigfs/status/1271332253289906176
A list of Black owned coffee shops in Houston you can support
(Credits: @lilyandrad3 on Instagram):
-Cafeza
-Coffee and Cake Cafe
-Glazed
-Kaffeine Coffee
-Throughgood Coffee
-Wisdom's Bakery & Cafe
-Three Keys Coffee Roasters
-The Tipping Point
-Evolve Coffee Co
-The List
-The Library
This is where my inspiration came from from for this blog post. It's an absolute MUST WATCH- especially if you're Desi. Shout out to Hasan Minhaj for always keeping it 100% real:
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