This post was originally published at Racialicious on June 16, 2006.
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
(Thanks to Kaushal for this tip!) Really interesting essay in the latest issue of Newsweek, written by a Filipina woman now living in the U.S. who has a mixed (Filipino/white) son. On a trip back to the Philippines, she notices how much people ogle her son, and wonders if she should take advantage of his fair skin and European looks by signing him up with a modeling agency, so he can be cast in commercials. Doing so could pay for his college education. Is it just being savvy? Or is it being a sell-out?
My son is mestizo, of mixed race. My husband is Caucasian with ancestors from Sweden and Slovakia. I am a brown-skinned woman from the Philippines, where many people I know have a fascination with the lighter skinned—probably because our islands were invaded so many times by whites who tried to convince us that they were better and more beautiful than us. We were under Spain’s rule for nearly 400 years, the United States’ for almost 50. As a result, skin-whitening products fly off the pharmacy shelves…
By the time I got the number of an agent, I had started to second-guess my idea. I realized that I was going to be part of the system that can sometimes make us dark-skinned people believe that we are inferior. I do not want Filipino children who look like me to feel bad about themselves. When I was a kid, my grandmother would get upset whenever I told her that I’d be spending the afternoon swimming in my cousin’s pool, because it meant that my skin would get darker than it already was. My mom, whose nose I acquired, has one of the widest among her brothers and sisters. She taught me to pinch the bridge daily so that the arch would be higher, like my cousins. Most of her girlfriends got blond highlights and nose jobs as soon as they received their first paychecks, almost as a rite of passage…
Once again, I’m tempted to call that agent. After all, I am sure other fair-skinned children are being chosen to appear in Philippine commercials even as I write this. I know my boycott is just an anecdote in the world’s bigger drama. The real stage is in my decolonized mind. If my son ever lands a part on TV because of his color, do I want to be the one who has cast him?
Pure ignorance.
I’m glad she’s thinking this through and writing about it, instead of just swimming with the tide. I have a habit of searching “racially diverse” ads that attempt to portray “ordinary folks”. I’m searching for the dark-skinned African American. If Media America is any indication, there are none who live here . . .
I can relate to this. I am African American, and this topic is no stranger to most people who have African ancestry. My mother used to pinch my nose too when I was a child and often cites that practice to the way my nose is now. It is no secret to most African Americans that light skin is highly valued. Most of us grew up hearing terms like “red bone” ( a lighter skinned black person) and often referred to hair that is straight or wavy as “good hair.”
It is a very limited way to look at the world, but it is symptomatic of larger society. I used to model and my agency once called me in for a casting call because the company wanted someone who looked “more African. Not like African American.” I have heard many non-white people refer to my mixed race friend as “Pretty. She doesn’t have a lot of black in her.” It’s a sad practice and I am glad you want others to feel good about themselves. Make sure your son understands that he is loved regardless of how he looks. He should be proud of who he is, no matter what society says. And should you cast him? Just ask yourself this question: If he were the same and much darker, would you still do it? If the answer is no, then you should stop and reassess your own ideas of race and ethnicity. If the answer is yes, then perhaps it is time to stop overthinking this.