The other day I was walking around in Abu Dhabi, going to Sama, from DTC.
That is probably my most commonly trod path, other than the one from Sama to Al Safa.
And as I was walking, I saw a father also walking, with his two children, a young boy, and a young girl.
The boy had on the typical "going to school" clothes here - nice pants, and a decent shirt.
The girl had on the typical "going to school" clothes on as well - a dress, with a schoolbag.
Aside from the gendered nature of the clothes, the two looked like siblings - except for one thing.
The girl had something that looked like talcum powder on her face - to make her look whiter.
It isn't the first time I have encountered this - when I have visited India I saw similar practices, and I am sure I could go to any country in the world where the population has a naturally darker tone and see this.
Talcum powder on little girls. Whitening creams for women.
Spray tanning on little girls. Real tanning, and bronzer, for women.
It isn't just that some people want to look whiter because they associate that with positive attributes. It is that in the same turn, some people want to look darker - not because of any perceived positive attributes, because I believe that racism, and race associations, is still a huge problem, but because of a standard of beauty.
Some cultures: Whiteness is beautiful. Others, pigment is beautiful.
And I think it all boils down to the idea that humans want to be what we're not - thinking it will be better, more beautiful - when it really isn't.
"The grass is always greener on the other side" - except they are saying that too.
I like to think I reject these standards of beauty, especially for ones too young to even realize the implications of whitening. It makes me sick to my stomach when I see girls forced into societies image of what they should be - whiter, more tan, skinnier - instead of what they just intrinisically are.
I wish acceptance of self was taught instead of modification.
But we're humans - we're flawed - we want to be more - be something we aren't.
<3
That is probably my most commonly trod path, other than the one from Sama to Al Safa.
And as I was walking, I saw a father also walking, with his two children, a young boy, and a young girl.
The boy had on the typical "going to school" clothes here - nice pants, and a decent shirt.
The girl had on the typical "going to school" clothes on as well - a dress, with a schoolbag.
Aside from the gendered nature of the clothes, the two looked like siblings - except for one thing.
The girl had something that looked like talcum powder on her face - to make her look whiter.
It isn't the first time I have encountered this - when I have visited India I saw similar practices, and I am sure I could go to any country in the world where the population has a naturally darker tone and see this.
Talcum powder on little girls. Whitening creams for women.
Spray tanning on little girls. Real tanning, and bronzer, for women.
It isn't just that some people want to look whiter because they associate that with positive attributes. It is that in the same turn, some people want to look darker - not because of any perceived positive attributes, because I believe that racism, and race associations, is still a huge problem, but because of a standard of beauty.
Some cultures: Whiteness is beautiful. Others, pigment is beautiful.
And I think it all boils down to the idea that humans want to be what we're not - thinking it will be better, more beautiful - when it really isn't.
"The grass is always greener on the other side" - except they are saying that too.
I like to think I reject these standards of beauty, especially for ones too young to even realize the implications of whitening. It makes me sick to my stomach when I see girls forced into societies image of what they should be - whiter, more tan, skinnier - instead of what they just intrinisically are.
I wish acceptance of self was taught instead of modification.
But we're humans - we're flawed - we want to be more - be something we aren't.
<3
No comments:
Post a Comment