Tuesday, March 17, 2009
White is Right, right?
In following up with our discussion on race and ethnicity, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8C5ZnQA08c&feature=PlayList&p=B1D294AC97A3AAFE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=37
Societies today in general have more or less moved away from racist ideologies of past times. This is not to say that racial issues have been resolved, but rather, we are now more open-minded to the acceptance of all races, and ethnicities, for their culture and physical appearance, and the like. It must be very liberating indeed for all ethnicities and all races.
Black Power. Asian Pride. All people indulge in the food and music of non-white cultures. Ahh, liberating.
Why then, do some Asian women feel they would be more attractive to have larger looking eyes? Why do some women of colour bleach their skin in order to be “lighter”? (Another Tyra segment. Find it on YouTube). Tyra herself in the video admits to wearing a weave. I myself have seen many proud-to-be- Asian women with bleach blond hair, and wearing blue coloured contacts.
It seems society is conflicted. On the one hand, our ethnic differences are celebrated. On the other hand, the celebrations stop when you begin to look less and less … white..(?) Or perhaps, what is celebrated in society is not articulated by popular film and TV, so that every time we watch The Hills, we take a couple of cultural steps back (?) Or maybe regardless of social movements, individual psychologies will always be in a state of conflict with Eurocentric ideologies (?)
.... and i think the most pressing question: do we all have a little bit of M.J. in us??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8C5ZnQA08c&feature=PlayList&p=B1D294AC97A3AAFE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=37
Societies today in general have more or less moved away from racist ideologies of past times. This is not to say that racial issues have been resolved, but rather, we are now more open-minded to the acceptance of all races, and ethnicities, for their culture and physical appearance, and the like. It must be very liberating indeed for all ethnicities and all races.
Black Power. Asian Pride. All people indulge in the food and music of non-white cultures. Ahh, liberating.
Why then, do some Asian women feel they would be more attractive to have larger looking eyes? Why do some women of colour bleach their skin in order to be “lighter”? (Another Tyra segment. Find it on YouTube). Tyra herself in the video admits to wearing a weave. I myself have seen many proud-to-be- Asian women with bleach blond hair, and wearing blue coloured contacts.
It seems society is conflicted. On the one hand, our ethnic differences are celebrated. On the other hand, the celebrations stop when you begin to look less and less … white..(?) Or perhaps, what is celebrated in society is not articulated by popular film and TV, so that every time we watch The Hills, we take a couple of cultural steps back (?) Or maybe regardless of social movements, individual psychologies will always be in a state of conflict with Eurocentric ideologies (?)
.... and i think the most pressing question: do we all have a little bit of M.J. in us??
# posted by amy yim @ 12:04 AM 
