Daphni Edwards Nicole Cardoza Daphni Edwards Nicole Cardoza

Condemn colorism.

Happy Monday! And welcome to day 88 of the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter! For the new faces here, I started this newsletter June 3. We publish one article a day, every day without fail, analyzing current events and providing tangible ways to dismantle white supremacy in your community. Whether we sign petitions, call our senators, hold brands accountable, or spark tough conversations at schools or workplaces, we commit to doing more than yesterday to change the system.

I'm incredibly grateful to have Daphni's perspective in today's article on colorism and its impact on the South Asian community. Understanding light skin privilege is critical to this work, and we'll continue to cover this topic as the weeks unfold.

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TAKE ACTION

  1. Call out colorism when you see it, holding people, brands, and corporations accountable. 

  2. For a deeper dive into why Indian Matchmaking is harmful and regressive, read Indian Matchmaking- A Lesson in How Not to Make Shows About India by Seema Hari, Naomi Joshi & Kanika Karvinkop here. 

  3. Reflect: How may you have participated or perpetuated colorist beliefs in your dating life and beyond?

GET EDUCATED

By Daphni Edwards

In July, Netflix premiered Indian Matchmaking, a dating show about a matchmaker from Mumbai and her single clients in India and the United States, giving viewers a glimpse of what the arranged marriage process looks like in today’s world. If you watched the show, you might’ve noticed the amount of times “fair” skin was casually deemed a must-have, desirable trait in a partner by both the matchmaker and singles alike.

 

Being Indian myself, I can tell you that for South Asians, this is commonplace. Light skin has been associated with power, status, and desirability for centuries, ever since white invaders taught us to hate our skin and prefer theirs (HuffPost). We grow up hearing and consuming messages that tell us fair, light skin = beauty. This has been accepted for generations, regarded as fact instead of harmful myth – one that not only affects marriageability and job opportunities but destroys self-esteem. We see it reflected in Bollywood and other major film industries where dark-skinned women are never the lead actresses- even going as far as painting light-skinned actresses in brownface over casting talent with dark complexions (CNN). We see it on popular matrimonial sites like Shaadi.com, where, until very recently, skin tone was a filter alongside age and location (BBC). We see it in our families when they treat the fair-skinned relative like a prized possession. And we see it reflected in the economy, where the estimated market value for skin lightening products in India—which includes creams, face washes, deodorants, and vaginal whiteners, is $4 billion (Fashion Network). 

 

This is colorism. 

 

Colorism is defined as “the differential treatment based on skin color, especially favoritism toward those with a lighter skin tone and mistreatment or exclusion of those with a darker skin tone, typically among those of the same racial group or ethnicity.” (Dictionary.com) Since the release of Indian Matchmaking, the deeply ingrained colorism that exists within the Indian community became visible to anyone around the world who has access to Netflix. The show was immediately criticized by Indian nationals and the diaspora alike –not for showcasing this problem, but for failing to address it, considering the large platform Netflix has to do so. It was a giant, awkward elephant in the room, causing harm to those who have been traumatized, dehumanized, and marginalized by colorist and casteist thinking. The obsession with fair skin seen on the show also undoubtedly left a bitter taste in the mouths of those who, just the month prior, were mourning and protesting the murder of George Floyd and countless other Black men, women, and children who were killed due to the color of their skin. 

 

In the wake of the ongoing protests against systemic racism in America, the topic of colorism has been revitalized by many South Asians worldwide, this time emphasizing the role it plays in anti-Blackness and racist rhetoric. The denunciation of skin-tone prejudice was severe enough for Unilever to change the name of Fair and Lovely, India’s leading skin-lightening cream, to “Glow and Lovely”- also pulling the words “white,” “light,” and “fair” from all product packaging (Forbes). This move was performative at best, as the contents inside are still designed to lighten one’s skin, thus still promoting harmful beauty ideals.  Many other brands (Olay, Neutrogena, Garnier) also showed support online for BLM while continuing to literally sell and profit off of the idea that white skin is “better” (Buzzfeed News). 

 

Now let’s do some introspection and ask ourselves this: Do we, on an individual level, outwardly support the Black Lives Matter movement, rally against systemic racism, denounce police brutality, yet still uphold and perpetuate colorism in our daily lives? And in what ways?

 

The question posed goes for everyone, as colorism isn’t exclusive to the Indian community and certainly doesn’t discriminate on geography. Lori L. Tharps, author of the book Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families, once wrote: “Colorism is a societal ill felt in many places all around the world, including Latin America, East, and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Africa. Here in the U.S., because we are such a diverse population with citizens hailing from all corners of the earth, our brand of colorism is both homegrown and imported. And make no mistake, white Americans are just as ‘colorist’ as their brown brothers and sisters.” (TIME)

 

Skin tone plays a critical role in who gets ahead in our society and who does not, affecting media, politics, healthcare, business, and the criminal justice system. For example, a study done last year by Harvard sociology professor Ellis Monk found that a person’s lifetime chance of being arrested in America is directly proportional to their skin’s darkness. This is especially true among African Americans, and those with darker complexions tend to face harsher treatment when it comes to the law (QZ). 

 

So what do we do? How do we address this problem? We can start by examining ourselves and identifying any biases we may have and to what degree. Reflect on how we view and speak about people with darker skin tones (POC- this includes how you treat yourself too!). Evaluate our beauty standards and dating preferences- are they inclusive? Avoid using “Black” as a negative connotation and call out those that do. Identify the ways we can uplift and celebrate dark skin. If you have kids, teach them at an early age that white skin is not superior to dark skin and that Black is most definitely beautiful. 

 

Colorism and racism go hand in hand. You cannot be anti-racist while simultaneously being anti-Black. We must be committed to ending colorism, with our words, thoughts, and actions, because treating a person differently depending on their skin’s proximity to whiteness is just another tool that upholds white supremacy.

key takeaways

  • Even within the same race, the darkness of a person’s skin brings on different life experiences.

  • People profit from anti-blackness- the estimated market value for skin lightening products in India alone is $4 billion.

  • In the U.S., a person’s chance of being arrested is directly proportional to their skin’s darkness, especially among African Americans. The latter are already incarcerated at a higher rate than the rest of the population.

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