Dark and Lovely: A Summary of Colourism in Asia

Source: Amazon

Fair and Lovely-- a household name in many Asian countries and an unfortunate indicator of deep-rooted racism and classism in these societies. Fair and Lovely is a popular skin-whitening cream in Asia, and colourism is the sole reason that it exists. Colourism, also known as shadeism, refers to discrimination against darker-skinned individuals within a certain race, based on the false notion that lighter skin is superior. In these societies, lighter skin is typically associated with qualities such as attractiveness, competency, and intelligence, whereas darker skin is associated with qualities such as ugliness, ignorance, and laziness.

Because of these harmful and extremely false stereotypes, people with lighter skin have substantial societal privilege, from being able to earn a higher income, to being more likely to find a partner. On the other hand, people with darker skin struggle in areas such as their income, relationships, housing, and education, simply because of their skin tone. While people with fair skin are benefited by their skin tone, darker-skinned people are held back.

In fact, a study conducted by the University of the West of England proved that darker-skinned people have fewer opportunities to work in professions that require face-to-face interactions with the public, due to the negative stereotypes associated with dark skin. This same study proved that students with lighter skin tend to experience preferential treatment by their teachers and peers, and thus have an academic advantage.

In Asia, the sad truth is that light-skinned individuals are more likely to succeed, simply because of their fair complexion. As a result of this twisted reality, dark-skinned people often feel the need to lighten their skin, in an effort to combat the discrimination that they experience on a regular basis. In fact, the World Health Organization found that approximately 40% of women in countries including China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea regularly use skin-lightening products. Unfortunately, these products tend to do more harm than good.

Source: South China Morning Post

Many skin-whitening products and procedures have serious health effects, ranging from mercury poisoning, to kidney, liver, and nerve damage. For instance, the infamous Fair and Lovely has been banned in several countries for its high concentrations of mercury and hydroquinone; however, it continues to be used throughout Asia. These health risks are not unknown to those using these products, but they are willing to risk their health for an almost guaranteed increase in their quality of life.

Colourism also contributes to severe mental health issues among young adults, as darker-skinned individuals tend to experience low self-esteem and develop a poor self-image because of colourism. On top of that, both colourism and mental health are incredibly stigmatized topics in Asia, making it very difficult for those struggling with anxiety or depression caused by colourism to receive help.

Colourism undoubtedly plays a very prominent role in Asian society, which begs the question, why does it exist? As with many other societal influences in Asia, colourism has roots in colonialism and imperialism. Because many Asian countries have, at some point, been controlled by a European colonial power, their social hierarchies have formed around the ideology that whiteness is equivalent to power and privilege. For instance, when the British Empire invaded India, British colonizers compared dark-skinned Indians to animals, and all secondary positions of power were given to lighter-skinned Indians. This birthed the concept of white superiority in Indian society.

Source: World History Imperialism

Another factor that has contributed to colourism in Asia is the class system. Historically, dark skin has been associated with working in the fields, and thus, rural poverty. On the other hand, fair skin is associated with having a more comfortable, cosmopolitan lifestyle indoors. In other words, skin colour is used as an indicator of social class, which also shines a light on the prevalence of classism in these societies.

The Western world is not immune to colourism either. In fact, colourism is almost as prominent in Canada and the United States as it is in Asia, just perhaps not as overt. Though colourism in the West is not very conspicuous, it profoundly affects dark-skinned Canadians and Americans in many of the same ways that it affects dark-skinned people in Asia. It is important for us to be aware of our own subconscious prejudices, and work to unlearn the skin-based stereotypes that we have been taught.

Just as colourism was ingrained into our societal ethos through colonialism and classism, this harmful ideology can be erased. If we, as a society, work to actively embrace all skin tones and combat skin-based discrimination, colourism will gradually disappear. And instead of believing that fair is lovely, we will know that all skin is lovely.

By Aaniqa Karmali