The White Man's Burden - Beauty

Hola Mi Gentes!

Firstly, let me apologize for not blogging in a long time (for those of you who follow my blogs). I have been so busy prepping for the upcoming school year. Secondly, I just want to clarify something before I write this new blog. I am NOT a depressed individual who spends all day at home crying about how ugly I am. I am not that insecure with myself. I have lots of friends, I'm really smart, I am very independent, I am involved in a lot of activities and clubs and I am pretty popular...so to those of you who have been sending me "comforting" messages, telling me to be more confident in myself, and informing me that I really can't be THAT ugly (emphasis on "that"), thank you very much for your concern but I am NOT, and I repeat, NOT depressed. I am okay with myself and I am very happy with my life. Of course I'm a bit insecure about my looks but who isn't? My blog isn't to look for sympathy but it's to help all those who go through insecurity issues as I do and help them to come to terms with the wonderful aspects of themselves. Not everyone can be pretty, but everyone can be beautiful.

Okay, on that note, off to today's topic.

The White Man's Burden

Have you all ever heard of the "White Man's Burden" Okay, if you haven't, I'll quickly give you a run down. Basically, during the colonization period, the white man (referring to the imperialists at that time), felt that it was their duty to: educate the world, teach non white people how to be civilized, convert heathens to Christianity and to basically impose the Western (or White Man's culture) onto different groups of people (because clearly, their way of life was "uncivilized", *note the heavy sarcasm). Let me just start off by saying I have nothing against white people so before anyone starts calling me a racist, think again. The problem I have is that the view that everything associated with being white, or the western world, is good; where people have the perspective that "if it's white, it's right", where people neglect who they are and try to become "white" to fit in more -- that's where the problem is. I can go into a huge discussion about how this mindset is still deeply embedded in different parts of society, but what I'll focus on is the beauty aspect, since this is a blog about physical beauty.

Have you ever noticed that when you open magazines or turn on the tv, or whatever your media source, that what is defined as beauty is ALWAYS a white person? I mean really, what our society chases after are gorgeous white, heavily photoshopped, but nevertheless, white people. Every day we are told to put aside prejudice and to accept that all people, despite race, are equal and can be beautiful, yet, whenever there is a beauty icon, someone who all girls long to be like and all men long to bed, it's always a white person. Now for the people who want to jump the gun and say "Hey, you're wrong, what about Tyra Banks, and Beyoncé Knowles." Okay, I'll give you that one, you're right, there are a few non white beauty icons out there like Tyra Banks, but, do you realize that for every 1 Tyra Banks, there are about 5 trillion Kate Mosses? Did you also notice that the majority, if not ALL of these black beauty icons have Caucasian Features or are really light skinned (caramel colored)? A lot of them are even mixed! They have thinner noses, thinner lips, caramel skin, silkier longer natural hair,etc. It's not even in the Western world, it's everywhere! Even a friend, whom I was crushing on, told me that black women are only pretty if they have Caucasian features or light skin. Hardly will you see a black beauty icon with a broad nose, dark skin, full lips, and kinky hair and yet there are LOTS of beautiful women with these features but society never puts any emphasis on them!

It's not even just with black people, it's also with Asians! Either you'll see your super stereotypical Asian or you'll see an extremely westernized white washed one with a thinner nose, with dyed hair, fake boobs, rounder eyes, etc. I mean, take a look at this, it's appalling (Chinese Girls and the Art of Makeup)! What is so wrong with embracing the beauty that each group of people has to offer? It's really annoying. I remember when I was younger, I would look at myself in the mirror wishing that I had a thinner nose and thinner lips. I would press my lips tight together, and I would plug my nose for about 5 minutes so it could be thinner. I remember that my white mates would say, "hey, you have a big nose (and my nose really isn't big, it's normal for my face)" and I would feel bad but to act as if I didn't care I would always reply: "hey, have you ever considered the fact that my nose may not be big but that yours is just ridiculously small?" That aside. it got to the point where I was uncomfortable being the person I was created to be and that I felt I had to be something I was not to be beautiful. Now, I've gotten over that and I've embraced every part of me that is me.

My advice to you people, stop looking at magazines to tell you what looks good (clichéd, I know, but really). Look at yourself and see what makes you beautiful. Dress for your body shape and not how Kim Kardashian dresses (we all don't have that body figure). Work with your own hair! You don't need weaves, extensions, or whatever. If your hair is nappy, you can still work with it to make cute afros, braids, and twists. If your hair is super straight, you can still curl it to give it volume, etc. If you're Asian, you don't need contacts that make your eyes look big and round (as my Korean friend has) or globs of eyeliner to make your eyes bigger. You certainly don't need double eyelid surgery (as some of my Chinese friends want). You're fine the way you are. Look at yourself and work with YOUR body to make YOURSELF look good and stop looking to this stupid definition of being beautiful as white and start looking to yourself as beautiful.

Stay Gorgeous!!!

Photo Credits: 

1. Kate Moss
2. Top left corner: Beautiful Black Girl
3. Top Middle: Beautiful Indian Girl
4. Top Right: Beautiful Liberian Girl
5. Bottom Left: Beautiful Chinese Girl
6. Bottom Middle: Beautiful Syrian Girl
7. Bottom Right: Beautiful Panamanian Girl
8. Last Photo: Beautiful Afro Chic