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THE CHAINS OF PIGMENT

PHILIPPINES LOVE FOR BLEACHING SKIN

By OUT OF PLACE Published 3 years ago 4 min read
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IMAGE BY AUTHOR

Imagine walking down the city streets of Manila. Your eyes take in the lively metropolitan atmosphere adoring all the intricate shops and restaurants that hold the latest gadgets and fashion. Excitedly you decide to walk into one of these shops not knowing what lies ahead. Within a few steps, an employee welcomes you in, their warm smile illuminating the store. It seems that the shop is riddled with the latest skincare products. Whilst you walk around, another employee approaches you.

“Hi, do you need any help with anything?”

Smiling timidly at the employee, you decide to take their offer. They lead you to the left side of the store, where a product, Gluta-Max is displayed. Taking a hold of the product you notice a poster behind.

Translation (Maputi lang, pinaupo an sa bus? = and Unfair ‘di ba? = its not right) REFERENCE:HERWINCABASAL ( 2019) Unfair 'di ba? [article] : https://herwincabasal.wordpress.com/2019/04/17/unfair-di-ba/

A thick feeling begins to form at the back of your throat, whilst your eyes drift from the poster to the back of your hand. The sight of copper skin stares back. Somehow you hadn’t noticed the employee pitching this product. Snapping out of your trance, you force yourself to focus.

“I certainly recommend this product to you. I think it would just really bring out your natural beauty. And if you don’t believe my words, definitely trust the reviews for this product. I find that many of our customers note how this it just makes on look more pristine and put together. It's also very…”

At this point, their words feel like a sledgehammer to the stomach. A sick itch to scratch your skin raw. Detached from reality, you feel the loud voices of your childhood ring in.

“Black Beauty,” “dirty skin,” “ you look so dark”

All these comments that have built from your childhood feel like a weight against your shoulder. As you try to focus, your eyes stay fixated on your hand, do really people think of me like this?

Ignoring all doubts you take the bottle in your hands, glancing back and forth from your skin to the product. Is this really the solution? Will this make me more acceptable?

***

Throughout my life, I have been chained by pigment. Such a small cell that seamlessly controls the weight of my emotions moulding me into a ball of anxiety. You see I was brought up in a world of black and white. The belief that staying away from the sun, wearing more sunscreen, and using lightening creams is the pathway to becoming pristine and clean in the eyes of my family. The sad reality is, I am not the only one who experienced this. Because in the Philippines, white is right.

See this idea that being lighter is better, has been deep-rooted within my culture. A rotten piece that blends in with the rest. For us, being light skin is akin to being perfect. This has been prevalent since the colonization of the Philippines, were we have aspired to be more Caucasian. It was Spain who brought us the idea that our culture and natural skin color were inferior to theirs. From this, we began to desire to be like another race because we believed it is better than being our own.

“Power and privilege in the Philippines has a particular look. … There is an overrepresentation of lighter-skinned people in these arenas, and it perpetuates the idea that those who are not light are not worthy or do not belong in those spaces.”- JOANNE L. RONDILLA, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AND ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES AT SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY

Although hundreds of years have passed, we still continue to rip our skin apart. Promoting this poisonous belief that baring copper skin is the epitome of dirt. We created products that bleach away our identity. Knowing fully well, how much long term damage it had towards our physical health. Because the pain and suffering were worth enduring if it meant we could look like another race.

Then we used the media to manipulate an audience, to contend they are lesser than who they are. We shoved product after product, brainwashing this instinctive idea that one should desire to be lighter. Hiding the fact that these products monopolize on the insecurity of others. And even though many were aware of this, we continued to let it happen.

Unknown Dangerous Side Effects Of Hydroquinone In Skin Whitening Products [ Image] https://howtowhitenyourskin.wordpress.com/2014/07/12/dangerous-side-effects-of-hydroquinone-in-skin-whitening-products/

Yet how long until the harm we have done turns our skin raw. How can we sit here and let us tear ourselves apart? The pigment of our skin does not define who we are, yet we let it continuously chain us. Beauty will always be in the eyes of the beholder, no matter what colour our skin holds. It is up to us to liberate the idea that we need to be white. It starts with little steps, by our actions, how we speak to others, and most importantly to stop glorifying the production of skin whiting products.

But If you will not do it for you then at least do it to save those around. For if you accept these products then you accept the suffering of others.

For more information on skin bleaching click here.

REFERENCE LIST

Coquilla U (2019) Opinion: The Dark Truth About Colorism [blog] http://upismc.blogspot.com/2019/05/opinion-dark-truth-about-colorism.html

Madarang C. The history behind the Philippines’ culture of ‘colorism’ [ news article] https://www.interaksyon.com/breaking-news/2018/06/11/128496/history-behind-philippines-culture-colorism-skin-discrimination/

Unknown (2019) Glutamax ad slammed for discriminating vs morenas [new article] https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/228125-glutamax-ad-online-reactions

Bumatay C. (2019) I’m A Filipina Who Was Addicted To Skin Lightening Products [ news article] https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/filipina-light-skin-bias-philippines_l_5d5d942be4b03b44f416572d

Unknown Dangerous Side Effects Of Hydroquinone In Skin Whitening Products [ Image] https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/filipina-light-skin-bias-philippines_l_5d5d942be4b03b44f416572d

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About the Creator

OUT OF PLACE

Writing for fun!

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