Maybe the Issue Here Goes Skin Deep

The following were a series of posts on my Tumblr about a cultural belief that lately has irritated me and what I have observed in my personal experiences and observances in general. The opinions and views expressed are solely mine and mine only.

Part One:
I’m sure other Filipino-Americans have similar stories. I honestly thought it was only in my family that had this issue until I saw Rex Navarette’s “Hella Pinoy” and “The Debut” that I finally learned that our family not wanting us to get so dark - to be light as possible - was a cultural mentality. I would later learn through researching our history, the history of Filipino Americans in USA (and Chicago), and just by experience that it was much more than that.

The belief, the idea, the colonial mentality that being lighter skinned (being white as possible) is physically attractive and it will allow you to be successful in life. I understand that it is not just Filipinos who have this mentality; there are other cultures and nationalities that have this same belief, mentality that dark skin is not attractive. However, I am just speaking on my experiences and observances from being a Filipino-American.

Without going through a detailed history lesson, let’s quickly review why we have this (colonial) mentality that being lighter is better. No matter what culture, there were those who were rich enough not to do work, then there were those who had to. That probably meant they had to work outside, long hours under the sun. It was easy to see who had had the luxury to stay indoors and keep their fair complexion versus those who had to earn their living and got their dark (beautiful) complexion. We are far from those days, yet we still have that mentality, that belief, and that worry that burdens many of us.

Part Two:
Up until my late high school years and early college years, I didn’t realize or was aware of that colonial mindset. So “Hella Pinoy” and “The Debut” made me realize that it wasn’t only my family worried about my middle sister and cousins who were “too dark”. It was attending Filipino conferences in college (FACT, MAFA) that made me reevaluate this cultural belief, this way of being. There were workshops that touched upon this – how colonization still affects us Filipinos (and Filipino Americans) though we are far from the 1800s and early 1900s, the underlining jokes of how we may perhaps used whitening products.

I would go back in my memory and think of how my mom and aunt would gasp at how dark my sister would get when we went to the water park. She’d go in rare and when she’d come back from the wave pool, she’d be overly well-done. In 10 minutes. Out of her and the cousins, she’d tanned the fastest, and my other two cousins were naturally dark. Playing outside in the summer, as every other Filipino will tell you what they heard was “Hoy, get back inside! You’re getting too dark!” I, on the other hand, could never tan as fast or be as dark as they were. (I envied them. And to this day I still do).

I mention this because those same cousins, who were told to be careful in the sun, now have children of their own. And it is sad to see this mentality passed on to them. 4 of my many nieces and nephews are naturally Morena. Beautifully Morena. 2 girls and 2 boys. However, sometimes they won’t let them out because they’re afraid “they’ll get too dark, too ugly”. They jokingly make fun of them. Mind you, the oldest of the kids is almost 10 and the youngest is 6. The boys, they somewhat care about how long they’re in the sun. It’s the girls they worry about.

That youngest is a girl. Do you know what they tell her constantly? That she is too dark. That she is black. Do you know what she also does occasionally? Take milk baths. Why? Because supposedly it lightens the skin. She’s already been conditioned to do it, to like it, and to understand why she has to do it. It breaks my heart. And now, that girl, after vacationing in Cancun has such a beautiful tan. It fits her so well. My sister is jealous because she wants to reach that kind of brown. After seeing her, I told her that she should not want or have to take a milk bath again. I told her she should be proud of her beautiful look.

You see, my family is like every other Filipino family. They believe that if you are fairer skin, the more good looking you’ll be and more successful. When my cousins from California all married Caucasian men and had their children --- everyone commented on how gorgeous their kids would be because they’d be half Filipino, half white. To this day, they say how amazing it is that so-and-so is gorgeous because they look white but have “that Filipino nose”.

Part Three:
If you were to go to the Philippines or even watch TFC (The Filipino Channel), you can clearly see this colonial mentality being continually pressed upon Filipinos’ minds. Just look at some of the top celebrities. Most of them have a light complexion. Some may be natural; some may not. But most of them are half Filipino and half something else. Preferably, it seems something “white”. (Now, I’m implying that if you have a lighter complexion that you are not full Filipino or that you are using something – or anything like that. I am not implying that at all.)

We have Sam Milby and Gerald Anderson who are Filipino-American; Piolo Pascual who has Spanish and German blood as well; and Bea Alonzo and Derek Ramsay who are of Filipino and British decent. Unless you are sexy male, i.e. Derek Ramsay, they’d prefer you to either be a lighter complexion or be half of something that will make you look like it. The males can get away with it, the females cannot.

It doesn’t matter though if you’re full Filipino or just half (or partial). Your sponsors will prefer you to be a lighter complexion. Some of the celebs use and are sponsored by companies that promote products that lighten their skin. One of the most well known skin lightening products are the Belo products. Created by cosmetic surgeon Vicky Belo. Just do a search on “Belo products” and this is what you get.

Oh, let’s not forget this. Because, as it says:

"Belo Essentials brings you with a skin care line that can specifically address the concerns of each Filipina. Its unique formulation possesses a unique dual whitening system that controls melanin production and prevents melanin transfer to the surface of the skin."

Part Four:
This is where I was inspired to write these posts. As I was watching “Simply KC” on TFC on July 27th Tuesday, KC had Nikki Gil as her guest. Part of the small talk KC had with Nikki was how she was “an ugly duckling” before she made it big in the Philippines. Nikki had talked about how she had acne, other features she didn’t like, etc. What is also talked about is how “dark” she was (and still is compared to other stars). Nikki talks about how as a teen she was dark because she played outdoor volleyball a lot. She admitted that she was a “Morena” and that she in fact was made fun for it.

Go ahead and watch the video. (Most of what I am commenting on starts at 1:30 and ends around 2:40)

Though it seemed that KC was trying to make it more positive and not trying to say that being dark is bad (or being white/light is better), the following irks me. I disliked that KC asked “Did you want to hurt yourself because you wanted to be white?” It was the way it was worded and said. Granted, any way she would have asked that question, for example “Did you want to hurt yourself because you were dark?” or “Did you wish that you didn’t play so much outdoor volleyball then?”, it would still be a loaded, sensitive question. However, I do believe Nikki’s reply was handled very well. Roughly translated, she replied to KC’s question with asking herself “Why can’t being Morena (tanned, dark skinned) be accepted? To be okay?”.

Yes. Why not?

Part Five – the Conclusion:
So why all this huff and puff about being Filipino, this colonial mindset of having a lighter complexion? What made me want to write these series of posts? Charice.

I’ve vented about this before – Charice being on Glee. My post about it, which was my opinion, was that it doesn’t really make sense and how I feel like the show is just adding guest celebrity after guest celebrity. Ok. Fine. I’ll trust that the writers will make it work. I guess what was really bothering me, was how Charice was going to represent the Filipino people on a hit show like Glee. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect her to play a Filipino on Glee (though it would’ve been great to see it, if it is not done in an over exaggerated caricatured manner). She hasn’t really had acting experience (except on MMK) and hopefully her English is improving.

Furthermore, the American paparazzi and media are much more harsh and intruding than the Filipino media. Are Charice and her people ready for this? The first rumors of her on being Glee were not handled well. So how were they going to handle it once she actually started on Glee? I guess that was put onto the test when the next two rumors came to light.

The first rumor was that she had gotten Botox injections. The speculation to why she had gotten them ranged from making her face less round (to look more “westernized”?) to ease the pain she had from TMJ and/or Bruxism (grinding of teeth, especially at night). I admit I was shocked to hear this. But if she really has TMJ/Bruxism, we don’t want her to have a sore, tensed jaw when she needs to perform and be on TV too. We also don’t her to ruin her teeth because of that teeth grinding. If Botox helps, well then, problem solved and hopefully she doesn’t need to wear a night guard to prevent the teeth grinding. If she got it to make her face rounder? Whatever, maybe she or her people feel that her round face/cheeks give her a more baby face look. Maybe she or her people feel it wont make her seem more attractive or makes her look “too young” for the Glee audience. Fine. I guess I can deal with that. From what I’ve read and understand, the amount of Botox was not as much as cosmetic surgeons use to smooth out wrinkles. So again, fine. Go ahead with that Botox, Charice.

It is the other rumor that irks me. It was this rumor that made me sad to hear and then after watching “Simply KC” that really made me want to write this post. It wasn’t really picked up much by the American media but more of the Filipino media. The rumor that Charice had gotten her skin lightened. The reasons of course are clearly obvious and the reason for my posts; she or her people feel that her skin is too dark or would a prefer her to be a lighter complexion for when she finally appears on Glee. Oh, and who supposedly did these treatments? Vicky Belo.

What bothers me about this is – what message is this sending to young Filipinos not only to those in the Philippines but here in America? I mean, she is entering “Hollywood”. Where tanning is a ritual for most. I am not promoting tanning, but hello? This is America. Where we have these kids from the Jersey Shore, where all they do is gym, TAN, and laundry, and then drink on TV. They’re famous for it. Look at their break out star. A freaking oompa loompa with a poof. (And now that I think about it, if Charice actually went tanning instead of allegedly lightening her skin, and made an enormous poof with HER hair, Snooki and Charice could look very much alike, haha. Okay, back to the conclusion of this post).

Does she not watch Glee – the show she will be on? Not all of them are white. Just because the “other Asians” happen to be a lighter complexion does not mean she has to be too. That, and towards the end of the “Acafellas” episode, Sue takes AWAY Santana’s and Brittany’s TANNING PRIVILEGES. Maybe for Charice, that would be a privilege.

It is just that with the exposure she had to and in America, you’d think she would have an idea of who her Filipino audience in America was and what the Glee audience was as well. Or, in her preparation for her role, she would have done her research about that after she had gotten the role. I feel like that as soon as it was confirmed she’d have a part in Glee, her people were immediately like “Well, now you do have to look whiter”.

They were not thinking that “oh, if the American media find out about this” . Does anyone remember how when the speculation that Michael Jackson had bleached or lightened his skin came out (and lingered) that the American public found it … well, weird. That speculation stayed with him into and after his death.

They weren’t thinking that here, tanning is a status symbol; that you have the means and luxury to look like you’ve been out in the sun, not working.

They obviously weren’t thinking that maybe, just maybe, there are Filipinos here in America who does like their natural complexion, even if it is considered a “dark” to their people. That there are Filipino people who accept themselves the way they are. And that they should just be happy with it.

Charice, I really do hope you do well on Glee. I do. I love that show. However, realize that even if these rumors are either true or false, that (allegedly) Ryan Murphy is rewriting the episodes you are in to reflect how important it is that you love and embrace who you are. Because, that is in fact what Glee is all about. So please, love and embrace who you are. A Filipina. With a round face and brown Filipino skin.