Summary

The text reflects on the struggle of embracing a Filipino identity amidst colorism and the legacy of colonialism, challenging the narrow standards of beauty and "normalcy" within Asian and Pacific Islander cultures.

Abstract

The author of the text delves into the complexities of Filipino identity, particularly the experience of not fitting into the conventional "Asian" or "Pacific Islander" stereotypes due to a darker skin tone. The piece confronts the colorism present in Filipino culture, where lighter skin is often preferred and considered more beautiful, leading to a societal devaluation of those with darker complexions. The author critiques the use of products and practices intended to lighten skin and questions the internalization of colonial beauty standards that have been imposed on Filipino society. The narrative emphasizes the resilience and strength of those with darker skin, rejecting the notion that it represents damage or dissatisfaction, and instead embracing it as a symbol of courage and determination. The text calls for dismantling the ingrained prejudices and for a redefinition of beauty and identity that transcends the oppressive standards of the past.

Opinions

The author challenges the notion of a "normal" Asian, highlighting the diversity within Asian cultures that is often overlooked.
There is a critique of the societal pressure to conform to certain beauty standards, particularly those that equate lighter skin with beauty and higher value.
The author points out that the preference for lighter skin in Filipino culture is a remnant of colonial mentality, which has led to the marginalization of darker-skinned individuals.
The use of skin-lightening products and practices is seen as a response to implicit biases and a reflection of a colonized mindset.
The text emphasizes that true flaws are not physical but are rooted in the biases and prejudices that exist within the culture.
Dark skin is reclaimed as a positive attribute, representing strength, resilience, and a commitment to challenging systemic prejudice.
The author advocates for a celebration of natural human diversity and a rejection of the "whitewashed mentality" that undervalues non-White physical traits.
The piece encourages Filipinos and other marginalized groups to define their identity on their own terms, rather than through the lens of oppressive standards.

Filipino Shade

Receiving shade for my Shade.

Caramel complexion, eyes that don’t scream “oriental,” Stuck in a divide between the titles of “Asian” and “Pacific Islander.”

“You’re not a ‘normal’ Asian.”

How does one define “normal?”

Light complexion? Eyes with a slight angle?

Tell me. My culture is dying to know.

Stereotypes defining the lines, With traits distinguishing race that my ancestry couldn’t trace.

I don’t fit your description as if I’m a piece to the wrong puzzle.

I bear a skin color that is shades too dark to be considered beautiful by some, More so unacceptable by many.

A complexion frowned upon within my own culture, As if I voluntarily picked my color from the discount rack, Believing that my darkness represents the value of my beauty And the validity of my identity.

So when you say,

“You’re not a ‘normal’ Asian,”

My mind cuts through the fat and reveals the gristle behind your expectations of “normal.”

I’m a defect.

I’m the byproduct of a malfunction from the factory in which I was built, Worthy enough to bear the blood of my culture, But not enough to be accepted by it.

“Stay out of the sun” is what we’re taught, To avoid looking like me.

To avoid baking our melanin with the fear of getting burnt, To avoid appreciating the unrelenting beauty of human nature.

To hide in the shadows of the oppressor's shade, Ingraining the seeds of, “If it ain’t White, it ain’t Right,” Into the mentality of a culture whose people were treated as slaves.

Papaya soaps, Sunblock, And long sleeve t-shirts in 90°F weather Are the cure to my defect?

No.

Papaya soaps, Sunblock, And long sleeve t-shirts in 90°F weather Are the reasons for your defect.

Our flaws aren’t found on our skin.

Our flaws are buried deep into our mind, Found inside the implicit biases planted into a culture Who was “civilized” in the form of colonization.

Colonized my people’s land, Much less my people’s mind.

Dark doesn’t mean Damaged. Dark doesn’t mean Dissatisfied. Dark doesn’t mean Dangerous.

Dark means Dauntless. Dark means Determined. Dark means Dedicated to Dismantling any last bit of prejudice The oppressor bludgeons into the fragile skull of mentally resilient people.

Dismantling any last bit of prejudice the oppressor Taught my culture to adopt as the absolute truth.

The sun isn’t the one to blame.

Nature’s oak trees and daisies wouldn’t grow without the charity of the sun, Yet we’re taught to avoid the shine of the bullets shot by nature’s gun.

Blaming the sun is like blaming the water For not knowing how to swim in the colliding currents and waves Dragging us around as if we’re a toy, Stuck in the clenches of a dog’s piercing canines ready to tear us apart.

We let the water drag us into the suffocating abyss Of a whitewashed mentality.

We choose to sink into our hidden biases Instead of swimming out of our mind’s abysmal pit Serving as a safe haven for discriminatory beliefs, Feeding our crying mouths with poison undercover as “medicine.”

“Medicine” prescribed by the same folks who Colonized my people’s minds, Enough for us to overdose from one generation to the next.

“Medicine” that we need to dump out into The grave of humanity’s misconceptions Before we’re buried alongside them ourselves.

Our identity isn’t defined by the opinions of other’s dismay for your physical traits.

Our identity is defined by the acceptance of your features gifted on your plate.

I’m not your “normal” Asian.

My skin attracts eyes, Coloring over the lies of shady representations of what my shade represents.

Call me “too dark” Call me “different” Call me “unconventional”

Call me when you figure out complexion and beauty aren’t one-dimensional.