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Colorism: discrimination or prejudice that favors individuals with lighter skin complexions over darker tones.

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Colorism: discrimination or prejudice that favors individuals with lighter skin complexions over darker tones.

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The Whitening of Asia - Racist Thai TV Commercials that will make your Jaw drop - Eng Subs

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As a Vietnamese American woman, I started this project with the notion that every ethnic or racial group has its own unique struggles with the issue of colorism. I wanted to explore this subject from the lens of the Asian community since it has played a major role in shaping experiences in my life and the lives of others around me.

My experience:
Ever since I was a little girl, I was conditioned to believe that those with lighter skin complexions were superior to darker individuals by my own parents and members of my community. Whenever I wanted to go play in the sun for long periods of time, I was told by my mom to cover up areas where my skin would be exposed. Fast forward to high school where I participated in band camp outdoors in the summer. I would receive awful comments about my skin tone every time my family members met up for the occasional dinner party. Insults varied from "You got so tan! I almost didn't notice you", "Why did you get so dark? You looked so much prettier when your skin was white" to backhanded compliments like "You look unique and 'exotic.'" My family members loved to grab my arm and compare it to theirs to see how much 'lighter' and 'clean' they were in comparison to me. As an insecure and impressionable adolescent, I grew up uncomfortable in my own skin and often found ways to justify how people with lighter skin deserved to be treated better than me. I began to look up to people (such as Asian celebrities on social media) who embodied the "whiteness" with which I wanted to fit in with so badly.

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The History and Explanation of Colorism in Asia

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The History and Explanation of Colorism in Asia

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There is an assumption that members of the Asian community have the desire to look Caucasian because they favor lighter skin tones over dark. This is untrue, however, because these beliefs have existed long before colonial times. Instead, colorism is deeply rooted in social hierarchies such as the caste system of India. In pre-colonial eras, the privileged members of society (such as royalty) had the benefit of carrying out their tasks indoors while those who were less fortunate had to take on labor-intensive jobs that mostly took place outside such as in agriculture. As a result, the wealthy were predominately associated with lighter skin and the working class with darker skin. This emphasis on lightness can be dated all the way to the Heian era in Japan, to the Qin Dynasty in China, and to countless other countries and time periods. These colorist beliefs are so deeply implanted within Asian history, to the point that the connotations associated with light and dark skin tones evolved beyond just rich and poor.

Clayton, Kristen A. “Whiter: Asian American Women on Skin Color and Colorism.” Contemporary Sociology, vol. 50, no. 3, May 2021, pp. 241–243, doi:10.1177/00943061211006085r.

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Associations Given to Lighter Skin vs Darker Skin

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Associations Given to Lighter Skin vs Darker Skin

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Lighter Skin
Wealthy
Beautiful
Intelligent
Cleanliness
Innocent

Darker Skin
Poor
Dirty
Unattractive
Unintelligent
Working Class

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Discrimination in the Asian community against individuals with darker skin complexions reinforces the notion of "white supremacy." Due to the deeply rooted belief of pale skin being associated with greater prospects, (for social mobility, marriage, influence, and more) those with darker tones suffer constant societal pressure to alter their skin color rather than to embrace their natural appearance if they want more opportunities in life.

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Setting the Tone: An Investigation of Skin Color Bias in Asia

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Setting the Tone: An Investigation of Skin Color Bias in Asia

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Chen, J.M., Francis-Tan, A. Setting the Tone: An Investigation of Skin Color Bias in Asia. Race Soc Probl (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-021-09329-0

Primary takeaways from research article:

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Abstract

Social stratification by skin color is evident across the globe. In Asia, the origins of colorism are more obscure, and contemporary patterns are less studied. This paper examines the presence and patterns of colorism in an Asian context. Using data from Project Implicit, Study 1 investigated the extent to which participants associated dark skin color with negative concepts and light skin color with positive concepts. East Asia emerged as the world region with the highest level of skin color bias. Using experiments conducted in Singapore, Studies 2-4 investigated how manipulating skin color impacted the evaluations of job applicants. Studies 2 and 4 documented a modestly sized bias against dark- and medium-skinned applicants relative to light-skinned applicants, driven primarily by female participants. Study 3, which increased the range of applicant credentials, documented an attenuation of skin color bias. Furthermore, stratified models indicated participants from lower socioeconomic status families displayed higher levels of bias.

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Notes

1. 1.

A study of Black American women shows that skin color is a predictor of self-esteem, particularly among women with lower socioeconomic status (Thompson and Keith, 2001).

2. 3.

For both Tables 1 and 2, the reference group is North America because it accounts for the majority of research on colorism and accounts for the majority of observations in the dataset (81%). The U.S. makes up almost 97% of the region's observations. Having the same reference group facilitates the comparison of coefficients across the two tables.

3. 7.

According to the U.S. Department of Education ( 2020), women accounted for 54% of recent bachelor's degrees in marketing and 29% of recent bachelor's degrees in finance. We believe the same pattern holds for Singapore.

References

1. Dikötter, F. (2015). The discourse of race in modern China. Oxford University Press.

Google Scholar

2. Rondilla, J. L., & Spickard, P. R. (2007). Is lighter better?: Skin-tone discrimination among Asian Americans. Rowman & Littlefield.

Google Scholar

3. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). Digest of education statistics, 2019. Table 318.30. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_318.30.asp

4. Vaid, J. (2009). Fair enough? Color and the commodification of self in Indian matrimonials. In E. N. Glenn (Ed.), Shades of difference: Why skin color matters. (pp. 148-165). Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Google Scholar

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Author information

Author notes

We greatly appreciate research assistance provided by Clara Wong, Kershia Tan, and Ren Wanxuan. Both authors contributed equally to this research.

Affiliations

1. Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

Jacqueline M. Chen

2. Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 259771, Singapore

Andrew Francis-Tan

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacqueline M. Chen.

Additional information

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Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 7 and 8.

Table 7 Summary statistics for the IAT sample

Table 8 Regression estimates from studies 2-4, including full set of random and fixed effects

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Chen, J.M., Francis-Tan, A. Setting the Tone: An Investigation of Skin Color Bias in Asia. Race Soc Probl (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-021-09329-0
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Keywords

Colorism

Skin color bias

Skin tone bias

Asia

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Setting the Tone: An Investigation of Skin Color Bias in Asia - Race and Social Problems

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Social stratification by skin color is evident across the globe. In Asia, the origins of colorism are more obscure, and contemporary patterns are less studied. This paper examines the presence and patterns of colorism in an Asian context.

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The researchers used the Implicit Associations Test by Project Implicit on over 500,000 people around the globe. If the name of the assessment sounds familiar to you, it is because we have taken the test in class before. It measured the extent of your biases by having you match up photos of individuals with light and dark skin tones to words that generally have positive or negative associations. If you were able to match up the figures with lighter skin tones to words like "beautiful" faster than you could match darker skin tones to the same exact word, the test would gauge your bias as having a preference for lighter skin. When participants took the test, it was discovered that East Asians exhibited the most bias in the world out of all other geographical groups. Asian countries in the study from most to least biased:
Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, Mainland China, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan.

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Average Skin Tone Bias in Different Regions of the World, 2015-2018

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The Implicit Association Test has its limitations and can only indirectly measure biases in regards to skin color. The goal of the second study was to examine how skin complexion can explicitly affect individuals' choices. The researchers recruited participants from a university in Singapore and asked them to assess applicants for a job to see if colorism had a significant impact on employment opportunities for individuals in that particular country. Evaluators were given 12 different profiles of job applicants for a position, with each profile a photo and a list of qualifications to accompany it. The photos were manipulated to represent a variety of skin tones, from light, medium, and dark with faces that were Chinese Singaporean passing. They were then asked to rate each profile on a scale of one to seven in attributes such as attractiveness, friendliness, qualifications, etc. Results showed that "With respect to competence, female participants exhibited a modestly sized bias against dark and medium targets." This means that individuals with darker and medium skin complexions were rated as significantly less capable than their light counterparts.

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This is an old Japanese proverb, which talks about how white skin can make up for other physical features that may be considered unattractive. In Japan, fair skin is seen as beautiful, feminine, and pure.

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The colorism that exists in South Korean society is reflected in its music industry within a genre called K-pop (Korean Pop). Because fair skin is set as the standard of beauty by the media, there is a big demand for skin whitening treatments through creams, pills, soaps, and etc. In the K-Pop industry, idols with naturally darker skin tones receive backlash from people within their country while those with "milky white skin" are praised and upheld as 'beautiful.' Music companies try to market darker skin as 'sexy' and 'exotic' in order to generate profit if their idols don't exactly adhere to the beauty standards. An idol named Raina from the K-Pop group After School "has stated that she prefers to use light makeup because she is afraid that fans will deem her 'not pretty enough'... and bombard her with negative comments."

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Every country has its own beauty standards, and South Korea is no different. In a society where lookism has always been a controversial issue, colorism - the prejudice and discrimination of those with a darker skin tone, usually within the same ethnic group - is also prevalent in South Korean society. This is reflected in K-pop, the country's music industry that has gained popularity around the world, particularly in the last decade. Although darker-skinned K-pop idols (both male and female) are deemed the "sexy" ones in their groups, they tend to receive more backlash purely because of their skin tone. Pale skin is favored in the industry and increases an idol's brand reputation. Colorism in a South Korean context is rooted in feudal history and still has implications today.

Beauty Standards in South Korea

Lookism is a serious issue in South Korea that continues to plague society. South Korea places a heavy emphasis on appearance and is known for its strict beauty standards. This is the reason why plastic surgery is a norm for most South Koreans. Seoul has become the plastic surgery capital, with the highest ratio of plastic surgery clinics in the world.

The idols we see in K-pop are all considered attractive by modern Korean society's standards. Appearance is so important that there is the dedicated role of the "visual" in almost every K-pop group. This title is given to the member that fits Korean beauty standards the most, such as Jin from BTS and Cha Eunwoo from ASTRO. Fair skin is a characteristic that has long defined beauty in South Korea, just like many other countries around the world.

The Roots of Colorism in Korea

People with darker skin tones have been looked down upon since Korea's feudal days, a few centuries ago. Skin tone was seen as a marker of social status and class. Having darker skin meant that they worked in the sun for longer durations of time, usually doing hard labor. Meanwhile, those who had fair skin were wealthy enough to not work in the sun. Since the upper class was thought to have lighter skin, people from lower classes wanted to imitate their appearance as they could not simply be wealthy and influential, but they could appear like it. In this manner, fair skin is linked to upward social mobility, high social status, wealth, and influence.

In the 20th century, when Korea became more exposed to the West, this pre-existing social norm clung to Korean society. Western societies were considered to be more modern and advanced, so fair skin maintained its superiority as these communities were made up entirely of white people. In more contemporary times, the media promotes fair skin as a beauty ideal, which has spawned a skin whitening industry. As a result, fair skin is still favored today.

Colorism and K-pop Idols

Colorism is a prevalent issue in the K-pop industry. Darker-skinned K-pop idols like Kai from EXO and Mingyu from SEVENTEEN have received more backlash domestically because they are naturally tan. On the other hand, some idols are praised for having milky white skin, such as Kyuhyun from Super Junior and soloist and former Miss A member Suzy. It's clear that skin tone determines how idols are perceived.

Entertainment companies have utilized some idols' darker skin tones to build their sex appeal, therefore resulting in their group's increasing popularity and success. In order to defend the negative social connotations tied to darker skin, companies have deemed those idols to spearhead their respective group's sexy image. Kai stated that SM Entertainment instructed him to be " the member in charge of sexiness " even though he protested against it. Pale skin propagates a pure image, which is how K-pop idols are marketed to fans. Meanwhile, darker skin is seen as more "exotic," giving them a sexy and fierce image that companies can profit from.

Idols generally adhere to this social norm and do what they can to appear to have fairer skin. Despite her acknowledgment of having darker skin, Yuri from Girls Generation was appointed to be the brand ambassador for Dior Snow UV BB Cream. Raina from After School has stated that she prefers to use light makeup because she is afraid that fans will deem her "not pretty enough" to be an idol and bombard her with negative comments. Netizens are notorious for leaving hateful comments on social media, which have had extremely harmful effects on the targeted idols.

Many fansites edit their idol's skin to be lighter in photos, propagating the idea that having fairer skin is more ideal. Fansites are an integral contributor to fan culture in K-pop. Every idol has dedicated fansites that help to promote the group, boost album sales, and upload content of the idol onto various social media platforms. The photos they take go through heavy editing on Photoshop to make the idols look as desirable and beautiful as possible. Since fansite owners are usually from South Korea, they already have colorism ingrained into their minds from a young age (because of media); thus, many believe that fair skin is superior.

The global popularity of K-pop has helped to destroy the industry's stronghold on colorism. International fans generally embrace their idols' melanin and speak out against colorist values. On social media, many fansites that whitewash photos have been "blacklisted" by international fans. They encourage other fans to avoid and stop supporting such fansites and advocate for idols' natural skin tone. Newer idols like Haechan from NCT and Sunwoo from The Boyz have not faced backlash because of their tanned skin and are praised for it.

As colorism has been so ingrained into Korean society for centuries, it will be hard for people to move past this social norm. Skin whitening is still a common practice and thriving in the beauty and cosmetics industry. However, advocacy from international K-pop fans can enable the industry to become a platform for society to embrace different skin tones and to leave colorism behind in the past.

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Colorism in South Korea and its Reflections in K-pop

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Every country has its own beauty standards, and South Korea is no different. In a society where lookism has always been a controversial issue, colorism - the prejudice and discrimination of those with a darker skin tone, usually within the same ethnic group - is also prevalent in South Korean society.

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Asia Jackson, the founder of a social media campaign called "Magandang Morena" or "beautiful brown skin" is a Filipino-American actress who wants to bring awareness to the "culture of skin color discrimination" in the Philippines. She recalls being left out by her peers in school, in addition to having her skin color constantly being pointed out in conversations.

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“A multi-billion dollar skin whitening industry exists because of it. Because of an entertainment industry full of light-skinned half Filipinos and millions of dollars being spent on whitening product ads & commercials, tan and brown Filipinos are made to feel ashamed of who they are” - Asia Jackson

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“A multi-billion dollar skin whitening industry exists because of it. Because of an entertainment industry full of light-skinned half Filipinos and millions of dollars being spent on whitening product ads & commercials, tan and brown Filipinos are made to feel ashamed of who they are” - Asia Jackson

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All viewpoints that I have presented may be biased because they are all coming from Asian perspectives and voices. Although the experts are likely educated about the culture and history of their respective countries, I want to acknowledge that the perspective coming from other races in regards to the issue will differ. I also want to note that this project is not representative of all Asian countries and there will be slight differences in every culture.

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Many people like Asia Jackson are speaking out about colorism in their respective countries and how their media centers around the idea of "white superiority." On the other hand, there are some individuals who believe that skin-bleaching and other methods of achieving a lighter skin tone is entirely a personal decision. They compare it to tanning in Western countries, where some people strive for medium and darker skin tones as their standard of beauty. There are also others who view the pursuit of lighter skin as a cultural practice rather than discrimination. When Miho Sato, a professor at Waseda University, compared Japanese people to other ethnic groups in a research experiment, he pointed out that "Japanese prefer whiter colors." They have 'holy' and 'mysterious' associations with the color white, therefore explaining the practice of face whitening in Japan which dates all the way back to 710-794 AD).

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Women in the upper classes put white powder on their faces as a symbol of beauty in pre-colonial Japan.

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Speaking from the point of view of a young Vietnamese American woman who has lived in the United States for most of her life, I believe that the issue of colorism in Asia should not only be talked about more in conversations but also be researched more thoroughly in the academic community. Although I acknowledge that part of Asia's preference for whiteness is due to elements of its history and culture (such as colonialism), I strongly believe that discrimination in any shape or form is wrong, including on the basis of skin complexion. Just because something is seen as the "norm", does not make it morally or ethically right. I also want to point out that living in the United States has exposed me to people of all colors and races to which I embrace to a greater degree in comparison to individuals who live in monoethnic countries (even though I still have my implicit biases). My personal experiences have also encouraged me to speak out against colorism because I have been discriminated against for my darker skin complexion.

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What can we do to combat colorism?
I believe that there must be representation in media for individuals of all colors if we want to change the negative perceptions that people have towards individuals with different skin complexions. Just like how "whiteness" was used as a status symbol in Asian history, people are more willing to be accepting of darker skin tones if there are individuals that hold those characteristics in positions of power or influence. Those who have faced colorism can be comfortable within their own skin and stop the profits of the skin-whitening industry. We can also choose where our money goes, which encourages companies to promote diversity within their brands if they want to keep consumers.

What if we don't fight against colorism?
As these monoethnic Asian countries welcome more immigrants of different races and backgrounds, there will be more discrimination against individuals of darker complexions in comparison to light if these colorist beliefs are still being upheld. Colorism will then turn into racism if an individual's appearance is seen as inferior according to the country's standards.

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Why People Risk Their Lives To Bleach Their Skin | Shady | Refinery29

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Additional Consequences of Colorism in the Classroom

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Additional Consequences of Colorism in the Classroom

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One of the people being interviewed in the video is a teacher who is in South Korea to teach English in schools. She says "They would rather have somebody white teaching their kids" in reference to the parents when they find out that she is Black. Even though there is no difference between her and her White counterparts, she is seen as less capable and therefore less desirable just because of her skin color. This discrimination can be attributed to colorism which has the ability to transform into racism.

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What’s It Like Being Black In Korea in 2021? | Street Interview