https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b UGS 303: Race, Science, Ethics, and Justice in the Classroom. Created by Jennifer Nguyen en-us 2021-11-28 00:48:19 UTC 2025-12-16 11:54:17 UTC hello@padlet.com jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915786288 2021-11-28 00:50:21 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915786288 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915786974 2021-11-28 00:52:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915786974 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915792468 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. ]]> 2021-11-28 01:07:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915792468 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915982696 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.

]]> 2021-11-28 07:54:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915982696 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915991799 Lighter Skin
Wealthy
Beautiful
Intelligent
Cleanliness
Innocent

Darker Skin
Poor
Dirty
Unattractive
Unintelligent
Working Class

]]> 2021-11-28 08:09:18 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915991799 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915996980 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. ]]> 2021-11-28 08:17:27 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1915996980 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917079165 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:

]]> 2021-11-29 04:24:49 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917079165 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917080443 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.

]]> 2021-11-29 04:26:02 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917080443 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917086264 2021-11-29 04:30:42 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917086264 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917122803 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.]]> 2021-11-29 05:04:19 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917122803 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917139606 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.]]> 2021-11-29 05:20:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917139606 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917235328 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."]]> 2021-11-29 06:51:58 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917235328 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917237517 2021-11-29 06:53:41 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917237517 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917253963 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.]]> 2021-11-29 07:07:06 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917253963 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917254699 2021-11-29 07:07:47 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917254699 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917284365 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.]]> 2021-11-29 07:29:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917284365 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917292847 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).]]> 2021-11-29 07:35:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917292847 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917292972 Women in the upper classes put white powder on their faces as a symbol of beauty in pre-colonial Japan.]]> 2021-11-29 07:35:32 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917292972 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917388418 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.]]> 2021-11-29 08:36:25 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917388418 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917415319 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.]]> 2021-11-29 08:53:47 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917415319 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917432453 2021-11-29 09:05:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917432453 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917434390 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.]]> 2021-11-29 09:07:21 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917434390 jennifern0526 https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917443752 2021-11-29 09:13:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jennifern0526/2qp9ob1y9xdc3h8b/wish/1917443752