Instructions
Social & Political Sciences
Topic:
Colorism in the Filipino Community
Reflection
The focus of your paper should be on the author’s arguments. I am especially interested in seeing a dialogue among the main ideas of the author(s) and your interpretation and/or assessment of those ideas. The annotation and analysis of these reflective essays are designed to help you get your ideas on paper, sharpen your thinking and stimulate your creativity and imagination. Beyond the basic requirement that you annotate the reading’s main ideas, this is your space to experiment. You might compare how two different readings from the course grapple with one theme. You might select an issue that is missing in the reading and examine how its absence weakens the author’s overall arguments. You may select one theme that particularly interests you and follow it throughout several weeks of the course. Your goal is to place the readings in some sort of interpretive framework that makes sense to you.
I would like you to focus on colorism particularity in the Filipino community.
How colonialism (Spain, United States, Japan) had created a hierarchy valuing light skinned Filipinos over the dark skinned “negros.”
The idea that “One must suffer to be beautiful” – ranging from using abrasive calamansi (Philippine lime) juice or whitening lotion on our skin and elbows to medical injections. That one needs to “lighten up” to be considered beautiful.
How farmers “cover up” with various hats and clothing so that they don’t become dark skinned.
From using blue contacts to “cover up” our brown eyes to having plastic surgery to “correct” our “pango” or flattened noses.
How children are told to “marry up” meaning marrying white so that their children can pass for white or have the privileges of the white community.
How some half Filipino celebrities are recognized more than others.
Please mention how the current movement #MagandangMorenex celebrates the diversity of Filipino beauty.
