In the United States, darkness is considered a measurement of beauty amongst most white people.

Coming back from vacation with a bronze tan is a mark of pride. Tanning salons are mostly frequented by people of definitively light skin. But for most minorities, that same darkness becomes a point of shame.

I spend most of my summers in the sun, on bike rides and beach bumming, slowly transitioning into a dark brown, wrinkly raisin. I love the heat, and so I spend every waking moment I can out in the sunlight.

Towards the end of one summer, I was at my aunt’s house when she called me over jovially, and sat me down on a chair. My aunt is your average Pakistani woman who carries her average Pakistani traditions with her. She remarked on my hair, which used to be long and thick, and she touched its waves, saying that it’s beautiful.

But then she gestured to my face, and said that I have nice features, and if I had lighter skin, I might be pretty. She advised me to not go outside so much so I could get my shade back down to the proper color. I laughed at this concept that there is one shade that is “proper” and another that is not.

I know I’m not the only minority who’s experienced this sort of conversation. Especially for Americans who are the children of Asian immigrants, it’s very common to hear from the older generations that we need to take care of our skin tones so as to preserve our beauty.

I’d like to take a minute to acknowledge all my fellow brown-skinned friends out there who have ever been told that their skin is too dark. For every time we’re told not to stay out in the sun too long or to apply just a little bit of that sweet skin-lightening cream to even out the dark spots.

Many American minority cultures tend to consider light skin a fundamental attribute to beauty. I’ve noticed this trend present amongst African Americans, South Asians, East Asians and many other ethnicties, but the reasons for it vary.

As a whole, this concept is called colorism. Colorism usually occurs within an ethnic community. Instead of discrimination of different races against one another, colorism is evidenced within a single group, separating its lighter skinned members from its darker skinned members.JT http://curlycrayy.com/2014/03/16/featured-if-youre-white-youre-alright-if-youre-brown-stick-around-if-youre-black-get-back/

In the African-American community, lighter skinned African Americans tend to be considered more beautiful and more accepted than their darker skinned counterparts. There is a strong history of divide between the two subsets of the population, with light skin generally being regarded more positively.

Studies have shown that African American people with lighter skin are perceived as more attractive, more intelligent, and more successful. With hashtags like #teamlightskin and #teamdarkskin frequently trending on Twitter, it is clear that there is very real distinction between the two.JT https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/the-color-complex-in-black-communities-its-time-for-all-shades-to-unite/2012/10/11/ab9ebabe-d1b9-11e1-adf2-d56eb210cdcd_blog.html

Amongst South and East Asians, there’s a notion of darkness being associated with lower socioeconomic status. This is why many of our relatives back in the motherland prefer to have lighter skin — it’s a sign of wealth and class.

These expectations have traveled their way out west, bringing us to regard even our western, immigrant populations with the same lenses of our counterparts abroad. Many people within these immigrant Asian communities use products that are meant to lighten their skin tones and help them look more white, in order to push back the natural colors of their skin.

I sincerely hope that I don’t have to say this to the other students my age who have to deal with this out-of-touch mindset, but I will anyway: Don’t pay attention to the light skin versus dark skin nonsense. It’s sad to think of how much our aunts and uncles, as well as our mothers and fathers have done to hide something that is such an intrinsic part of who they are, and we have no need to perpetuate these ideals.

So, I appeal to my minority brothers and sisters to change the dialog on this topic. Even if it is a mistake that has happened in the past, our generation should know better. We should be able to see through the superficial, cosmetic preferences that divide us so stupidly.

Clearly, chasing after whiteness is a ridiculous mindset. By pushing ourselves to adhere to visions of beauty that force us to so heavily alter our appearances, we’re enforcing a pattern of self-hatred. It sounds trite and worn, but you really should appreciate yourself for who you are, blackness and all.

Saba is a sophomore in Engineering.
[email protected]