Color Me White

The term “colorism” refers to prejudice based on one's skin color within one's race. In all countries invaded by Europeans, lighter skin is directly associated with being more successful. According to the Cosmetic Dermatology for Color Skin Journal of 2009, Latino patients are the largest ethnic group to receive cosmetic procedures. This encompasses all cosmetic procedures, including skin bleaching. In an ever-growing, diverse world, the strive to be whitened is accompanied by harmful chemicals and bone-altering procedures, creating an ugly cycle of self-doubt and a lack of self-acceptance only to be repeated in the following generations.

Cosmetic procedures are on the rise throughout non-Caucasian societies, and with it, issues like depression, identity crisis, and complete assimilation are also becoming more obvious. In the confusion of cultural clashes throughout the colonized world, the strive for success goes hand in hand with the ideal of beauty. Italia Vigniero tells the New York Times on February 18, 2011, “We Latinas define ourselves with our bodies.” Vigniero's belief is most likely a complex result of her motherland's culture, and that of the country she lives in now, the United States. This skewed ideal of beauty is passed down not only through the media but also internally amongst family members where a parent's main hope is for the success of their children. With big-name brands like Unilever, Palmolive, and L'oreal campaigning for their skin-lightening products, the message couldn't be more clear. Thankfully, the main ingredient in skin whiteners, Hydroquinone, has been banned since it's been proven to cause cancer. People worldwide are still turning to any means possible to achieve their ideal beauty, and thereafter, their hope for success.

In this series, I photographed Latinas who I've had the privilege of knowing, women who have shown their pride to be who they are. They are all shown as diptychs, with a “before” and “after” image referencing the too-familiar images we see in the media. Facial features were digitally lightened and bone structures were slightly altered to the point of being unrecognizable unless paired with the original. For these women, myself, and Latinas in the United States and abroad, our appearance and non-whiteness are always a topic of conversation. Unfortunately, there exists a constant bombardment of ideal beauty and colorism within our own culture. “Color Me White” is a series exploring the epidemic of white-washing plaguing the world, the absurdity of it, and the eerie implications of such a rampant obsession. x