Copy of LSP 200 FINAL Zine

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COLORISM

The Philippines was colonized by the Spanish
for over 300 years--up until the end of the
Spanish-American War in 1898

SPAIN gave up the Philippine Islands to the UNITED
STATES

The US took their place as overseers for the next fifty
years during the Filipino-American War

America belittled the Filipino
people by imposing only partial
independence and criminalized

them as
"BANDITS and TERRORISTS"

Filipinos were forced to adopt
the beliefs and values of their
colonizers at the expense of

their own dignity

After 300 years of European
and American colonization,
Filipino colorism remains a

driving force behind
internalized negative
perceptions of dark-skinned

individuals

COLONIAL ORIGINS

Spaniards brought the idea that Filipino culture
and natural skin color were inferior to theirs

The preference for
“white beauty” came
from Spanish colonizers
who associated dark-
skinned Filipinos with
poor laborers while those
with lighter skin, being
mixed-race Filipinos, are

in the upper class

Besides Spain, The Philippines was colonized by
the United States and Japan, whom were also
fair or pale-skinned peope

colorism

in l i t e r a t u r e

Jose Rizal's

Noli Me Tangere

In the novel, brown or sun-kissed native Filipinos
or Indios are often ridiculed, even those with mixed
Spanish and Filipino descent like Crisostomo Ibarra

and with high rank like Captain Tiyago

Otherwise, fair-skinned Spanish natives are perceived as
respectable, regardless of background such as the fake

doctor Don Tiburcio and his wife, socialite Donya
Victorina

colonialism

colonial
mentality

The remnants of of the Philippines’ long history of
colonization under SPAIN and the UNITED STATES

has led to feelings of:

SELF-HATE EMBARRASSMENT

SHAME RESENTMENT

i n d u s t r yw h i t e n i n g

This industry greatly attributed to the
damaged psychological state of the
native people brought on by American

colonial rule.

MOST FILIPINOS PREFER It has become socially acceptable
HAVING WHITER SKIN to try & 'lighten' your skin to the
extent that it is much common in
the Philippines to see light-skinned
mestiza Asian celebrities endorsing
skin whitening products.

THE demand for

skin whitening

This rapidly growing industry is predicted
to reach $24 billion by 2030

Dr. Vicki Belo, MD, is the
most in-demand

dermatologist in the
Philippines-built a beauty
empire on whitening alone

Numerous beauty brands have
started to sell skin-whitening

products

"cosmopolitan whiteness"

Filipina celebrities

growing up light skin

It makes me sad that the I have always been praised for my skin
Filipinx community hold tone in my family growing up. I would get
deep insecurities about the compliments from aunts and uncles
complexion of their skin and because of my 'puti' (white) skin. Because
wish to change their skin of this I knew from an early age that
color because of it. I wish Filipinos favored 'whiter skin' over
"brown skin". My parents would often tell
more Filipinx would me "don't stay out in the sun too long or
embrace and appreciate the else you'll get dark. This sentiment was
perceived as such as bad thing. I never
color of our skin. understood where this mentality came
from until I was much older and learned
about our colonial history. In many ways,
I have benefited from having naturally
light skin but I still struggle with my own
set of insecurities.

REDEFINING

BEAUTY

asia jackson

She is a 24-year-old Filipino-
American TV actress, has

brought to light the culture of
skin color discrimination in
the Philippines after she

shared personal experiences
of being bullied for having
dark complexion and curly

hair

“beautiful brown skin”

In 2016, she started a social media campaign called “Magandang
Morena” or “beautiful brown skin” that aims to celebrate the

diversity of color in the Philippines, which includes brown or tan
skinned Filipinos.

“It took me a very long time for me to love my color as it is, and I
never want anyone to feel alone like I did" -Asia Jackson

It's not skin deep

For so many, colorism is not
just about dating or beauty,
but about work, opportunity

and survival

Colorism, in this context is a

gendered issue which

appears to affect women While media promotes images

more than men of white beauty, we must

begin to acknowledge that

skin is historical, political, and

sociological which is tied to

colorism