Asians want to look caucasian? I don’t think so. September 2, 2008

|Music| ‘A thousand miles’ – Vanessa Carlton

 

A few weeks ago I came across this youtube video of the show ‘Tyra’ (hosted by none other than Tyra banks, of course) and the topic that day was plastic surgery. More specifically, plastic surgery among ASIANS. Now even though the term used was asians, I’m gathering that it only refers to oriental asians, which are, if you do not already know, chinese, japanese, koreans and the like.

 

Tyra was sitting on her couch with the I-am-a-strong-powerful-21st-century-woman look that she always has on the show, with her guest, a young korean american woman in her 20s.

 

So what was the woman there for? I’m getting to that bit. The korean american woman had undergone plastic surgery to obtain(I’m not sure if this is the right word to use but is there any other way of putting it?) double eyelids because she felt that they looked better than single eyelids, and also because she hated the way her single eyelids were the reason why she got teased back in school.

 

But then Tyra, “mature”, “sensitive”, “I am so concerned for you and I will try my best to help you” Tyra said “I don’t believe you” and accused the korean american woman of undergoing surgery to look more caucasian. Because Tyra seems to so firmly believe that any non-caucasian(usually having dark hair and brown eyes) who undergoes plastic surgery to change their <insert name of non caucasian ethnicity> features or dyes their hair to a non natural colour(for their race) is deliberately taking a step closer to looking caucasian.

 

Now THIS is where she pissed me off.

 

Sure, some non-caucasians might change their looks to LOOK caucasian, but its not ALWAYS the reason why they change their looks.

 

Let’s use global warming as an analogy. Factory emissions are a cause of global warming, no? (Sulphur dioxide and all) But does it FULLY acount for global warming? Is it the ONLY reason why global warming and climate change exists? NO. You have deforestation, you have cars and you ALSO have agriculture.

 

Similarly, some non-caucasians MIGHT undergo plastic surgery to look more caucasian, but it does not mean that ALL of them do it for the purpose.

 

I cannot understand why Tyra assumes that when a single-eyelided asian wants double eyelids, it’s to look caucasian. Why can’t the reason for the korean american woman wanting double eyelids be wanting to look like a double-eyelided asian instead? Not ALL asians have single eyelids. Double-eyelided asians EXIST. I, a pure chinese, am a living example. And this is not by any means boasting because 70% of the asians in my community have double eyelids as well.

 

And to further “authenticate” her claims that the korean american woman did it to look caucasian, Tyra pulled herself into it as well by saying, “LOOK, look at this”, while grasping her blonde-dyed hair, “THIS is FAKE. It does not make me caucasian but its a STEP. You get me? A STEP.”

(Note, speech may be somewhat altered because I cannot remember the exact words but the idea behind it is the same)

 

And then for some reason I cannot comprehend the audience burst into loud applause. I’m guessing its because Tyra “admitted” to succumbing to the desire of wanting to look caucasian and hence “abandoning” her natural features.

 

Ok, so now she’s saying that whenever a non-caucasian dyes her hair, she is doing it to look caucasian because only caucasians have non- black/dark brown hair.

 

Now, I had always thought that Tyra was an OK person. But this episode of her self-hosted show has led me to think otherwise. In fact, I now find her extremely narrow minded.

 

Does she have ANY idea how many reasons there are behind why people change their looks? Just because a person wants to look better does not imply that he/she wants to look caucasian. We all know very well that EVERY race has good looking people. Beauty is NOT limited to only a particular race. The person does not necessarily have to look caucasian to be good looking. This, however, does not mean that caucasians are NOT good looking.

 

(Yes, I am taking great pains to scan my post and make sure that I am not making any offensive remarks about any race)

 

Sure, when people dye their hair, the colour of their hair MAY be a caucasian hair-colour, but it does not mean that they do it to make themselves look like a person of another race. Why can’t they do it to look more interesting or stand out of the crowd? Why should we stick with having the same hair colour as everyone(applicable only to non caucasians) when we have the means available to make ourselves stand out, especially when we WANT to stand out?

 

So you mean that if in the future, I want to highlight my hair dark red its a step that I’m deliberately taking to look more caucasian?

 

Come on, I have NEVER seen anyone have this colour as their natural hair colour. You have red hair, yes. But in reality its just orangey brown or auburn. Not deep maroonish violet.

 

And can you vouch for the thousands of people who dye their hair blue or purple or electric green? If asians do that are THEY doing it to look more caucasian? They cannot be, because no caucasian has blue or green or purple as their natural hair colour.

 

And this post is by no means racist. I just felt really offended because I felt that Tyra was attacking members of my own race(I know the woman was korean, but still, koreans and chinese look alike) and stereotyping, REALLY BADLY.

 

But before some people start jumping to conclusions:

1. It does not mean that I agree with non-caucasians undergoing plastic surgery.

2. It does not mean that single eyelids are, in any way, inferior to double eyelids.

 

Now, thank you for reading my long, rambling wall of text.