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Beauty standards show racism runs deep
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As riots and protests against racism toward “black” university students in Surabaya raged across the country from August to September, it was difficult to ignore the fact that racism in general has had a comfortable place in Indonesian society. The issue of racism in the country is more deep-rooted than one might think. (JP/Sigit Pamungkas)
A
s riots and protests against racism toward “black” university students in Surabaya raged across the country from August to September, it was difficult to ignore the fact that racism in general has had a comfortable place in Indonesian society. The issue of racism in the country is more deep-rooted than one might think.
At a recent fashion show, model and actress Kelly Tandiono opened up about being bullied for her “black” and “darker” skin, stating that it had inspired her in her journey to become a successful model. Nineteen-year-old actress Amanda Rawles has also spoken out about being verbally abused and bullied at school for her “darker” skin.
It is shocking that racism could exist among children and in schools in this day and age.
Yet the word racism wasn’t raised, either by the actresses or in the articles they were referred to in. It is as if it is commonplace, that there is nothing extraordinary about the clear racism and the incidents they touched upon.
The sad fact is that racism is still a prevailing norm. One in four Indonesian girls under 18 have said that having “white” skin is more important than being happy, a ZAP Beauty Index survey found.
In the survey of 17,000 Indonesian females, more than 70 percent of respondents believed that having “clean” bright, white skin was the definition of beauty.
Having darker skin color, or being “black” is something to be ridiculed. In Indonesian, the word “black” is derogative. On the other hand, being “white” is highly praised. Beyond beauty, being “white” also connotes wealth and status.
