Filipino actress Asia Jackson has started the hashtag #MagandangMorex, which translates to “beautiful brown person” in Tagalog to take a stance against colorism in the beauty industry and in society at large.
Asia, being of mixed heritage, born to a Filipino mother and a black father, describes growing up in an environment where her mom would warn her from going outside in fear of “getting too dark” and where beauty billboards and magazines depicted artificially lightened skin.
Her everyday surroundings contributed to a mentality where lighter skin was inherently associated with beauty, and darker skin with a lack of it.
In a survey of five Asian countries, skin whitening products were most popular in the Philippines. There is a wide selection of skin products used for the purpose of whitening, including creams, toners, sun-blocks, and masks. Many purchase expensive products and treatments in efforts to achieve a fair complexion because they live in a culture where it is deemed as conventionally “beautiful,” a standard which stems from the racist roots of colorism, or the discrimination based on skin color.
Thousands of tan and brown-skinned women are taking to social media and posting selfies with the hashtag #MagandandMorex, as a way to embrace their natural beauty and not let racist, antiquated beauty standards define them while empowering others to do the same.
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This post, How Asia Jackson is smashing Filipino beauty standards, by Caroline Cai, appeared first on Galore.