#postcolonialism

By Alfe Azad 

A common refrain I have heard throughout my childhood from the many women in my life, my mother, aunts, older female cousins, was for me to ‘stay indoors’ since I was ‘already too dark’.  When my mother was born she was the pride and joy of my grandfather because the doctors told him that they had never seen an infant as pink as my mother. My father chose to marry my mother because, as darker pigmented man himself, he wanted to give his future children a head start by marrying someone fair-skinned.

 Throughout my primary schooling my family was lucky enough to travel to Bangladesh every summer, it was during these trips my mother would stock up on a skin lightening cream called “Fair and Lovely” for both her and myself. Whenever I would find myself at family gatherings or other social outings with fellow South Asian women, it would never be too long before the conversation turned to beauty and women began complimenting the fair skin of one another and offering helpful information to those afflicted with darker skin. In searching for potential brides for my male cousins, fair skin, not the bride’s accomplishments or sense of character, was prioritized. Simply put, fair skin was good and dark hued skin was something you had to constantly make-up for and attempt to change. Retrospectively assessing these instances it becomes clear that the opinions of the people in my family and families across South Asia are informed by a deep-rooted history with colorism.

South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka) has developed their issue with colorism over a long period of time, starting with the invasion of the light-skinned Aryans and concluding with the reign of the British Raj. The traumatic rippling affects of these historical occurrences are still felt today through the internalized oppression of the indigenous population that these invasions descended upon. Having to witness social and political power be given to outside forces whose physical bodysuit was so vastly different from the native population it ruled over only naturally leads to self-questioning and desire to emulate those in power.

To this day South Asians hold the belief that fairness is equated with more positive attributes i.e., intelligence, more attractive, wealthier, etc., and this attitude is reflected in the pervasive popular culture of South Asia. Bollywood being such a massive industry and having so much influential pull over the South Asian population, continues to perpetuate the idea of fairness being preferable by continuously celebrating and casting fair skinned actresses. Furthermore, the idea that fairness is the preferred shade is evidenced by the vast amount of skin lightening products that exist for both men and women and are touted and affirmed by their association within the Bollywood culture. South Asian people, and women more so, are inundated with images of fairness and the belief that a lack of melanin is somehow associated with success. South Asians have seen power given to light skinned individuals for centuries, and today that power continues to manifest itself in the higher echelons of South Asian culture, where, more often than not, people in positions of power continue to be fair skinned. It is high time we recognize and value our people beyond the shade of their skin. South Asians as a community are vibrant and brilliant regardless of the hue of our skin. My intelligence, sass, and creativity doesn’t stem from my lack of melanin, rather it has flourished in the responses to it.

As I’ve grown into my own and have been equipped with the specific language and education surrounding the history of oppression of people of color and the evolution of the feminist movement, I have come to understand the importance of my racial and cultural heritage. It has come to the forefront of my consciousness and, along with the lens of feminism, has done much to shape how I perceive my own experiences and the experiences of others around me, by recognizing that my place in the world starts with affirming that I am a woman of color. I make the distinction to say woman of color, and not woman and person of color, because too often I feel these two labels become disjointed and it is imperative to recognize that women of color are recognized otherwise we are inevitably perpetuating the erasure of women of color (hereafter known as WoC) altogether. It is through this lens that I am able to acknowledge the daily microagressions and societal challenges faced by WoC, whether from individual or systemic forces. Colorism has been continuously documented as a common problem amongst nations that have gone through extensive periods of European colonization, including the Indian subcontinent from which I am a proud product of.

[photo source: www.popfn.com]

Alfe Azad is a 28 year old grad of NYU Steinhardt’s Educational Theatre program. At NYU she focused on her interest in Theatre of the Oppressed and the intersection of arts and social justice. Her work culminated in a literature review thesis on the issue of colorism within women in the South Asian community. In addition to her post-graduate degree from NYU, she received her BA in Theatre and English literature at California State University Northridge. Alfe is currently a Teaching Artist in the city with three different organizations, Opening Act, The Leadership Program, and Wingspan Arts. She is originally from New York but has lived, studied, and worked in Los Angeles for the past 13 years. She is also a practicing actor, credits include Dunyazade in Arabian Nights and Peaseblossom in A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Alfe also works in technical theatre, most recently helping design costumes for NYC’s The Secret Theatre’s production of Through the Glade. Find her on Twitter @alfeazad​ 

jeanjauthor:

scentedluminarysoul:

reaux07:

just saw a post that said poorer countries aren’t under-developed, they’re over-exploited and honestly, i love that use of language, to put the onus on colonialism and imperialism. can we please start saying that more?

Saw another that said they’re not “developing”, they’re “recovering from colonialism”.

I’d love for us to use both (this and over-exploited), as they’re both equally accurate

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

HOW you talk about a subject can reshape the WAY we think about that subject.

They’re not developing, they’re recovering.  They’re not poor, they’re exploited.  They’re not third-world, they’re subjugated.