In 2016, it’s interesting to see how ideas of racism and Eurocentrism permeate through society, even amidst this cultural revolution and general push toward inclusion and diversity. While people representing different groups definitely enjoy more representation in the media and professional world, it seems that in many cases, this trend is more of an illusion of appeasement than actual progress. Allow me to explain:

I previously commended the writers of Marvel’s “Luke Cage” for not only showcasing a black superhero and ethnic supporting cast, but for doing so while avoiding the tendency to marginalize people with specific stereotypical roles, making sure to represent “blackness” in a variety of different spectrums. This doesn’t happen often, even in the modern era. While inclusion and representation are more-or-less to be expected, diversity in and of itself tends to be relatively elusive in many cases. For example, I go to school in South Florida, a place that boasts diversity to a higher degree than many other places in the country. Knowing this, one would think that the staff of my university would reflect the student body at least somewhat accurately, which is not the case at all. While the staff has become less homogeneous throughout the years, it seems that even the more diverse staff personnel were hired to fulfill a quota requirement rather than to challenge the status quo.

This happens often, this idea of having people around to fulfill a need of perceivable diversity while still making sure they’re palatable enough for white people, whether they’re light-skinned, soft-spoken, or at least don’t voice ideas that would sound too radical, if they’re men, having short hair and neat facial hair, and if they’re women, having straight hair. Basically, people are seemingly more desired if they look more European, or at least speak and think in a way that doesn’t challenge white peoples’ perceptions too much. I’ve seen it at my school, and I’ve also seen it in not just American media, but in the media of other cultures as well.

Bollywood, for example, is notorious for this. While people from India come in all shades, ranging from Michael Ealy to Wesley Snipes (I know they’re not Indian. Just making a point), most of the prominent actors in Bollywood, for the most part, look generally the same, and anyone who never met an Indian person in their life would probably perceive them as being a shade or two darker than the average white person, no matter how inaccurate. Coming from a society obsessed with fair skin, this isn’t necessarily surprising, even if it is both unrealistic and unfortunate.

Another place where this is common is in telenovelas, Latin American soap operas, where, generally speaking, the actors with the more crucial roles are those that look more Spanish/European. “Latino” is more of a cultural identifier than a racial one, and, similar to India, those with a Latino background come in many different shades, which is certainly in contrast to the idea that is perpetuated in Latin American media. Even when people with darker skin and kinkier hair are cast, it is rare that the roles of their characters are associated with intelligence or general importance to the story.

It seems that on a general level, both of these groups want people on the outside to see them how they wish they could see themselves - As closer to being white.

So given that the idea of colorism is one that isn’t unique to Black or American cultures, one would naturally question why this idea is perpetuated throughout different societies around the world. There could be a variety of different reasons, starting with class. Generally speaking, those of a lower “status” have historically been farmers, servants, and other groups of working class people that were more likely to have spent time working outside, under the sun, which generally darkens the skin. In a society like India that’s been ruled by a caste system for thousands of years, it is believable that lighter skin is indicative of higher status, effectively making one more desirable on a general level.

The idea of European colonialism also has to be taken into account, not only in India, but throughout the rest of the world as well, especially in the case of Latin American countries. While Latinos are a generally mixed group of people, containing indigenous, European, and African roots, it is the wish of some Latinos to ignore their African ancestry, either due to shame over slavery or because of the ideas of superiority still being given power by many influenced by European expansion, including black Americans. This is ironic, because many societies in that area of the world, such as Brazil, have some of the largest concentrations of black people outside of Africa. The Dominican Republic, for example, has a large number of people who would be considered “black” anywhere else, yet some also deny their roots.

The idea that “old habits die hard” is exemplified when one looks at our respective cultural perceptions of ourselves and others, even on the most subtle levels. The ideas of Eurocentrism aren’t always represented through the black-and-white racism that is overt, but also through smaller things, such as issues regarding color, religion, certain ideas, or even speech. As societies evolve, so will these perceptions, but as of now, it is safe to say that many cultures share the same need for progress in that respect.

Shoot, even in The Lion King, the dark lions were the bad guys…