I watched the 12th episode of Refresh Man, a Taiwanese drama created by Sanlih E-Television. In that specific episode, an Asian man was featured as a Black American with an Afro Hair. His make-up and clothes completely disregarded the different cultures and identities of various black communities. Now, I am not suggesting Asian-Americans are not victims of discrimination not only by the white community, but also by the black community. This is is observed at the Grammy’s when three young Asian kids where brought on stage as Pricewaterhouse Coopers accountants.

While watching the 12th episode of Refresh Man, the Black Man or in this case the Asian Man played by actor Roy Zhang says, “Wash Mei Mei white white.” This is implying black people are not beautiful. This is suggesting that lighter the skin, the more beautiful one’s skin is. This made me question what beauty is. Who exactly defined beauty? Beauty is not absolute; it's standard changes with time and place. In some communities in Africa like Ghana, a heavier set body is considered beautiful as compared to the American idea of aesthetics, where aesthetics holds skinnier women as a standard. Since the period of colonization, the physical features of black women including their hair, lips, thighs, breasts, and behinds as well as their chocolate skin is considered distasteful. Due to this, the black community, today, faces a struggle to achieve the white standard of beauty. This is not just prevalent within the black community but also other non-Western societies and communities.

In Asian communities, skinny is a standard of beauty, thus, many young Asians struggle to lose weight. In Asian communities like Korea, double eyelids, V-line Face with an untanned skin is considered beautiful. In India, fairness creams are common, as being dark skinned is not considered an attribute of beauty. While society defines a certain physical aspect as a standard of beauty, discrimination and cultural appropriation become prevalent as observed in Refresh Man. Eating disorders and plastic surgery are becoming more common as being are striving to obtain a body image that is more socially acceptable.