Becoming White

 When I was a kid I had dreams and aspiration of being a blonde haired blue eyed white woman, with long flowing hair (although later I realized it was better to be a white man). My dreams as a young kid to somehow become a white woman sounds absurd right? Especially when a kid lives his entire life among people of his own ethnicity. If we were to take into account the images we see through the media and the reinforced stereotypes within our communities, we can easily see how such aspirations can become part of a black boys goals.

  Korean people (Korean Nationals not Korean Americans) are subtly becoming white through globalization. Before the American arrival during WWII, colorism (light skinned vs dark skinned to simply put it) was well vested into the culture. Colorism is an ongoing trend within non white or Southern European communities. But what we cannot deny is the role the American (or European) standard of beauty plays directly or by proxy in sovereign nations.

   Since white culture is the dominate culture, it is rather difficult to assert whether a POC (person of color) wants to be white but I do know the signs of Euro centric ideas of beauty. For example, Korean people have eyelid surgery done in order to have a double eyelid. They get nose surgery to have a pointier nose and have reconstructive surgery on their jaw line so that it is less pronounced. To be fair cosmetic surgery is done on a grand scale in the U.S. and around the globe. We must also understand people of European decent have fallen victim to the the Eurocentric notion of beauty. Because of globalization or colonization (which ever you prefer, though some would prefer the more positive connotation), people want to look and or act like the dominate group. Even those of us who are on the fringes of the dominate group find ourselves assimilating.

Without taking into account population size or economy

  Since the onset of civilization, acquiring the behavior and physical appearance of the dominate group is our ongoing zeitgeist.  It has never changed and probably never will. But to what degree does a non white country allow American ideals to seep into its culture making its own culture unrecognizable or a hybrid of the two (which may prove favorable)? Here is a video from Korea. 

Now look at a Hyundai Commercial from America



  In the latter video we see the Korean car being marketed to Americans but who are they marketing to in the former video. White people in Korea? The U.S. doesn't advertise its products using another country's Nationals unless the national in question is famous. Maybe I'm being sensitive but there is no way in hell a white dude should be in a commercial driving a Korean car when the commercial is for a specific market. Let us not forget print media which features white people handsomely.

  I have had a few heated conversations about Koreans buying into the American beauty standards.  Few of them want to call it what it really is.  Americans has and will continue to successfully project its culture into the world and more specifically Korea.  One could argue that, in its quest to become an open society, the Korean government is slowly (with the help of the media) helping nationals to embrace multiculturalism. The Korean government has successfully done that by promoting one ethnicity above all others.