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True, but the reason why I didn't move mixed women up on the list is because it really depends on what the mixture is and how close the woman comes to the white ideal.
OK, yea that's true, mixed could mean anything. I automatically think white/black or white/latina.
Black women are not represented on your list, nor are we represented in the media (unless it's a negative portrayal). Jennifer Lopez (white Puerto Rican) , Beyonce (mixed race -creole heritage), Kim Kardashian (Armenian/Dutch heritage), Halle Berry (mixed race, black & white).
I don't look nothing like any of those 'women of color' cited that's all I know, LOL. But I do get what he/she was saying.
I don't look nothing like any of those 'women of color' cited that's all I know, LOL. But I do get what he/she was saying.
Exactly. I think the mistake that black American women made is, we accepted mixed race women as black, but black women in the UK and Africa have never done this. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against mixed race women, but they are not black.
Take a look at how Paula Patton exploits her knowledge of the hierarchy. She has 0 problems being labeled as a black woman, because she knows that all of the "black woman" roles will go to her, and not to real black women. Her diatribe about being a black woman is actually comical.
Anyhow, a mixed race woman like Paula Patton would go to the top of the list right under white women, in terms of the beauty standard.
Indian concept on colour and ethnicity is a complex subject. It's deeply enmeshed in practices and ideals which are like 20,000 years old or at least that is what it's claimed. To adhere to them or totally discard them is up to individual discretion on how much this closed society is willing to open itself to the outside world.
On Africans in general, the general perception is that in the evolution of man from the ape, the evolution stopped somewhere right before the completion of the perfect humanoid with distinctive facial features, wavy long hair etc., this is the reason why in general society today people of black descent are pejoratively referenced as bandhar which in Hindi literally translates to "monkey". It became an international controversy when Aussie cricket player who happens to be of 1/4th African/Aboriginal origin, not complete, was booed as "bandhar" from the stands. So that pretty much paints the outlook on age old societal opinion on black people. Of course, it's slowly changing and it will take more time.
On white skin preference, it's simple caste system. Dark skin's attained by heavy labour in the sun. Naturally it was used to determine which woman is of higher birth and which one isn't. It was a practice among upper caste men as to decide which women in their farms they can fool around with. Anything below a certain skin colour could enter "sutra" castes and the very touching could mean ostracization from the rest of the upper caste circles. Untouchability.
So, it's not like white skin is preferred becoz it's white. There's a lot of inner meaning based on the caste system. And that mindset of 20,000 years is hard to come off. It has to take many more generations from the cosmopolitan era to ward these silly things off. It is what it is.
This sense of arrogance and people bifurcation was ideally borne out of wealth and gold. Before the Alexandrian invasions, India was the richest group of kingdoms on earth. In the words of Herodotus, "a region famed to be richer than Persia in terms of gold and resources".
The impoverished India of today is a resultant shadow country ravaged by 1500 years of Islamic/British colonialism. The British brought their own practices and concepts of slavery into the mix. While they were colonizing India, they were also enforcing slavery in Africa. I've always maintained that India's 1500 year tribulation is a way of karma/God hitting back at this largely discriminational society. They really had their asses handed to them by the Islamic invaders and the Brits.
Last edited by Currency Pair Crocodile; 02-13-2012 at 06:56 PM..
Exactly. I think the mistake that black American women made is, we accepted mixed race women as black, but black women in the UK and Africa have never done this. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against mixed race women, but they are not black.
Take a look at how Paula Patton exploits her knowledge of the hierarchy. She has 0 problems being labeled as a black woman, because she knows that all of the "black woman" roles will go to her, and not to real black women. Her diatribe about being a black woman is actually comical.
Anyhow, a mixed race woman like Paula Patton would go to the top of the list right under white women, in terms of the beauty standard.
Well I differ with you there Michelle, I don't not accept mixed race black women as black. I don't care what they call themselves, if they are happy being called black fine with me. I got my own problems in life. I don't think it's Paula Patton's fault all the black female roles go to her or Halle -- I think it's Hollywood/media's fault this happens. They actively choose to recognize only a very small portion of black actresses. So in other words, if I were Paula Patton I'd take whatever roles I could get to feed my family and pay my bills! Personally I think Gabriella Union is beautiful, but she has never really been on Hollywood's radar and IMO it's because she's dark skinned.
Well I differ with you there Michelle, I don't not accept mixed race black women as black. I don't care what they call themselves, if they are happy being called black fine with me. I got my own problems in life. I don't think it's Paula Patton's fault all the black female roles go to her or Halle -- I think it's Hollywood/media's fault this happens. They actively choose to recognize only a very small portion of black actresses. So in other words, if I were Paula Patton I'd take whatever roles I could get to feed my family and pay my bills! Personally I think Gabriella Union is beautiful, but she has never really been on Hollywood's radar and IMO it's because she's dark skinned.
If Paula Patton was dark, she wouldn't be receiving the same roles, but I fully understand why she does it, and I do not have any hate for her, or any other mixed race woman. I just think it's important for black women to understand that mixed race women know the hierarchy very well and they use it to their advantage, like other non black women, to ensure the best standard of living for themselves and children.
These response explain very much. I did not know that African women were least desirable to men in America, this supports everything that I have experienced. American men just simply find european woman the most desirable. They will be picked out first myself will be picked last if at all. Nothing I can do to change that mindset. Thank you for replies
It makes sense for mixed (black +some other race) to identify themselves as black if that is how people perceive them when they walk by them on the street (like Obama). However, it is really unfair to use biracial women as the example of black beauty for black girls/women (because it often just means you are using tan skinned person with "white" features to define black beauty). It is an unattainable goal to look like that (just like it is unattainable for a white woman to look like a black woman in most cases). As a nonwhite person, I do not appreciate people holding me to a "white" standard of beauty. So I wouldn't like it if people took someone who is half white +half my ethnicity as the standard of beauty for my ethnicity.
I see this Paula Patton for the first time.
She is considered what? Black?
Bwa-ha-haaa)))
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