I have been spending lots of time making sure i am outside. In korea the whiter/lighter skin someone has the more attracitve you are. Just like in the US we stick out our arms and compare skin colors except they point to the tannest person and say "haha youre tan!" I first thought the obsession with being white as possible, from lethal whitening creams, to parasols, to avoiding the sun like the plague, was a racist aspect of asian society (last night we went to play soccer around 9 pm and one the lab guys put on sunscreen!(yes, i gave him a hard time)). I began to really appreciate the US but I figured i would give the continent the benefit of my doubt and do some research. Afterall there are 4 billion asians, i wouldnt want to call them all racist in one fell swoop. It turns out that the color of one's skin is not indicative of race but class. A long time ago the wealthy could afford to be inside and therefore had very light skin while the peasants were outside working in the fields with tan skin. This was almost a relief to me. I mean in the US we show of affluence like no other, I think some people wish it would be as easy to flaunt how rich you are with your skin color.
Anyway I was hanging out with a group of high school girls and they spent a good amount of time complimenting me on how white my skin was. With every minute they continued to praise my pale skin I sunk deeper and deeper into depression. why did i go to college in maine...
I have made it one of my utmost priorities to never hear this "flattery" directed at me again.
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That's how it was in the caribbean as well. The lighter skinned or "clear" people had the better jobs.
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