Watching commercials on TV and reading billboards and magazine ads is a great way to get the pulse of popular culture. What caught my attention early in this trip was how most of the models and actresses/actors (both men and women) on TV and in print were light skinned. I blamed this on the Bollywood- entertainment juggernaut that, much like Hollywood, has plated up very narrow constructs of beauty. However, as I talked to more people and did some research, I learned that there is a whole industry devoted to skin lightning that is undermining not only the the self esteem of darker skinned Indian men and women, but is also influencing their educational and professional futures.
In timely fashion, I read an article in the "The Times of India" that distills parents' views about how important skin color is for their children. Wealthier Indian parents are taking extreme steps to ensure fairer skinned children. You can read the article here. I think about all the students I have met who are first generation learners, who live in poverty and have few choices about their futures. Will education or fluency in English be enough to open doors for these kids when there is additional pressure to look more Western?
In timely fashion, I read an article in the "The Times of India" that distills parents' views about how important skin color is for their children. Wealthier Indian parents are taking extreme steps to ensure fairer skinned children. You can read the article here. I think about all the students I have met who are first generation learners, who live in poverty and have few choices about their futures. Will education or fluency in English be enough to open doors for these kids when there is additional pressure to look more Western?
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