‘De-raicalisation’, or ‘westernisation’, is ever increasing within ethnic minority communities across the globe. Plastic surgeons are experiencing an influx of ethnic minority patients who are asking for specific surgeries to westernise their looks and steer away from their own racial backgrounds.
Back in 2009 channel four released a documentary that followed the emotional journeys of ethnic minorities desperate to westernise their bodies and faces, ‘Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth’.
The problem with contemporary society is that technologies have allowed us to look however we wish with advancements in cosmetic procedures giving us the power to adapt our appearance and change our lives. In the hidden world of de-racialisation science is making anything possible. It’s considered a part of the globalisation process whereby ethnic differences are going to be narrower and narrower. Many cultures are surgically westernising their features, believing that Caucasian attributes equals power, money, and success. Some even believe that there is a negative racial prejudice attached to their own cultures that they wish to remove from themselves, therefore the surgery is pinnacle to them integrating with western societies.
The notion of “the ideal” is something that caused a stir among viewers; some writing on 4OD’s blogging site. One posted, “The ideal? If the white body is so ideal then please tell me why so many white girls are obsessed with altering their own bodies?” Another posted that if “people felt victimised by their own race, and consequently wished to alter their appearance, technically are they not too being racist towards themselves?” Two very strong and interesting points, both truthful in their own way, because there is an equal, if not higher demand for plastic surgery in the white population. The idea of the Caucasian body being ‘the ideal’ stems from Roman and Ancient Greek eras, even today, those are the stereotypical, perfect bodies. (1)“Jackson’s carefully nurtured image spun out of his control. He became a victim of the weird mythology he had set out to create…. But it wasn’t just his inability to cope with fame that made him weird……He thought he was ugly – his skin was too dark, he decided, and his nose too wide. It was no help that his insensitive father and brothers called him ‘Big Nose’. He told an associate that the ‘greatest joy I ever had was in knowing I had a choice about my face’. He described himself as a ‘work in progress’.” (Taraborrelli, 1/7/09)
Ultimately, Jackson had achieved his goal of transforming himself, but at a price. Not only was he known for his talent as a performer, he was also known as a freak. He did it for him, at least he claims to, unlike today where people do it because they feel suppressed by the white society. And what Channel Four successfully, in my opinion, highlighted is that this obsession with changing race and the availability of resources to do so is not confined to Jackson. It is a growing trend that does not seem to have any signs of slowing down; nor does it have any ethical grounds as people literally are changing their outer exterior of their race.
In 2008 India released an eye-catching television ‘mini-series’ advert featuring three of Bollywood’s hottest talents in a moody love triangle. Promoting a skin whitening add. (2)
The skin whitening market in India is worth millions of pounds, popular with both men and woman alike with lotions promising to ‘improve’ their complexion. The mini-series caused outrage amongst the Indian communities, re-opening the date about India’s obsession with pale skin, some arguing the advert is discriminatory and outdated. The advertising of the ‘White Beauty’ skin lightening product no doubt infected the nation’s minds that white skin is beautiful sparking the beginning of westernisation amongst the Indian community.
However non- causations are not the only nationalities to cosmetically change their looks. Despite de-racialisation being linked to westernisation, there seems to be little links made between western societies gets lip injections or bum implants and its similarities to the black community. It raises questions of whether de-racialisation is really a westernisation process, or a process in which individuals undertake for beauty ‘ideals’ within their cultures.
I don’t solely believe that the individuals undergo surgery to leave behind their heritage or completely steer away from their cultural communities. I believe they are simply trying to appeal to more nationalities through white features and people’s perceptions of them if they fit into the western world. The majority of people who undergo the surgery still celebrate their own religious festivals, for example even though 60% of the Chinese population undergo the eyelid surgery for a western appearance; they still celebrate Chinese New Year amongst other Chinese traditions.
There seems to be a lack of awareness of the importance of physical and cultural diversity. If de-racialization continues in relation to westernisation then there is a danger that the western world is increasing its dominance over cultural groups and making cultural diversity far more narrow.
It’s a tragedy that across the globe people are rejecting the very essence of who they are, both racially and culturally in order to obtain the unobtainable. And even if it were possible for us all to be western in appearance; what a tragedy for humanity that would be.
Tarraborelli. R, How Jacksons Surgery…, The Daily Mail, 1/7/2009 accessed 18/09/09 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196633/How-Jacksons-surgery-desperate-bid-look-like-father-hated.html
Wooleston.S, The Guardian, 27/10/2009.
McCurdy, John. Cosmetic surgery of the Asian face. Thieme New York, 2005
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