Margaret Hunter The Persistent Problem Of Colorism

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Throughout history, United States’ beauty standards have been challenged and changing. Some examples of American beauty standards include having fair/light skin, colored eyes and being thin. These standards have been influence by Anglo-Saxons and were quickly adapted in the social hierarchy of the United States. However, these standards fail to acknowledge women of color and their diversity in beauty and the media. It is apparent how racial inequality and white supremacy oppress and stereotype women of color by looking at the beauty standards in America.
In Margaret Hunter’s article “The Persistent Problem of Colorism: Skin Tone, Status and Inequality,” racial inequality is evident in housing, job opportunities, marriage/dating, and other …show more content…

Beauty often oppresses women of color and cause them to compete to fit American standards of beauty. This form of oppression, invalidates individuals experiences and cause them to feel like the outsider for not looking like the women they see in the media. In American society, there is a “…relationship between skin color and perceptions of attractiveness may be particularly important for women on the job” which is critical because beauty is an important aspect that women’s jobs and employment depend on it (Hunter, 241). Women of color are caught in a double bind where they are oppressed not only because of their gender and their race, but they must consider beauty as another reason to why they did or did not get the job. Women of color are often discriminated against for the color of their skin and subjected to racial …show more content…

The problem with cultural appropriation is that it ignores or minimizes people of color’s oppression and praises white people for these creative trends. White people are also able to make a profit on these accessories and clothes, while people of color were criticized for wearing these before it became popular. There seems to be a double standard when it comes to deciding on whether something is “beautiful.” For example, things that white women wear is beautiful and often “set a trend” while the same thing that is being worn by women of color is seen as deviant. This shows Americans that there is a racial hierarchy and white people are in positions of power that they can steal stuff from people of color and benefit from

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