Let’s talk colourism in the Philippines' beauty pageant culture

Photo: Unsplash

I'm no stranger to colourism; at the ripe age of nine, my mother would rub olive oil on my morena (brown) skin and let me use papaya soap in an attempt to whiten me. I remember this one day when I had asked her why she was using papaya soap on me, she replied with, “So that you'll become more beautiful! People will turn their heads when they see you because your skin is glowing!” She then proceeded to hand me the cocoa butter lotion, the colour of the bottle being the same brown as my skin. To be honest, I didn't know how to feel that day. I felt loved and I knew my mom meant well with what she said, but I also knew there was something wrong especially when I had to look in the mirror and whisper to myself, “But I love my morena skin.” At that young age, I was fully aware of the gravity of the situation, and it may seem like a simple memory of my mother taking care of me, but it was a day I won't ever forget.

Growing up in an Asian household in Dubai, I understood that my family’s beliefs stem back to the Philippines, where they grew up, and where white skin is praised and deem as beautiful. A whole population of Filipinos would rather go under their way to use skin whitening products and avoid the sun than embracing their natural dark skin.

Colourism stems from coloniliasm and white supremacy

Given that the Spaniards colonized the Philippines for 333 years, the beauty standards and culture all became Europeanized and seeped through the Filipino population since then. Then came the Americans who occupied the islands for 48 years which according to Philippine history textbooks made the Filipinos' education system better than what the Spaniards ever did. My country still not getting a break because World War II happened with the Japanese and brought with them the genocide of the Filipino people. All of these tragic events have forever changed the course of the Philippines. It’s safe to say colonialism plays a huge role in the existence of colourism in Filipino culture (and we could say the same for other cultures).

There are so many factors involved in this situation. The media alone plays a part - commercials are constantly bombarding the Filipino population advertising skin whitening products and the only representation they see in entertainment are all mestizo/mestiza (mixed Filipinos) artists with white skin. The message is always the same: white skin is beautiful and more elite. However, there is a light in the dark, beauty standards are slowly shifting with the new generation of so-called Millenials who are advocating for their natural beauty. It’s a long time coming, but I look forward to the day where colourism no longer clouds the mind of my people.

Colourism in the Filipino beauty pageant culture

But how does colourism play in huge beauty pageants such as Miss Universe? In recent news, Miss Universe Canada 2020 Nova Stevens called out her online commenters for racist remarks. On a now-deleted Instagram post, Nova shared a photo of herself filled with screenshots of negative comments which were in Tagalog. Some of the comments on her photo, which included English translations, were nognog (‘N words’), katakot (scary), akala ko engkanto (‘I thought she was a ghost’), “over well done ang chicken, charge sa grill man (‘burnt chicken’), and tostadong tostado na nga nasunog pa (‘she is toasted and burned’),” among other disrespectful remarks (GMA News). I personally don’t condone any of this behaviour and it was truly uncalled for. Many Filipino supporters did come in the picture to cheer Nova on.

"With all that has been going on in the world, 'black lives matter,' 'Asians are human,' you would think this would bring us together. Instead, it looks like some people are still stuck in their ignorant and racist ideologies," said Nova (GMA News). Colourism is evident and is universal. Nova is unfortunately not the only Miss Universe candidate who received negative backlash online from Filipino beauty pageant fans. A recent victim was Miss Universe Thailand 2020 Amanda Obdam.

Even Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo has received racist backlash from the community herself. There are reports of Rabiya tearfully apologizing to her fans since many were disappointed over her national costume given that it was not complete with sun rays and did not fully represent the Filipino flag as a whole. Rabiya herself has even apologized to both Miss Universe candidates, Nova and Amanda. According to Rabiya, she personally messaged both candidates apologizing on behalf of Filipinos, calling out the toxic behaviours of beauty pageant fans, and despite the hate speeches that are seen online do not reflect the whole Filipino community.

Nova released a statement shortly after her original post clarifying the issue to her Filipino fans. She says:

This post is not a generalization, which is why I said "some." Also, I was not sure of the language these comments are from until reading some of the comments. In case it's not clear. I don't think all Filipinos are racist. That would be ridiculous to say. This picture with texts was constantly being sent to me recently, which is why I shared it. I'm well aware that there are multiple countries that think this way. I'm sharing this as a teaching moment so that we can make Pageants fun and enjoyable for all. All the girls competing have worked hard for this moment and deserve to have the best experience. Cheer for your girls with love and respect for the other delegates because they too are deserving of the 'Miss Universe' crown. Spread love, not hate.

Compassion is more important than ever before

What came after this media frenzy was the collective response of supporters from the beauty pageant community worldwide who showed their encouragements for Nova and to all the victims of colourism in the industry.

A moment to remember is Nova wearing world-renowned Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco’s gorgeous bright yellow gown.

Nova Stevens in a Michael Cinco gown. Photo from Michael Cinco’s Instagram.

As a Filipino journalist and beauty pageant fan, I am continuously learning and advocating for change. We, as a community, can learn so much from this year’s Miss Universe controversy. Beauty standards are indeed changing, and so is the world. Every year beauty pageants including Miss Universe continue to show up and celebrate all types of beauty and embrace the world’s many different cultures and identities. There is a collective responsibility of beauty pageant fans worldwide to embrace the essence of beauty pageants and (un)learn all existing stereotypes and prejudices they have.

Whether or not the country we come from/or are in has these prejudices and societal expectations regarding skin colour and beauty, there is no excuse for hate crimes and abuse. We're fortunate to live in a modern society where more people are speaking up on these issues, who are continuing to (un)learn toxic mindsets and strive forward. Nothing is more beautiful than celebrating humanity.

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