Breaking the Boundaries of Beauty
The pressure to look a certain way is a feeling most individuals have experienced at some point in their lives, but how does such pressure affect people of color even more so? Georgia Thoms ’23 interviewed students in multiple cultural organizations as well as professors in an attempt to answer this question and, along the way, gain insight into the world’s flawed beauty standards.
Look at a magazine, and what do you see? White, unblemished skin; a small, uncurved nose; shiny, straight hair; and a tall, lean figure. These images, tweaked and falsified to satisfy judgemental consumers, create not only an unattainable and unnatural standard of beauty but also a fictional one. After interviewing students of varying ethnicities, a clear conclusion was reached: increased cultural diversity helps minimize self-criticism and beauty biases.
Dr. Monika Gosin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, helped explain the connection between representation and self-esteem.
“The psychological research does demonstrate that it can definitely impact people’s self-esteem not to see themselves represented, and then, if you go on to the specific topic of beauty…women of color [are especially affected] if they don’t see themselves represented as people who are seen as beautiful or who are deemed beautiful,” Gosin said.
What is the root of this beauty bias? The answer seems to lie in the power associated with the European colonizer. People subjugated through colonization equated power, money, and success with white features because of the racial hierarchy that was established by the colonial system.
“I think colonialism has a major role in the preference for whiteness when it comes to beauty,” Gosin explained. “And I think that this is not just in the United States but across the whole world. We can see this in other countries as well where there is this preference for whiteness. This hierarchy based on color was pretty much related to the whole system of power. So I do think that that’s really the origin of this preference for whiteness that we see continuing in the beauty industry.”
Jody Allen, Assistant Professor of History and Director of The Lemon Project, explained that this hierarchy also creates colorism, which can internally affect communities of color.
COURTESY IMAGE // CARMEN SOTO EUCEDA
“There’s this idea that one particular color or shade of skin tone is better, more attractive than others,” Allen said when describing what constitutes colorism. “It’s been shown in this country, and in other countries, that there’s more of a preference for lighter skinned people who are closer to white European skin. But there’s also some people who believe that skin color also reflects intellectual ability. So not just not just attractiveness, but this idea that people are better looking and smarter, the closer to white and European they are.”
Through exploitation, indigenous populations were manipulated into thinking they were not beautiful as part of the colonialist agenda.
“One way to maintain the social order was to talk about things like ‘they are ugly’ or ‘there’s something deviant about their bodies,’” Gosin described. “That construction was about maintaining power. But the weapon that was wielded was an attack on the body itself and its beauty.”
Such are the origins of the flawed beauty standards common across so many cultures. In this way, the beauty industry is a mirror reflecting systemic racism and prejudice. For example, whitening soaps are very common, and Gosin noted that there were old commercials advertising soap that would turn black children white.
“Unfortunately, this idealization of lightness being better than, or cleaner than, or less evil than darkness, continues to translate, where people accept that beauty ideal even across different ethnic groups,” Gosin said. “And so we can see this colorism not just from white versus black or nonwhite, but also within intraracial colorism.”
While the beauty industry shapes ideas of what is “desirable,” communities of color can also perpetuate these colorist ideas through generational teachings. Latin American Student Union (LASU) Social Chair Carmen Soto Euceda ’23 explained how she was taught to look a certain way growing up as a Latine woman.
“There is definitely a big standard to be skinnier, to be taller, to be very poised, soft-spoken, not necessarily in appearance but just overall,” Soto Euceda said. “When I was growing up in the summers, it would be like, ‘Wear your sunscreen and cover up. You don’t want to get darker.’ … It is a very Eurocentric mentality — it’s a generational thing that people pass on. Outgrowing it is definitely hard, but it’s definitely something that is possible.”
South Asian Student Association (SASA) member Meher Narielvala ’24 recalled a similar memory in which she was pressured to cover up if she were to go outside. Afterward, a family member would compare the shade of her arms to her stomach, noting any difference in shade.
COURTESY IMAGE // MEHER NARIELVALA
“There’s this stigma that darker skin is less favorable. In every culture that kind of thing happens. And growing up, I remember, there was the whole dispute with Fair & Lovely in India, like bleaching your skin,” Narielbala said, referencing a popular Indian skin-lightening cosmetic product.
Filipino American Student Association (FASA) member Jacklyn Gollayan ’23, who also experienced childhood anxiety over sun exposure due to the concern it would darken their complexion, noted the interplay between gender and race in the perpetuation of colorism.
“I have an older brother — no one cared how he looked or dressed,” Gollayan said. “But growing up, my mom was always strict on me … I had to have proper manners. I had to look a certain way, which is why she straightened my hair and made me go to the beach under an umbrella. I wasn’t allowed to play outside. I think gender roles play a huge role, and I think that I was definitely treated differently as a woman.”
Like minorities, women have been historically denied agency of both body and mind. And now, with the constant influx of media, women are influenced by the perception of others to fit that standard, lest they face scrutiny.
“I think gender is really important when it comes to these questions about beauty, and the impact, because unfortunately, our society — and most societies — has placed this premium on female beauty to a much larger degree than it has for males,” Gosin said. “There’s been much more pressure on women to portray themselves as beautiful. If you think about it, there are products for women to change every inch of their body or do something different to every inch of their body, and you simply don’t see that type of scrutiny when it comes to male beauty. Not that they don’t have their struggles as well, but it’s much more intense when it comes to women.”
When looking at the beauty industry and its target audience, it is easy to see the pressures women face to mold themselves to a specific image. Is this pressure to conform due to the establishment of a white patriarchal society?
“I think, definitely — it’s about patriarchal oppression that has been a part of many different societies for generations and generations, and it continues today,” Gosin said. “They are, again, things that are shifting because of the ways that women and women of color have challenged this patriarchal society, or this kind of patriarchy of various societies. But we still see this feeling very strongly.”
Korean American Student Association (KASA) Social Media Manager Amanda Chong ’25 related this sentiment to Korea’s hyperfocus on the appearance of female K-pop idols. Many are forced to undergo surgeries, diets, and harsh rules to maintain success in the media and music industries.
Chong noted how double eyelid surgery was even a traditional birthday gift.
COURTESY IMAGE // AMANDA CHONG
“I went through a phase where I was like, ‘I want to get double eyelid surgery,’ — I was so insecure because I thought my eyes were small, and I didn’t look like everyone else,” Chong said. “But then I just kind of agreed to love them.”
Plastic surgery provides an avenue for individuals to change their natural appearance. Sometimes, this is to fit the beauty standard. And there is a hefty price for such procedures.
“When you have money, and you don’t like the way you look or you’re very conscious of certain appearances, you have the power and ability to change it,” Soto Euceda noted. “But at the same time, there’s also been more normalization — if you want to do it, do it. Because people who have money are able to do these procedures more, they can definitely alter the way they look so they can have more access to fit the general beauty standard.”
Race, gender, and class all play a role in the beauty standard. So, is beauty just another hypothetical checkbox on the hierarchical scale of success in a white-dominated society?
LASU member Zach Saderup ’23 offered a different point of view from some of his peers. He explained that in Colombia, where he is from, there is such a diverse population due to immigration that there is no one set standard. However, those who live in the urban areas are often white-passing Latines and thus associated with financial success.
COURTESY IMAGE // ZACH SADERUP
“I would say that there are populations within Colombia’s very, very conservative populations that view beauty as a symbol of class,” Saderup said.
Similarly, Mehmet Sorbaci ’24 noted that fairer-skinned people tended to congregate in urban areas within his diversely-populated home country of Turkey.
“I grew up in Turkey until I was 12 years old, and I feel like it’s the same thing in Turkey, too, like having a lighter skin color is definitely more favorable to the general public and also to the entertainment industry,” Sorbaci said.
Colorism still impacts countries with more diversity, and whiter individuals continuously have greater access to resources, allowing them to be more economically prosperous and therefore conform even more to a certain standard.
COURTESY IMAGE // MEHMET SORBACI
Narielbala acknowledged the privilege of identifying as Indian while also being fair-skinned.
“Being fair-skinned, but also identifying as Indian, where the general population is darker-skinned, I have this internal conflict,” Narielbala expressed.
“Pretty privilege” refers to individuals who naturally or surgically fit the beauty standard and are thus granted more opportunities. In terms of beauty, individuals with Eurocentric features also benefit from this privilege.
“I think Turkey is influenced by Western countries in many ways, especially when it comes to beauty standards,” Sorbaci said. “Having blonde hair or lighter skin color definitely favors you…People think of you as a more beautiful person.”
In recent years, and in the past, with movements like “Black is Beautiful” in the 1970s, there has been a conscious effort to illustrate beauty as the acceptance of physical uniqueness and change the perspective of the standard.
“It’s all subjective because it’s all based on how we change people’s perspectives,” Narielbala said. “I think privilege does exist with beauty. I think it’s reframing our minds to not think of beauty standards as [a way to] accept a person.”
Media magnifies these issues of privilege and, therefore, the flawed standards that people of color are pressured to conform to. Representation of many cultures, skin shades, eye colors, hair textures, height, weight, and disabilities would instead provide a model for minorities to relate to and feel comfortable with.
“The media is so vast, so the representation doesn’t have to be something visual, but some way that they can see their culture reflected or something about themselves reflected,” Gosin explained. “Even, let’s say, if someone has a Spanish name or an African name … To see that being represented is something that’s unfortunately out of the ordinary within mainstream media.”
Gollayan, having grown up in a predominantly white area, went through a period in her life where she wished she looked white because she never saw people like herself in school. In addition, pressure from her family — in terms of weight and hairstyling — added to her feelings of exclusion.
“I think that being able to see yourself in the media … is important because I feel like seeing people who look like me, being confident and comfortable in their own skin, really [made me] feel confident and comfortable in my own skin,” Gollayan said. “At a young age, people are impressionable, and without seeing yourself or someone who looks like yourself represented that way in the media can make you feel like, ‘I don’t belong in this storyline because I’m not seeing a version of myself in the storyline.’”
COURTESY IMAGE // JACKLYN GOLLAYAN
Similarly, Chong expressed her wishes for representation in the media to continue on its path of acceptance and support.
“It’s hard seeing one beauty standard all the time when you don’t fit in, since in the media, it’s mainly just Eurocentric beauty standards,” Chong said. “There’s a lot more diversity than there was before in the media, but I feel like, especially with Asian representation in general, we’re still lacking…. Usually when they put Asian representation, they’re Korean, Chinese, or Japanese — it’s never any other [Asian] country.”
As suggested by Saderup, one modern example of a well-executed showcase of diversity within beauty and culture is the film Encanto. Afro-Latines, white Latines, brown Latines, and so on are all represented with different hair colors, accents, names, and skin colors, all within one family.
“I think that it’s good for young people to be able to see people who look like them because it makes them feel like they are included to be noticed,” Gosin explained. “People see them. And when they don’t see themselves, it sends a message that they are not a part of society in many different ways.”
The beauty industry has also become more inclusive with companies like Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line which carries many foundation shades.
“Seeing what they’re doing is really important,” Gosin said regarding Fenty Beauty. “Many of these companies are the leaders in things like changing the definition of beauty, showing those diversities in body size and skin color [and] texture — all those kinds of different things.”
LASU Marketing Chair Jasmin Martinez ’23 described how representation directly impacts the success of communities of color, particularly at predominantly white institutions.
“When you’re able to see someone who looks like you … it just inspires you a lot more to go out there and really achieve what is possible,” Martinez said. “I really try to go out there and show the younger, next generation that it is possible to make it to this institution. It is very much possible to excel in what you do, and it is very much possible to literally just show the world who you are and be like, ‘This is who I am. Accept me. Or if not, that’s not my problem.’”
On a smaller scale, representation here on campus comes in the form of cultural organizations. Students of similar backgrounds gather and celebrate what makes them special in these spaces.
“The organizations are valuable, especially at a place like William and Mary where you may not see people who look like you in class or maybe not even in your residence hall or whatever,” Allen said. “And so you may need to be recharged and feel supported by a community that understands you, where you’re not always having to explain everything — why your hair is a certain way, why you’re shaped a certain way, why you prefer one kind of music over another. I do think that there are times where if I want the story out there, then sometimes I need to be willing to tell it. But sometimes you also just need to recharge and be around people who get it.”
Beyond the ability to be in a familiar space, cultural organizations also offer the opportunity to learn more about one’s ethnicity or heritage.
“It does provide a safe haven for these groups, for them to interact with other people that have experienced similar things and have gone through similar paths, talk the same language, eat the same food, listen to the same music,” Saderup said. “But it’s so nice having people that can start introducing me to more of who I am, to what people in the southern southern hemisphere listen to.”
COURTESY IMAGE // JASMIN MARTINEZ
Martinez even connects that atmosphere with confidence and beauty.
“I think really entreating myself into that space and being surrounded by people who identified themselves as Latinx and part of the same culture, and just being able to see myself in them, really allowed me to, in my own way, feel beautiful,” Martinez said.
There are many factors in the formation of the Eurocentric beauty standard and how it continues to be influenced by gender roles, class, and race. However, there must be a way to foster a more inclusive standard or even abolish comparison standards.
“I think in my own experience, it goes back to representation and also education,” Martinez said. “In terms of representation, having people who are able to be good role models for the future generation. And I think within that, having those role models be educated on these subjects and truly understand there’s always more to discover about a certain topic. And I think beyond that, and something that I think I’ve tried to implement in my own life … is trying your best to educate the generations above you, but also understanding where my limits are with that and where my own boundaries are with that.”
Most students agreed that education and conversations were the best solutions to bring awareness to the constraints of a standard in beauty. However, Chong acknowledged that these discussions could be difficult.
“Sometimes you feel like you can’t even really blame people because it’s just, like, the mindset that they grew up in,” Chong said. “When people grow up in an area that’s not diverse, and then those people in that area are conservative or racist, they can’t really help that. I hope at college, they’ll come here and start to develop their own thoughts and opinions on things.”
In addition to general ignorance, there is the problem of internal pressures of conformity in communities of color and within a generational family. To students feeling lost, unrecognized, or dejected, Allen has words of advice.
“I think seeking out a mentor, seeking out friends who feel the same way, and I think, finding a support group and other people who will help to support you and engage with you and love you no matter what [is important], to see beauty and intelligence in you and who will tell you that,” Allen said. “Also, I think having allies is also good … Having genuine allies makes a difference because sometimes it literally feels like you can take a breath because you’re not always out there in the fight.”
In essence, beauty is unique. There is no one face or body to which one should be compared, and there is no definition of beautiful despite the myth of the “golden ratio.” It is only through more discussion and increased representation that we will ultimately break the boundaries of beauty.