Post by SwattieGalo on Feb 14, 2016 16:22:53 GMT -6
I had written this essay for my art final and thought I could recycle this because I feel I articulated very well how our Eurocentric Ideals of Beauty are a form of Systematic violence... specially at Eastwood:
What are ya'll's thoughts?
Essay Compare and contrast:
My favorite project was the portrait in shades of gray. The reason I loved the project was not because it gave me some sort of artistic opportunity to grow in depicting visually pleasing pieces of work. The reason I enjoyed the project was because it gave me insight on Hispanic culture perceptions of beauty. I was already aware of the borderline racist bias in Hispanic media where white actors and actresses dominate the industry and where Indigenous actors are portrayed in the same way as African Americans are portrayed in Hollywood. Indigenous actors and actresses have never played a role of protagonist in Mexican, Central American or Southern South America telenovelas or series. Indigenous people are always playing supporting roles or, for humoristic purposes, they are always given the role of the ignorant farmer or the role of the sometimes docile – sometimes sassy - domestic servant. I was also already aware of the ridiculous socioeconomic privilege that white North Americans and white South Americans enjoy and, in contrast, the vast system of oppression that discriminates against people of colour in either continent.
Many Mestizos and Mestizas are quick to reject the reality of racism towards Indigenous, Black, and other Latinos or Latinas because in doing so they admit privilege. How can we be privileged when we’re stereotyped as soon as we step out of our homes? To understand our complex position we must disassociate with the idea that oppressing and being oppressed are mutually exclusive. We both endure and impose injustices based on our racial identity. As a Mestizo, I’m asking that we reflect in the ways in which we perpetuate a culture that is racist towards Afro-Latinos and Indigenous folks.
The Hispanic ideology of white beauty is so pervasive but at the same time so invisible. If we were to find out the percentage of people in this class that decided to portray a person of European descent we would become instantly aware of our own perceptions of beauty as a culture. I personally find it ridiculous how a majority of non-white Hispanic students have decided to draw a white person because it reflects their own perceptions of beauty. Even at Eastwood there is a pervasive “I will never date a black person” sort of culture. The previous line is usually followed by racist comments based on stereotypes. “Black people have big ugly lips,” “black people are stupid,” “black people are thugs,” “black people are bad.” On the other hand ask “would you date a white person?” and you will receive Art-final-long responses as to why they would marry a white guy or white girl.
What is most dangerous about this ludicrous infatuation with whiteness that is pervasive in our culture is its invisibility. The fact that people are not aware that their biased standards of beauty that have been shaped by years of exposure to white media, Eurocentric education, and the legacies of colonialism, is disgusting. People know they are attracted to white people but they are not aware as to why they are attracted to white people. People go as far as to consider that which is non-white as not attractive, leading to the ideology of African and Indigenous ugliness.
The social construct of white beauty is venomous as it leads us to believe erroneously that white people are in some way superior to others and that their wealth or privilege is a product of their biological “evolutionary advantage” (which of course, doesn’t even exist.) Saying that most if not all white people are attractive is okay-ing racism.
One of the most effective way of burning down this social construct is by accurately representing people of color in the media. By giving People of colour more representation and more central roles in visual works of art we are able to challenge our ideals of beauty… and those exposed to the art will also have to challenge their own biased standards of beauty.
That is why I chose to draw a portrait of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; A Nigerian non-fiction writer, novelist, and activist. Her work and that of many other non-western writers has truly influenced my way of thinking and changed the way I look at the world. She has spoken about the evils of having only “one story” available to use. The story us Hispanic children grew up with was one of the fake supremacy of whiteness. Throughout our lives, other, non-white influences have been silenced, destroyed and transformed into “bad things.” The racial and socioeconomic non-verbal discourse evidenced in a room filled with people of colour drawing portraits of white people is so revealing and eye-opening that it truly moves us to reconsider and challenge our own racial biases if we simply become aware of it.
Now. On to the boring nuances of American Education which has failed to address problems like the ones discussed above and destroys our free way of thinking. From racial oppression and the real world, I am now transitioning to my fake self and will now pretend to actually give a damn about assignments that are in no way addressing issues I care about and that have also failed to build me up as a person. Let’s finish these 1000 words shall we?
My least favorite project in art class this semester has been the “papel picado” project. I have no liked very much this assignment due to the lack of meaning and aesthetic randomness evident in the project.
How do I even fill out a whole paragraph about something I don’t feel strongly about? I am not a Republican talking about taxes! I am not an average teenage girl talking about Justin Bieber. Do you really expect me to outline the reasons as to why I disliked the project in more than 100 words? Papel Picado was boring, simple, purely aesthetic, the scissor and construction paper equivalent of scribbling on a blank piece of paper without any reason. An utterly meaningless project in a sea of utterly meaningless projects a High School student has to deal with throughout his or her or their high school career.
My favorite project was the portrait in shades of gray. The reason I loved the project was not because it gave me some sort of artistic opportunity to grow in depicting visually pleasing pieces of work. The reason I enjoyed the project was because it gave me insight on Hispanic culture perceptions of beauty. I was already aware of the borderline racist bias in Hispanic media where white actors and actresses dominate the industry and where Indigenous actors are portrayed in the same way as African Americans are portrayed in Hollywood. Indigenous actors and actresses have never played a role of protagonist in Mexican, Central American or Southern South America telenovelas or series. Indigenous people are always playing supporting roles or, for humoristic purposes, they are always given the role of the ignorant farmer or the role of the sometimes docile – sometimes sassy - domestic servant. I was also already aware of the ridiculous socioeconomic privilege that white North Americans and white South Americans enjoy and, in contrast, the vast system of oppression that discriminates against people of colour in either continent.
Many Mestizos and Mestizas are quick to reject the reality of racism towards Indigenous, Black, and other Latinos or Latinas because in doing so they admit privilege. How can we be privileged when we’re stereotyped as soon as we step out of our homes? To understand our complex position we must disassociate with the idea that oppressing and being oppressed are mutually exclusive. We both endure and impose injustices based on our racial identity. As a Mestizo, I’m asking that we reflect in the ways in which we perpetuate a culture that is racist towards Afro-Latinos and Indigenous folks.
The Hispanic ideology of white beauty is so pervasive but at the same time so invisible. If we were to find out the percentage of people in this class that decided to portray a person of European descent we would become instantly aware of our own perceptions of beauty as a culture. I personally find it ridiculous how a majority of non-white Hispanic students have decided to draw a white person because it reflects their own perceptions of beauty. Even at Eastwood there is a pervasive “I will never date a black person” sort of culture. The previous line is usually followed by racist comments based on stereotypes. “Black people have big ugly lips,” “black people are stupid,” “black people are thugs,” “black people are bad.” On the other hand ask “would you date a white person?” and you will receive Art-final-long responses as to why they would marry a white guy or white girl.
What is most dangerous about this ludicrous infatuation with whiteness that is pervasive in our culture is its invisibility. The fact that people are not aware that their biased standards of beauty that have been shaped by years of exposure to white media, Eurocentric education, and the legacies of colonialism, is disgusting. People know they are attracted to white people but they are not aware as to why they are attracted to white people. People go as far as to consider that which is non-white as not attractive, leading to the ideology of African and Indigenous ugliness.
The social construct of white beauty is venomous as it leads us to believe erroneously that white people are in some way superior to others and that their wealth or privilege is a product of their biological “evolutionary advantage” (which of course, doesn’t even exist.) Saying that most if not all white people are attractive is okay-ing racism.
One of the most effective way of burning down this social construct is by accurately representing people of color in the media. By giving People of colour more representation and more central roles in visual works of art we are able to challenge our ideals of beauty… and those exposed to the art will also have to challenge their own biased standards of beauty.
That is why I chose to draw a portrait of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; A Nigerian non-fiction writer, novelist, and activist. Her work and that of many other non-western writers has truly influenced my way of thinking and changed the way I look at the world. She has spoken about the evils of having only “one story” available to use. The story us Hispanic children grew up with was one of the fake supremacy of whiteness. Throughout our lives, other, non-white influences have been silenced, destroyed and transformed into “bad things.” The racial and socioeconomic non-verbal discourse evidenced in a room filled with people of colour drawing portraits of white people is so revealing and eye-opening that it truly moves us to reconsider and challenge our own racial biases if we simply become aware of it.
Now. On to the boring nuances of American Education which has failed to address problems like the ones discussed above and destroys our free way of thinking. From racial oppression and the real world, I am now transitioning to my fake self and will now pretend to actually give a damn about assignments that are in no way addressing issues I care about and that have also failed to build me up as a person. Let’s finish these 1000 words shall we?
My least favorite project in art class this semester has been the “papel picado” project. I have no liked very much this assignment due to the lack of meaning and aesthetic randomness evident in the project.
How do I even fill out a whole paragraph about something I don’t feel strongly about? I am not a Republican talking about taxes! I am not an average teenage girl talking about Justin Bieber. Do you really expect me to outline the reasons as to why I disliked the project in more than 100 words? Papel Picado was boring, simple, purely aesthetic, the scissor and construction paper equivalent of scribbling on a blank piece of paper without any reason. An utterly meaningless project in a sea of utterly meaningless projects a High School student has to deal with throughout his or her or their high school career.
What are ya'll's thoughts?
