Being "whitewashed" isn't a thing (2 Viewers)

[Wonpil]

Ya know why? You can't act a race

I've been called whitewashed my entire life just because I have lighter skin then my family and for other reasons and hearing that word "whitewashed" it just hurts me

 

[mysteric]

yeah no those people who called you whitewashed for just being lighter,, fck them
however, I do think that whitewashing in the cultural sense?? does happen

 

[Wonpil]

however, I do think that whitewashing in the cultural sense?? does happen

Not really though :/ you can't act white

 

[mysteric]

Not really though :/ you can't act white

Maybe whitewashing isn’t exactly the best term for it, but there is a large-ish population of people who have lost their culture kinda as well as having internalized racism against their own race largely due to the predominantly white environment they grew up in

 

[Suzy]

I'm sorry people have said that to you and hurt your feelings but I think the overall concept of whitewashing is being misunderstood here.
The overall term refers to losing your own culture and assimilating to the culture of the (usually white) majority. So for example, someone from a strong ethnic background moves to America and suddenly they change everything about themselves to fit in with Americans from clothes, make-up to overall behaviour. Some darker skinned people even literally bleach their skin so that they can fit in to the white majority. So I guess I agree that you can't act "white" since white isn't a culture but I also disagree since you can assimilate to the culture of a white person and act like them. And that is what is referred to as "white washing". Literally adopting something from another culture that is deemed more desirable.

 

[Mew]

Whitewashing in this context doesn't makes sense to me, it not something that you should be referred to as in general, and if are mixed or light skinned that was not your choice, it's not something you should be abused with especially in the wrong context its being used.
Also anything that doesnt align with the majority of black culture tends to be seen as white, especially in terms of how you act or how you talk.
(it's something I was always aware of, black people questioning why I talk white, white people asking why I don't talk black (ghetto) .. I'm not even white but sure keep up the stupidity you know lol)

But it does remind of the case of Australian history, the program in which the idea that aborigines could be breed out to become whiter, intentionally trying to 'white washing' a culture to extinction.

But whitewashing more commonly prevelant when it comes to media, films and TV mainly especially that of a proven historical nature, where non white culture is represented by some who is white in appearance and has no connection to said culture because it was deemed more profitable or palatable for the main audience, thus has always been a prevalent issue in America.
Black Community itself suffers alot from the drawbacks of severe assimilation, in which in order to be seen as anything, beautiful and worthy 'white was right' even though not all the world believes that notion nowadays (Although is still quite prevalent across countries still) the effects of being seen as less especially as a dark skinned person has taken its toll over the years, where we have people bleaching their skin, and the ever so divided 'war' of light skin vs dark skin black people.

Not much has changed since I was a kid, even in the UK those with light skin was seen as more desirable than those with dark skin. (I'm mixed but I was not the right kind of mixed, dark skinned mother and Filipino Chinese father, I was seen as a mutt, unlike the half white/black kids)
However its not great on either side of that coin regardless.

On a non related note white washing is a technique used for wood and such orginally nothing to racial issues.
But its also used in a similar tense in which someone glosses over an issues or something that has real importance, somewhat downplaying the stituation.

I got lost somewhere... I wrote too much but I hope its understandable.

 

[dark_tranquility]

I get the same thing about not being Asian enough. Like Asian washed or something. : /
I am mixed race, so that gives me some right to act whatever feel.

As long as it stays within the boundaries of my background.

 

[lostinwvnderland]

As someone who is half White and half Japanese I heard this so much growing especially since I grew up around white people and majority of my friend growing up is also White. People also expect me to be more Asian just because I have Asian feature.I did grew up speaking the language, but I didn't grew up learning about the culture (beside anime) until I was a bit older. In my case I am not the first generation of being mixed. All my grandparent on both my mom and bio dad side are also half Asian and white, so they also were not raise in an Asian household.

 

[Wonpil]

As someone who is half White and half Japanese I heard this so much growing especially since I grew up around white people and majority of my friend growing up is also White. People also expect me to be more Asian just because I have Asian feature.I did grew up speaking the language, but I didn't grew up learning about the culture (beside anime) until I was a bit older. In my case I am not the first generation of being mixed. All my grandparent on both my mom and bio dad side are also half Asian and white, so they also were not raise in an Asian household.

Yeah I live in a mostly white place but like I'm still black ya know? I just hate it :/

 

[dark_tranquility]

As someone who is half White and half Japanese I heard this so much growing especially since I grew up around white people and majority of my friend growing up is also White. People also expect me to be more Asian just because I have Asian feature.I did grew up speaking the language, but I didn't grew up learning about the culture (beside anime) until I was a bit older. In my case I am not the first generation of being mixed. All my grandparent on both my mom and bio dad side are also half Asian and white, so they also were not raise in an Asian household.

I am the opposite I don't look Asian at all. So when I tell people I am, they don't really believe me, which is annoying.

 

[yeji]

I think more so that people hate whitewashing on photos. like some fandom taken pictures are extremely edited to a point it looks unnatural.