When I first arrived in the USA, I didn't have much of an idea what racism means and how it is being perceived in this country. Being part of the minority myself, I was conscious of the fact that people might think or look at me differently but aside from one instance, I have never really been on the receiving end of a racial bias. On the other hand, I caught on real quick to be watchful and be politically correct on what I do or say in a mixed company as some things might be misconstrued. It makes me cringe when a fellow Pinoy naively or inadvertently makes a comment that might be akin to a racial slur in a very socially sensitive environment as the US.

My first realization on how huge of an issue racism is was when OJ Simpson was being tried for the alleged murder of his wife, Nicole Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman in 1994. Just like most people, my attention was riveted by the frenzied media coverage it generated. It was then that the term "race card" became familiar to me. Over the years, I've heard of the race card being played out in the news. The most recent one of note was during and in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina.  It is sad that with a catastrophe like the Hurricane Katrina,   America can't seem to put the racial issues on the side and just look at the scenario basically as plain human devastation, irregardless of color or socio-economic strata.

Rapper Kanye West accused President Bush of racism during a Hurricane Katrina benefit concert, A Concert for Hurricane Relief

As it is, it's not just in America that this kind of preferential treatment exists. Although not on the same degree or reasons, Asian countries and cultures are seemingly favoring the white skin over a darker one. During my past visits to the Philippines, I was amazed at the range and amount of whitening products    that populated the grocery and pharmacy isles . It was brought to my attention that people even resort to taking whitening pills in order to achieve the result they so covet. My husband found it amusing to see TV commercials touting the benefits of having a whiter skin in such an overt manner. He said that those ads will never fly in the States as the TV execs will be hearing from a whole bunch of groups who will take umbrage as soon as those ads are aired.

My curiousity got to me. I researched a little bit on whitening pills and according to one website hawking their products, these pills supposedly has amino and oriental botanical extracts that work together to block the histamine and leads to creation of "white" melanin which makes our skin more beautiful. How? While the histamine develops because of UV rays, it activates the melanocytes (cells in the skin that produce and contain pigment called melanin), which results in melanin over-production and ends up with dark skin. The active ingredients of  ___ deeply penetrate into the skin which prevents the melanocytes from getting dark. When melanin levels are maintained or lowered, it improves color and condition of the skin. For Asians, results would usually be within 3-6 months of regularly taking the pills. Six to twelve months for half African-Americans, and 12-24 months for black people. I'm wondering if Michael Jackson got a lifetime supply of these pills .

Anyway, I have nothing against anybody making use of these whitening products for whatever reason. I am merely pointing out the fact that although not racially motivated, it's undeniable that even outside the US, the fairer of skin are highly regarded and reaping the admiration of those who want to be like them. I do understand where this fascination comes from. Having a fairer skin signifies entitlement + wealth = beauty. And who doesn't want to be beautiful anyway? I read in one magazine article that some Asian women aspire to be fair-skinned as it means better job opportunities and even better prospects of landing a wealthy and good-looking husband. Hah! Forget about hard work, education and experience .

Everyday, we are constantly bombarded with a load of reasons to be better and more than what we are. It's a constant battle in itself. I'm going to end this rant with this quote, "The demons in our minds are always far more terrifying than the ones we meet in life, if we meet any at all."