dyeing our hair blonde = dying to be white?

[Faithless]

Follow-up to http://forums.yellowworld.org/showthread.php?t=390.

Blond details (http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/8/6/features/8330039&sec=features)
On Blondes
Author: Joanna Pitman
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 292 pages

DO BLONDES really have more fun? Is that the reason why more and more Malaysians (of both sexes) are bleaching their hair – despite the fact that, for most of us, the words bimbo and blonde go hand-in-hand?

Joanna Pitman’s book, however, makes it clear that blondeness isn’t just about sex, good times and a single figure IQ. Golden hair also stands for vitality, power, purity and racial superiority. Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were blonde sex bombs, but Margaret Thatcher and Hilary Clinton are powerful blonde women whom the public would never dream of picturing in lace lingerie. And, while Britney Spears is a walking wet dream, most people’s idea of an angel includes a white nightgown, a harp and a halo of golden locks.

It looks like we are all pretty confused about blonde hair.

In her introduction, Pitman describes how, during a stint doing charity work in a remote region of Africa, she was mistaken for a saint – thanks to her sun-bleached tresses. She also tells about getting a professional dye-job in London, just to see if her life would change if she went blonde. (It did, but not dramatically.)

These anecdotes are interesting and amusing, and the chatty style Pitman employs when recounting them continues throughout the book, whether she is discussing Greek history, American popular culture, Nazi ideology or Christian symbolism.

She manages to pack in a lot of information, and a great deal of it, to go with her gossipy tone, is the stuff of melodramatic costume dramas. So, no, On Blondes is not the dry academic tome that it might appear to be at first glance.

Pitman’s experience as a journalist has probably given her an idea of what the reader-on-the-street wants. The bare facts are, therefore, made juicy with vividly reconstructed scenes from history, mythology and legends. People and places cease to be mere names, while practices and beliefs, given their correct historical, cultural and religious context, start to make sense.

Personally, I was both fascinated and sickened by the chapters that described the blond man as the ultimate Aryan icon. The Aryan movement sought to promote the belief that blondness was a mark of racial superiority and was in force way before the Nazis took over Germany.

It spawned, among other things, an Aryan-breeding colony in the jungles of Paraguay; a religious order, the Ordo Novi Templi, which only admitted supplicants who were blond and blue-eyed; a book containing pictures of bronzed blond nude men caught in various sporty poses; and an “interesting” passage, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first novel, This Side of Paradise, in which two characters decide that the blond man is a “higher type”. Scary stuff indeed.

Of particular interest to me – and perhaps other Malaysian women – are the couple of paragraphs on the implications of Asians and other predominantly brunette peoples favouring fair hair. Pitman has a point when she talks about the Asian belief in the superiority of anything Western. Isn’t it, after all, just another aspect of our embrace of Western culture?

“Are dark-haired women,” writes Pitman, “blonding themselves in order to ‘pass’ as members of the white Anglo-Saxon power elite?” This is a question only dark-haired Asian women can answer, but Pitman’s question is, unfortunately, only rhetorical. I wish she had devoted more space to the phenomenon, and I wish she had spoken to more people instead of relying on historical and cultural records, and personal observation.

Therefore, I think although On Blondes is an entertaining, informative and well-researched piece of work, it lacks that certain oomph that can only be provided by the stories of living, breathing people. Do blondes have more fun? Pitman sets out to answer the question, but it seems she forgot to ask the blondes themselves.

[rice cracker]

I dyed my hair blonde in high school. It was a cry for help.

[mr. x]

blonde guys look stupid

even more so if they have horned helmets and a battleaxe

[hooligan]

i had a blond halo back in the day. i got rid of it. like rice cracker said, a scream for help.

[thaite]

forget blonde, PURPLE IS SEXY!!!

[younggiftedandblack]

Good topic Chotto!!

This is a BIG discussion topic in the black community as well.

I hate it when I see some one with really dark skin and they dye their hair like platinum blond or some stupid shit like that.

[Faithless]

Good topic Chotto!!

This is a BIG discussion topic in the black community as well.

I hate it when I see some one with really dark skin and they dye their hair like platinum blond or some stupid shit like that.
Oo, give Kasia the credit. I just found and linked her original thread starter.

There is a wierd presumed-attractiveness thing going on, isn't there.

I wanted to do it in high school, but decided to keep the sweaty, long, black hair -- figuring that my peers, especially whites, would have a gigantic laugh at my expense.

[golden_buns]

I hate it when I see some one with really dark skin and they dye their hair like platinum blond or some stupid shit like that.

Nelly

[Chester]

When my brother dyed his hair a medium brown in high school, my parents deluged him with disapproval, with "what, you want to be white?" being within their quiver of scorn.

Of course, a few years later, Asians in general began lightening their hair, with even middle-aged housewives routinely sporting reddish-brown hues.

I don't know what it is, but somehow, Asian girls seem to get hotter as their hair gets lighter. Not in a conscious way and certainly not a prefernence...perhaps it's just the novelty factor.

[TB4000]

http://online-shrine.net/kim/images/lil_kim.jpg

[kitty]

i think some peole are trying to be different, but most people really are trying to look more white.

[Cipherous]

I think its a mixture of trying to front like you're a super saiyan and trying to be white

and i don't get why asian people wear color contacts, it makes me go "get over it, you're not white"

[applehead]

asians with bleached blonde hair look ridiculous.
and seriously, with the extreme colored contacts.
hi, you're not fooling anyone.

[coagulated fat]

i think some peole are trying to be different, but most people really are trying to look more white.
Any measures people of color take to look commercially beautiful in America are going to be attempts to look more white. It's the reality of what American culture teaches us is beautiful, historically and currently, but hopefully not forever. I don't blame people for trying to be better looking in a society where white is right but it's still sad.

That said I don't think people who dye their hair blond are necessarily trying to look white.

[Chester]

That said I don't think people who dye their hair blond are necessarily trying to look white. Definitely. Time will tell.

Hair lightening -- like all fashions -- will fade away (hyuk-hyuk). Identity issues and self-hatred tend to be less ephemeral.

[urbia]

I never thought of lightening hair as anything more of experimentation and having fun with one's own hair. I mean, what else is there to do, dye it even darker? :rolleyes:

[asvenus]

applehead and youngifteandblack...lordy lord why do people go there?? dark skin+blonde hair=NOOO....and the contacts that leave the wearers looking like some kind of freakish werewolf from a B movie or someone with acute tuberculosis....

as for lil kim....(words cannot describe.....)

[AngryABCGirl]

It depends, a lot of the "Asian Blonde" hair color a lot of Asian girls have, both in America and Asia, do not resemble any kind of natural blonde and is just a fashion thing. But people who bleach their hair and try to make it look natural with contacts... man you might have an issue.

[Faithless]

asians with bleached blonde hair look ridiculous.
and seriously, with the extreme colored contacts.
hi, you're not fooling anyone.
What about blonde tips?

My extended family consists of one college student with black spikey hair and blonde tips. It's different.

[moJo]

It depends, a lot of the "Asian Blonde" hair color a lot of Asian girls have, both in America and Asia, do not resemble any kind of natural blonde and is just a fashion thing. But people who bleach their hair and try to make it look natural with contacts... man you might have an issue.
agreed, that is just what i was gonna say. two different types (at least) of asian blondes.

[rice cracker]

I had green hair once. I was trying to be a mermaid.

[applehead]

What about blonde tips?

My extended family consists of one college student with black spikey hair and blonde tips. It's different.


sometimes it is just purely fashion oriented.
just last year i had this chunk of hair that was bleached
and dyed burgundy. i looked retarded, now that i think about it.
i don't know what i was thinking.

[hkRT]

I heard hair dyes can cause cancer... Is there a healthy hair dye? I think dyeing the hair is fun but I personally like my natural hair color and I won't dye it if it is harmful.

[golden_buns]

just last year i had this chunk of hair that was bleached
and dyed burgundy. i looked retarded, now that i think about it.
i don't know what i was thinking.

+

Making this face
http://forums.yellowworld.org/customavatars/avatar532_1.gif

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

But people who bleach their hair and try to make it look natural with contacts... man you might have an issue.

Yeah, I agree 100%.
there was this asian girl at my school who did that, and tanned really dark just like the rest of the sororitie girls, and I gtta say that it was the most retarded thing I had ever seen

[SunWuKong]

nah i don't think they're trying to be white. they just want a different look with their hair, that's all. tila nguyen's a good example, i think. but out of respect for the ladies, since this is in the women's forum and all, i won't post one of her pics.

[golden_buns]

the chick I'm talking in about was in a white sororitie, so she did it to look like her sisters

[ChaCha]

every single asian person male or female that i saw who dyed or tried to dye their hair blonde just made them look less attractive and stupid imo.

i see a lot of asian girls with tacky orange hair and that's flat out worst than blonde to me because it looks like they were trying to dye their hair blonde but failed.

the blonde / orange hair looks really tacky on asians. colors like blue-black are much more appealing on an asian person.

tila nguyen looks like a prostitute like most half naked (more like 9/10th naked) car show models with 9 inch heals, dyed hair, and penciled in eye brows.

the NATURAL look is the best.

[SunWuKong]

tila nguyen looks like a prostitute like most half naked (more like 9/10th naked) car show models with 9 inch heals, dyed hair, and penciled in eye brows.

yesssssss... :biggrin:

[Seamus]

Do Asian women, on average, have naturally lighter hair than we men? I've noticed that Asian women's hair (not the dyed jobs) is on average a shade lighter, like maybe dark brown rather than dark dark brown or black. Maybe it's just longer, so it fades more.

Although I think dark-haired women who dye their hair blonde look lame (this is just a personal opinion), I think colored contacts are far more insidious. This is because dyed hair is usually pretty obvious, especially because everyone knows that the vast majority of adult Asians have dark hair (except for some Chinese babies and young children). Dying your hair just a way for women to fool around and have a little fun with their looks. On the other hand, colored contacts are a much more invasive and expensive thing to do, which makes me think that the people who wear them are preoccupied with their looks.

[asvenus]

I had green hair once. I was trying to be a mermaid.
youre such a loon!! :biggrin:

is it just me or when Asian people dye their hair 'blonde' does it not more often than not, go some wierd gingerybrownish horrid colour? i really dont like it...i see so few Asians (yes i mean ALL Asians) who have dyed (bleached) their hair blond/ish and it looks good...one of them is my mama...but she looks kinda spanish so it doesnt look out of place on her...otherwise i just think...you have been blessed with beautiful shiny black hair..why oh why would you want to change it....

having said that i have gone through some wierrrrd hair colour switches...some cool (red/blue/yes i have done the 'blonde' thing too) some outright revolting..(green highlights??) but now i am more than happy to sit back with my naturally shiny black hair and never think of reaching for hair colour altering substances again!!

and yes, unless you use a vegetable based hair dye, you are at risk of lettin carcinogenic substances enter your blood stream...apparently you should not dye your hair if youre pregnant because of this...

[stunninglyAsian]

the blonde / orange hair looks really tacky on asians. colors like blue-black are much more appealing on an asian person.

I think tanned Asians can get away with blonde more than pale Asians...


tila nguyen looks like a prostitute like most half naked (more like 9/10th naked) car show models with 9 inch heals, dyed hair, and penciled in eye brows.

more like an alien prostitute... something wrong with her face.

[kasia]

tila nguyen looks like a prostitute like most half naked (more like 9/10th naked) car show models with 9 inch heals, dyed hair, and penciled in eye brows.

geezus, can we say hater? can you say what you just said and end it with a declaration that you are hotter than her? if not, i don't think shit-talking is appropriate. i think tila nguyen is cute.

anyways, let's stay on the topic. the issue is whether asian girls dye their hair in an effort to fit the mainstream idea of what is beautiful or whether they do so simply because it looks better *on them*. it's difficult to dicipher between the two, if you think about it. for example, you may say that it is the latter, but then we have to ask why they think it looks better. etc. etc.

[golden_buns]

the issue is whether asian girls dye their hair in an effort to fit the mainstream idea of what is beautiful or whether they do so simply because it looks better *on them*. it's difficult to dicipher between the two, if you think about it. for example, you may say that it is the latter, but then we have to ask why they think it looks better. etc. etc.


You're right, it's difficult because it's something that depends on the individual. Some ppl do it cuz they just want to try someting different some others might do it to look and feel more white.

This is gonna be a never ending discussion

[mr. x]

well if you ask the koreans who get eye surgery if they are trying to be western they'll deny it im sure

[Napoleon Chynamite]

I dunno, I personally don't find Asian girls with dyed blonde hair attractive cause they just look weird, but...brown or blonde streaks is okay and works really well with certain people in my opinion. And yeah I think someone else mentioned it earlier...when Asian people dye their hair, of course they're gonna choose a lighter color. Our hair for the most part is already black/really dark brown.

[SunWuKong]

to be honest, i'm really confused as to why an Asian girl dying her hair can be considered her trying to be white...

if you are Asian and you speak English and read English literature, are you trying to be white? if you eat with a fork, are you trying to be white? if you listen to American music, are you trying to be white? if you have a western wedding, are you trying to be white? if you dress in the same clothing that all those white models in commercials and ads wear, are you trying to be white? i don't understand why hair colour is singled out as "trying to be white" while those other more obvious attributes can be more justifiably be said for someone "trying to be white", especially when hair colour is such a trivial thing. it's just hypocritical. why isn't hair colour given the same consideration that merely someone just likes to do something different with her hair?

[mrazntre]

geezus, can we say hater? can you say what you just said and end it with a declaration that you are hotter than her? if not, i don't think shit-talking is appropriate. i think tila nguyen is cute.

anyways, let's stay on the topic. the issue is whether asian girls dye their hair in an effort to fit the mainstream idea of what is beautiful or whether they do so simply because it looks better *on them*. it's difficult to dicipher between the two, if you think about it. for example, you may say that it is the latter, but then we have to ask why they think it looks better. etc. etc.

I'm pretty sure that the idea behind the blonde hair dying is something of a black and white issue. For the most part asian people have black hair, which is on one side of the spectrum of hair color whereas blonde would be on the other side of the spectrum. I wouldn't be surprised if blonde was just being used as stark contrast. Most other colors can't really be initially seen with black hair.

Along the same lines, I wonder if getting corn rows or braiding your hair means that you want to be black...

I dunn think so.

[mr. x]

to be honest, i'm really confused as to why an Asian girl dying her hair can be considered her trying to be white...

if you are Asian and you speak English and read English literature, are you trying to be white? if you eat with a fork, are you trying to be white? if you listen to American music, are you trying to be white? if you have a western wedding, are you trying to be white? if you dress in the same clothing that all those white models in commercials and ads wear, are you trying to be white? i don't understand why hair colour is singled out as "trying to be white" while those other more obvious attributes can be more justifiably be said for someone "trying to be white", especially when hair colour is such a trivial thing. it's just hypocritical. why isn't hair colour given the same consideration that merely someone just likes to do something different with her hair?
id like to have blue but not cuz its a white thing but the social implications of "blonde" hair are more prevalent, i mean what with the aryan thing and just the general "blonde women" fetishization lalalalala

la

[AngryABCGirl]

to be honest, i'm really confused as to why an Asian girl dying her hair can be considered her trying to be white...

if you are Asian and you speak English and read English literature, are you trying to be white? if you eat with a fork, are you trying to be white? if you listen to American music, are you trying to be white? if you have a western wedding, are you trying to be white? if you dress in the same clothing that all those white models in commercials and ads wear, are you trying to be white? i don't understand why hair colour is singled out as "trying to be white" while those other more obvious attributes can be more justifiably be said for someone "trying to be white", especially when hair colour is such a trivial thing. it's just hypocritical. why isn't hair colour given the same consideration that merely someone just likes to do something different with her hair?

I think it has to do a lot more with the idea that the girl is trying to use physical White beauty standards and trying to emulate that instead of just accepting her own. More often than not you can tell if a girl is whitewashed or not by the way the she wears her make-up, one will emphasize Asian features or is like the type more in fashion in Asian countries or Asian-American style, or will try to de-emphasize Asian features or is more in trend with America. The same goes with hair. Similiar issues have been debated and talked about in other ethnic commnities, especially among African-Americans.

[SunWuKong]

I think it has to do a lot more with the idea that the girl is trying to use physical White beauty standards and trying to emulate that instead of just accepting her own. More often than not you can tell if a girl is whitewashed or not by the way the she wears her make-up, one will emphasize Asian features or is like the type more in fashion in Asian countries or Asian-American style, or will try to de-emphasize Asian features or is more in trend with America. The same goes with hair. Similiar issues have been debated and talked about in other ethnic commnities, especially among African-Americans.

so an Asian girl's parents raised her on rice and when she grows up she's cooking pasta instead. does that mean this girl is trying to be white? if anything, lifestyle and behaviour has a lot more weight on whether or not someone is "trying to be white" than outer appearance. if someone is Americanised or Westernised anyway, it's just hypocritical for the person to say that someone else is "trying to be white", especially on appearance alone. i happen to have a friend who dyed her hair blonde. she's a 1.5 genner. speaks fluent Cantonese and Mandarin, dates Asian guys, and loves her annual trip to HK. i don't know, is she trying to be white?

[asvenus]

so an Asian girl's parents raised her on rice and when she grows up she's cooking pasta instead. does that mean this girl is trying to be white? if anything, lifestyle and behaviour has a lot more weight on whether or not someone is "trying to be white" than outer appearance. if someone is Americanised or Westernised anyway, it's just hypocritical for the person to say that someone else is "trying to be white", especially on appearance alone. i happen to have a friend who dyed her hair blonde. she's a 1.5 genner. speaks fluent Cantonese and Mandarin, dates Asian guys, and loves her annual trip to HK. i don't know, is she trying to be white?

its been said before that not obviously not ALL Asian women who bleach their hair blonde want to be white or whatever, but as also previously mentioned alot of women do try to live up to this idealised and standardised version of beauty that is defined as being/looking Caucasian....this image is so insiduous in our mentalities that often it is hard not to fall prey even if you are, as your freind sounds compeletely comfortable and proud of who you are....i certainly dont think all women that bondify their hair want to be white, but there are some that do....and alot more who may not want to 'be white' but have an internalised view that is perpetuated in practically every facet of life that Caucasian versions of beauty are the ones to aspire to

[stunninglyAsian]

It's less about beauty and more about being different, the shock factor in my opinion... and it works for me, I think it's cool.

Western culture does seem to be the standard for physicial looks, but it doesn't mean you have to sacrifice being who you are by adopting some of these standards. Otherwise where do you draw the line? I could say all of you are hypocrites- by wearing western clothing instead of your traditional Asian clothing, you all are sellouts and want to look white. Traitors!

[kasia]

so an Asian girl's parents raised her on rice and when she grows up she's cooking pasta instead. does that mean this girl is trying to be white? if anything, lifestyle and behaviour has a lot more weight on whether or not someone is "trying to be white" than outer appearance. if someone is Americanised or Westernised anyway, it's just hypocritical for the person to say that someone else is "trying to be white", especially on appearance alone. i happen to have a friend who dyed her hair blonde. she's a 1.5 genner. speaks fluent Cantonese and Mandarin, dates Asian guys, and loves her annual trip to HK. i don't know, is she trying to be white?

but in saying all of this (and i'm really not advocating either position), you are failing to take that extra step to analyze where they got their concept of beauty.

[Chester]

so an Asian girl's parents raised her on rice and when she grows up she's cooking pasta instead. does that mean this girl is trying to be white? Maybe, maybe not. The objection to dyeing and colored contacts is that they're a sort of body modification. Obviously, they're not permanent changes, but they still go beyond behavioral modifications and are, instead, modifications geared towards others' perceptions of oneself, physically. So the rice/pasta analogy falls outside these bounds (and, besides, Asians have "pasta" in spades).

Nonetheless, I agree that the whole "trying to be white" accusation is overused and generally is based on nothing but appearances.

[Seamus]

People, stop equating Asian cuisine with "lice." Please! Asians have also eaten other grains--or no grains at all in the case of the nomadic peoples--as staples for millennia, often in much greater quantities than rice, depending on which region you're talking about.

Sometimes I eat "lice," even flied lice. Sometimes I don't. It really doesn't affect how "Asian" I am, culturally.

I guess my strong reaction to the equation of Asian food = lice comes from the feeling of sickness I get when I'm at an Asian restaurant and see haole people skipping over the best items and getting things like sweet and sour pork and greasy waterchestnuts, on a big bed of fried rice drenched in soysauce.

[SunWuKong]

but in saying all of this (and i'm really not advocating either position), you are failing to take that extra step to analyze where they got their concept of beauty.

same way they got their idea of, for example, having a western wedding.

[kasia]

same way they got their idea of, for example, having a western wedding.but how do you know - i mean, the extent of it. some of this stuff is so ingrained in our subconscious.

People, stop equating Asian cuisine with "lice." Please! Asians have also eaten other grains--or no grains at all in the case of the nomadic peoples--as staples for millennia, often in much greater quantities than rice, depending on which region you're talking about.

Sometimes I eat "lice," even flied lice. Sometimes I don't. It really doesn't affect how "Asian" I am, culturally.

I guess my strong reaction to the equation of Asian food = lice comes from the feeling of sickness I get when I'm at an Asian restaurant and see haole people skipping over the best items and getting things like sweet and sour pork and greasy waterchestnuts, on a big bed of fried rice drenched in soysauce.

what are you talking about???

[SunWuKong]

but how do you know - i mean, the extent of it. some of this stuff is so ingrained in our subconscious.

you don't know, in either case. which is why i'm so confused as to why dyed blonde hair is "trying to be white" while a whole range of Westernised/Americanised behaviours don't receive the same consideration by the same people who may think that dyed blonde hair is "trying to be white". why isn't dyed blonde hair considered trivial in terms of racial identity? wouldn't behaviour be a better indicator? how can one make the judgement of "trying to be white" on the simple fact that an Asian girl has dyed her hair blonde? what if her behaviour, by all accounts, are very Asian?

[asvenus]

i think this issue is important, sunwukong, because it's attempting to reevaluate how beauty went from its various forms to a normalized standard, that, consequentially, stems from western imperialization and modern globalization.



love,
prof. frink



yes, yes indeed....so annoying when you babble on and someone sums it up in 3 lines... :tongue:

[SunWuKong]

i think this issue is important, sunwukong, because it's attempting to reevaluate how beauty went from its various forms to a normalized standard, that, consequentially, stems from western imperialization and modern globalization.


love,
prof. frink

well, you understand, however, that almost everything that is considered a physically beautiful feature today in either men or women stem from western imperialism and globalisation. i think this issue of standards of beauty should be examined, but the logic that an Asian girl dying her hair blonde is "trying to be white" just has a lot of pitfalls to it. she may be ascribing to a standard of beauty that is western in origin, the same way that, for example, wearing mascara and wearing a mini-skirt would be ascribing to a standard of beauty that is western in origin. why aren't Asian girls that dyed their hair brunette considered "trying to be white"?

[kasia]

well, you understand, however, that almost everything that is considered a physically beautiful feature today in either men or women stem from western imperialism and globalisation. i think this issue of standards of beauty should be examined, but the logic that an Asian girl dying her hair blonde is "trying to be white" just has a lot of pitfalls to it. she may be ascribing to a standard of beauty that is western in origin, the same way that, for example, wearing mascara and wearing a mini-skirt would be ascribing to a standard of beauty that is western in origin. why aren't Asian girls that dyed their hair brunette considered "trying to be white"?

whoever said that they're not? that just happens to not be the focus of this particular discussion, that's all.

[SunWuKong]

http://www.asiafinest.com/japanese/gif/ayumi.jpg

she must want to be white. kind of needs to work on her English though.

[kasia]

http://www.asiafinest.com/japanese/gif/ayumi.jpg

she must want to be white. kind of needs to work on her English though.

we're not saying that she wants to be. we're exploring the possibility that she has been influenced by the western concept of beauty.

[Mr.Lum]

http://www.asiafinest.com/japanese/gif/ayumi.jpg

she must want to be white. kind of needs to work on her English though.

I bet she does. That face isn't doing anything for her tho. :wink:

[SunWuKong]

we're not saying that she wants to be. we're exploring the possibility that she has been influenced by the western concept of beauty.

isn't that pretty much a given? it happens to both men and women all over the world because of the western dominance in the globalisation game.

[mrazntre]

this thread is becoming really stupid.

[urbia]

I dunno, I personally don't find Asian girls with dyed blonde hair attractive cause they just look weird, but...brown or blonde streaks is okay and works really well with certain people in my opinion. And yeah I think someone else mentioned it earlier...when Asian people dye their hair, of course they're gonna choose a lighter color. Our hair for the most part is already black/really dark brown.

I was wondering when someone else was going to pick up on the already-dark hair thing.

Does anyone feel like starting a thread about hairstyles now? My hair is naturally wavy for some reason. People sometimes think I got it permed. Perhaps they think I'm trying to be Western too, lol lol lol.

I bet she does. That face isn't doing anything for her tho. :wink:

Wait a sec, aside from being severely Photoshopped, what's wrong with her face? Now I'm curious about your standard of beauty. I don't think she's ugly.

[beachgerl]

I'm a bleached blonde and I love it. You guys are making this a big issue when it's not. It's just a choice, whether you do it or not. If you hate blond hair, then stay dark and don't complain if others are doing it. People said I look great as a blonde, maybe 'cause I got the right skintone or features to go with the color. I make sure I don't end up with "orangey" hair like you ranted about because I learned all about hair coloring basics and tone down any brassy tones. I don't dress slutty like Tila Nguyen. But I'm not doing this to be "white" like the most of you said. I know I'm Asian so I don't use color contacts and blond hair just soften my looks a bit while black hair is a little harsh on me in comparsion. I always believed NOT all people can get away with dyed hair. Some are beautiful the way they are, natural and all of that. But we live in very fashion conscious world so it doesn't matter what race is wearing or coloring their hair. Look at white people dyeing their hair black...does that mean they want to be Asian even if they're naturally brown or blond? We all have a choice. Frankly, I'm really tired of hearing so-called pure Asians hating people who like to "enhance" their looks a bit. It's quite different if a person does a "a la Michael Jackson" mode, if you know what I mean.

[Irezumi Kiss]

I'm a bleached blonde and I love it. You guys are making this a big issue when it's not. It's just a choice, whether you do it or not. If you hate blond hair, then stay dark and don't complain if others are doing it. People said I look great as a blonde, maybe 'cause I got the right skintone or features to go with the color. I make sure I don't end up with "orangey" hair like you ranted about because I learned all about hair coloring basics and tone down any brassy tones. I don't dress slutty like Tila Nguyen. But I'm not doing this to be "white" like the most of you said. I know I'm Asian so I don't use color contacts and blond hair just soften my looks a bit while black hair is a little harsh on me in comparsion. I always believed NOT all people can get away with dyed hair. Some are beautiful the way they are, natural and all of that. But we live in very fashion conscious world so it doesn't matter what race is wearing or coloring their hair. Look at white people dyeing their hair black...does that mean they want to be Asian even if they're naturally brown or blond? We all have a choice. Frankly, I'm really tired of hearing so-called pure Asians hating people who like to "enhance" their looks a bit. It's quite different if a person does a "a la Michael Jackson" mode, if you know what I mean.
You go girl.

If it fits you, it fits you, period. There may be a limit in terms of going "overboard," but people with real sense of style know how far to take themselves visually. I've always felt that one of the worst things that people of color do to themselves is allow whatever it is that "white" is be the barometer for their own celebration of thier individuality. Hair is fucking hair. If you move in certain circles in your lifestyle and what you fashion and style yourself as works within that realm, then you should feel free to do it the way you want it.

[Chester]

Look at white people dyeing their hair black...does that mean they want to be Asian even if they're naturally brown or blond? No, of course not -- they're trying to be vampires.

[urbia]

No, of course not -- they're trying to be vampires.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! How about the people turning their hair green or blue to look like Japanese Anime characters? :biggrin:

[mrazntre]

they're trying to be martians

[kasia]

You go girl.

If it fits you, it fits you, period. There may be a limit in terms of going "overboard," but people with real sense of style know how far to take themselves visually. I've always felt that one of the worst things that people of color do to themselves is allow whatever it is that "white" is be the barometer for their own celebration of thier individuality. Hair is fucking hair. If you move in certain circles in your lifestyle and what you fashion and style yourself as works within that realm, then you should feel free to do it the way you want it.

black people have the same discussion about black women straightening their typically curly or wavy hair in an effort to fit in to the "white" concept of beauty. hair is not just hair.

[nola]

Having western weddings, blonde hair and western behavior are all ways of being influenced by western ways or trying to be white.

[mrazntre]

Having western weddings, blonde hair and western behavior are all ways of being influenced by western ways or trying to be white.

don't they usually lie and just say that they got a little bit of spanish or native american in their blood?

[Irezumi Kiss]

black people have the same discussion about black women straightening their typically curly or wavy hair in an effort to fit in to the "white" concept of beauty. hair is not just hair.
The hair straightening argument amongst Black folk is nullified when you realize that certain African tribes have been straightening their hair for ages, without the influence of caucasian culture. I'm sure there's got to be an Asian equivalent for the nappy heads in the mix.

And even if you wanna argue white people still, then how do you explain Bob Ross?

http://www.kunstpark-shop.de/Bilder/BobRoss_20_Hauptgruppe.jpg

:tongue:

seriously, the real thing that puts a burr in people's britches is the AESTHETICS of beauty and how you equate STYLE with a particular race. White people didn't write the book on straight hair, but we people of color give them that license against our own desires to difference ourselves with individual expression. I mean, the first thing you think of with this is always: me versus "White." Why not say a White woman is "trying to be Asian" if she was previously kinky and has her brunette hair straightened out? Do you have to have the stereotypical flat cut bangs across the forehead and locks draped over the ears, hanging down past the shoulders to make it look "Asian," or can that be just a style?

[SunWuKong]

The hair straightening argument amongst Black folk is nullified when you realize that certain African tribes have been straightening their hair for ages, without the influence of caucasian culture. I'm sure there's got to be an Asian equivalent for the nappy heads in the mix.

that is not an entirely valid argument, because African American women that straighten their hair aren't looking to Africans who straightened their hair for "inspiration" or to imitate. they are, in effect, ascribing to a standard of beauty that is influenced by western/European culture (it being the dominant one in North America).

but personally, when you start denigrating someone for their westernised standards of beauty by saying they're "trying to be white", you might as well say it to yourself, too, unless nothing in your life is westernised. furthermore, ascribing to a westernised standard of beauty does not necessarily have any bearings on one's cultural behaviour. there is such a thing called commodification. i think many of us are familiar with the idea because we talk about non-Asian people tattooing Chinese characters on their bodies, and similar things. and i hardly think those people are "trying to be Asian".

[deez nuts]

sometimes west is best!

[golden_buns]

sometimes west is best!

Sellout!

[Irezumi Kiss]

that is not an entirely valid argument, because African American women that straighten their hair aren't looking to Africans who straightened their hair for "inspiration" or to imitate. they are, in effect, ascribing to a standard of beauty that is influenced by western/European culture (it being the dominant one in North America).

but personally, when you start denigrating someone for their westernised standards of beauty by saying they're "trying to be white", you might as well say it to yourself, too, unless nothing in your life is westernised. furthermore, ascribing to a westernised standard of beauty does not necessarily have any bearings on one's cultural behaviour. there is such a thing called commodification. i think many of us are familiar with the idea because we talk about non-Asian people tattooing Chinese characters on their bodies, and similar things. and i hardly think those people are "trying to be Asian".
Yeah, true that...I just wonder, though...where do we draw the line when a body just wants to do something when they have an option to do it and not have to have it measured against White people.

It's kinda like...instead of being Asian or Black, we're "Not-White."

[so_fee_ahh]

Yeah, I see a lot of Asian girls with blonde hair around here...I think it's just one of those trends...like everyone copies the other. But what bothers me isn't necessarily the fact that some Asian people want to be come so "Americanized" or whatever to the point of dying their hair blonde or having those colored contacts...because all that doesn't necessairly mean you're dying to be white...I think it's moreso the mentality. That being "as white" as you can be is better than actually accepting their Asian side. I mean, I'm all for doing whatever makes you feel good but there does come a point where it just doesn't look "right" anymore (yeah, but who's judging, right?). :confused: Am I making any sense here? Whatever, a lot of people will do some things to themselves physically that will make you not want to stare...so don't.

[SunWuKong]

Yeah, true that...I just wonder, though...where do we draw the line when a body just wants to do something when they have an option to do it and not have to have it measured against White people.

It's kinda like...instead of being Asian or Black, we're "Not-White."

sometimes minorities are just measured against a standard that is not applied to white people (sort of like how Michelle Malkin is so hated - though deservedly in my opinion). personally i do think we have an obligation to be aware of the complex racial relationships in this country, and behave accordingly, especially in light of the ignorance (not as in stupidity, but as in not-knowing) of many white people. but i think the amount of vigilance that we exhibit is what we argue about a lot amongst ourselves.

[nonamerasian]

black people have the same discussion about black women straightening their typically curly or wavy hair in an effort to fit in to the "white" concept of beauty. hair is not just hair.

Blacks dying their hair blonde is more akin to the topic of Asians dying their hair blonde.

If I have a job interview, I will have my hair straightened. Not because of a self-esteem issue making me yearn to be a part the White standard of beauty. I much rather my naps than straight hair.

It is to conform to other peoples' Eurocentric ideas of professional conventionality.

This is a point in used in some discussions on why many people straighten their hair, however I doubt many Asians dye their hair to be seen as professional, kept, or unflamboyant.

Also there is the issue of keeping kinky hair. It takes considerably longer for many nappy-headed people to care for their hair than their straighter-haired counterparts. Ask many Black women why they first wanted to straighten their hair and I'm sure many would cite something along these lines.

I doubt many Asians dye their hair to make it easier to manage.

Others straighten because straighter hair really does match them better than nappy hair.

For many Blacks, hair straightening is more than trying to look White. Although there are definately those who are trying to live up to an Eurocentric standard because they do believe White is right, they aren't all and the topic is very complex.

Discussions on Blacks straightening hair aren't completely comparable to discussions on Asians dying theirs blonde.

Discussions on Blacks dying their hair blonde bring up similiar points to the topic at hand, though.

[Faithless]

I have never looked upon the issue of blacks straightening hair to be equal to any non-white race blonding theirs.

I think one process has to do more with a different symetrical look, which women do all the time, whether it be straightening or perming -- as apposed to -- blonding, where blonde hair comes with a certain stereotype.

[rocketbunny]

I've seen some Asians with blonde hair, and they actually don't look so horrible. I guess it depends on your "look." :tongue:

[mndeg]

asians with blonde hair I stay away from
they are incredibly whitewashed

true in america, taiwan, and japan from what I've seen
also rather slutty and or low class

[Mr.Lum]

Wait a sec, aside from being severely Photoshopped, what's wrong with her face? Now I'm curious about your standard of beauty. I don't think she's ugly.


Her eyes are enormous, her nose looks like an eggplant and judging by her complexion she's about to faint.

[AngryABCGirl]

asians with blonde hair I stay away from
they are incredibly whitewashed

true in america, taiwan, and japan from what I've seen
also rather slutty and or low class

I use to have blond hair(the streaked up Asian version that's more bronze/copper and doesn't resemble a real hair color, I had rest of the Asian rainbow of hair dying before too, blond, brown, reddish brown, etc.), and I hold an APIA activist office and know my
language and culture and am not a ho. That kind of sucks.

Know lots of other similiar women who have their hair dyed (asian)blond, its just for the sake of fashion. Might be different if someone where trying to dye their hair color like Cameron Diaz or _insert other famous actress here_.

[mndeg]

Of course it's not going to apply to everyone, it's just hair. But look at all asian pornstars in America
BLONDE HAIR

it's funny how asians dye their hair and when asked why they say they don't want to look like everyone else or something like that. But when EVERYONe dyes their hair how is that setting anyone apart?

[blueblue79]

Dying hair to blonde or any other colors is just another form of " make up" ( not make over though) . intend to look better.
Some Asians just happen to have very fair skintone, therefore, the lighter hair color suits them better than darker hair.

I have dyed my hair long time ago, only because the lighter hair color matches my skin tone better, never want to be " white" as I am happy with being an Asian!.

someone sarcastically said " You look Chinese " .
Thank you, I know I am 100 % Chinese.. and I am proud of that..

[applehead]

Dying hair to blonde or any other colors is just another form of " make up" ( not make over though) . intend to look better.
Some Asians just happen to have very fair skintone, therefore, the lighter hair color suits them better than darker hair.

I have dyed my hair long time ago, only because the lighter hair color matches my skin tone better, never want to be " white" as I am happy with being an Asian!.

someone sarcastically said " You look Chinese " .
Thank you, I know I am 100 % Chinese.. and I am proud of that..

who told you that?
the hairstylists?

i have incredibly dark hair and i've been
hearing that for YEARS.
"oh your hair is too dark for the summer."
"if you lighten your hair it will soften your jawline."
"lighter hair will go better with your skintone."

salons make the bulk of their money
from dye jobs and touch ups.
why wouldn't they convince you to go lighter?

[SunWuKong]

if you get coloured streaks in your hair, does that mean you're trying to be mixed?

[Meki]

if you get coloured streaks in your hair, does that mean you're trying to be mixed?

You mean mixed as in Hapa or mixed as in weird? :tongue:

I change my hair color fairly frequently... Lately, it's been somewhere in the realm of auburn or reddish brown with occasional caramel colored highlights... But I go back to my natural hair color on occasion... In fact, I was thinking that this winter I'd like to go back to my natural hair color... In high school I had streaks of blue and even bright red at one point... I've had raven black hair too... (Of course, back then it had more to do with my rebellious nature...) I change my hair color b/c I get bored and not b/c I dislike my culture or anything of the sort... I haven't seen too many Asian women do it for that reason... It's just something that I can change easily and it changes my whole look... It certainly doesn't make me appear white... lol... I don't think I could ever look white nor would I want to. No offense to anyone but I'm quite happy with being who I am. (Well, at least with my race... Much room for improvement in other areas though... hehe)

And to Mndeg... My career puts me in the spotlight very often... I would never do anything that I felt would perpetuate the negative stereotype of Asian women... Hair color is the least of our worries... I think that people make too much of it... which isn't surprising given the fact that people do make such an issue out of aesthetics in general. However, for you to make these generalizations about Asian women that dye their hair is what supports these stereotypes and not the fact that we like to change the way we look once in a while...

[Napoleon Chynamite]

If an Asian woman wants to dye her hair, chances are she's gonna choose something lighter than what she already has naturally. Seriously, I mean, what's she gonna do, dye it blacker? I know there are some Asians out there with brownish hair rather than black but it's still pretty damn dark already.

[TB4000]

If an Asian woman wants to dye her hair, chances are she's gonna choose something lighter than what she already has naturally. Seriously, I mean, what's she gonna do, dye it blacker? I know there are some Asians out there with brownish hair rather than black but it's still pretty damn dark already.
Once you go black....ehhh, skip it.

[pikachupacabra]

I don't see how dying your hair gets automatically associated with wanting to be some sort of other ethnicity. Are we going to start saying people who pluck their eyebrows want to be of a thinner-eyebrowed ethnicity! "oh noes! I wants to bes that no-eyebrowed race!". Or when people wax themselves they want to be mores asians cuz wes rolling without that body hair?

Perhaps if someone took a more permanent step, like getting their chin bones shaved...but still, it's all about how you want to look.

[blueblue79]

who told you that?
the hairstylists?

i have incredibly dark hair and i've been
hearing that for YEARS.
"oh your hair is too dark for the summer."
"if you lighten your hair it will soften your jawline."
"lighter hair will go better with your skintone."

salons make the bulk of their money
from dye jobs and touch ups.
why wouldn't they convince you to go lighter?

Not the hairstylists. just a person I know, and when he said that to me, I could smell the sarcastism....