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Why are Asian women obsessed with surgery & ‘looking like foreigners?’ If you pick up a Chinese magazine, every other page will be an advertisement for plastic surgery. Surgery to look "foreign"—white.

Recently, our family visited Hangzhou. While we were there we arranged to get glamor shots taken. It was my first time doing such a thing. When the results came out, I was surprised that I looked so good.

I was also surprised by my mother’s comments.

My mom complimented me by saying, “You look like a foreigner!”

She said it a couple times. She thought that my eyes were a little lighter than other Chinese eyes. Weird. I like looking Chinese, I don’t care about looking more like a white person.

But everyone else in Asia does.

Asian women are obsessed with staying light-skinned, having bigger eyes and boobs, and being taller. It shows in advertisements. Most models are white and there are so many products to help you stay light-skinned and doctors who do plastic surgery on the eyes and chest.

A typical plastic surgery ad in the Asian world — mocking our Asian genetic features as grotesque while holding up Western beauty standards as ideal.

If you pick up a Chinese magazine (or really anywhere in the Asian world), every other page will be an advertisement for plastic surgery. The most popular operations are ones to enlarge the eyes and breasts, make the nose more “foreign” and long, and also to give eyes “suan yan pi” or that little fold in your eyelid that so many Oriental Asians lack (“double eyelid”).

Next in popularity are surgeries to improve your skin. They can get rid of your freckles, bags under your eyes, acne scarring, etc.

And then there are other operations and treatments, like ones to unwrinkle your skin, change your jaw/lips, get rid of bunions, and especially: to whiten your skin. (Although do note that Asians desiring light skin is not always about wanting to look Caucasian. A long time ago, light skin was an effective proxy for your social status. If you had people to slave outside in the sun for you, leaving you to keep your pale complexion inside, obviously you had to be at least somewhat wealthy. Conversely, if you were tan, it signified that you worked outdoors as a peasant. This light skin to aristocracy connection was made in Asia (e.g. China and Japan) and in the West.)

Having lived in the West almost all my life, it was scary to me how ubiquitous and normalized plastic surgery is in the Asian world.

It has all gotten to the point where the lineup of the Miss Korea beauty pageant went viral on Western internet for literally all looking exactly the same:

Being the internet, a gif was also made:

It’s not photoshop. It’s all surgery, and the same makeup — attempting to look as white as possible.

I don’t know about other Asians, but I am perfectly happy with the way I look. I like looking Asian and I don’t aspire to look like a Caucasian.

Why do you think so many Asian women are so obsessed with Western standards of beauty? Sound off in the comments.

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95 thoughts on “<span class="entry-title-primary">Why are Asian women obsessed with surgery & ‘looking like foreigners?’</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">If you pick up a Chinese magazine, every other page will be an advertisement for plastic surgery. Surgery to look "foreign"—white.</span>”

  1. There’s article of a Korean plastic surgeon saying the surgeries are not to make the women look western. This idea itself reeks of white supremacy and white people get off hearing it. Lighter skin is not exclusively a causcasian trait, and most Korean surgeries don’t even mimick white skin colour, just paler asian skin colour. This has been an ideal in China and Japan for centuries, well before any beauty ideals from the west. Many from northern China, Japan and Korea have naturally light skin, as do many Asians growing up in Western countries. The same goes for double eyelid surgery. You can’t actually mimick features like deeper or bigger eyes using surgery. Compare the before an after photos, the size of the eyes stay the same. I don’t doubt there are surgeries to make people look western, but as with many things, it is exaggerated.

    Reply
  2. We know the west are always push their white supremacy narrative onto others. They need to get off their delusional high horse. Most Asians especially females get surgery to look Asian not white.

    Natural beauties in Asia like Vivian Hsu, Han So-hee, Liu Yifei, Haruka Ayase, etc. and men like Cai Xukun, Gan Wangxing, Choi Seung Cheol, Chen Junjie, etc are the ideal not some WF/WM with fragile fast-aging skin, paper thin lips, and bird beak noses.

    If anything, pinks are the one who wants to look like a “foreigner” – nose jobs, lip injection, butt injection, straighten hair, arch eyebrows, etc. Plus they have Rachel Dolezal and Shaun King who are pretending to be black.

    Reply
    • Han Sohee had a nose job and her bridge collapsed and Liu Yifei got a lot of work done too. Honestly, the asian beauty standards are far different from the west. My mom looks just like Rachel Leigh Cook but asian and I find her the most beautiful woman in the world, but my mom cannot see that she herself is beautiful. Because of Asian beauty standards, my mom cannot see how beautiful she is, how god like her bone structure is, how beautiful her wide and full Angelina Jolie lips are. I find my mother so beautiful, yet she envies my v shape jaw and narrrow heart shaped mouth. If we keep pursuing a certain beauty standard, we will never be happy with ourselves. It’s better to not conform to ANY standard and just say “fuck it” and love urself more than anything else in the world. People downplay the power of self love but if you rlly love urself…ur pretty unbreakable.

      Reply
  3. why? due to inverted western propaganda that spins our features as ‘ugly’ when in fact they themselves privately consider it beautiful. for example, square jaws, high cheekbones, almond eyes are all considered attractive features in the west and westerners actually do plastic surgery to get these features. the purpose is to get asians to destroy their own faces while stealing and appropriating our features for themselves.

    at one point in time a lot of asian men were also on the same boat. but around last few years, groups of AM decided to challenge the western narrative head on by discovering the truth about our features and now realise not everything is as what is told to us by western media. for exxample, square jaws, high cheekbones, ‘hunter eyes’, are actually asian features. these groups of AM set up subs that have brought enormous changes to the collective mentality of asian men. asian men today, i can safely say, at least half of them have awoken to the goldentruth. however, asian women are still in the dark because unlike AM who decided to take a combative approach, asian women are still playing nice and they have not set up such subs to challenge the western narrative, all they have are bobalibs who just further lower their confidence. basically, asian women are still trying to play second fiddle to the west and treating themselves like second hand to WF’s instead of committing to full unmitigated cultural warfare vs the west like AM are increasingly doing.

    thats why AF, or AM, should set up the same movement for AF. it would change everything. this is why i made my elsa post because the basis of female self image in america is based on the disney princess, as opposed to males where the self image is based not on cartoons but male actors. therefore, for AF’s, it is the disney archetype that must first be illuminated.

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  4. I am not Asian, or white, I’m black with Korean and Irish roots, but I figured I could give you a reason because it pertains heavily to all races. People are obsessed with looking western because the west has influenced the world for a long time now. Many qualities that were once glorified are no longer, such as being well rounded (not fat, but curvy), and farther back, being fat (due to the ability to buy food). In Europe and other Asian countries, being light skinned means you stayed in doors more often, which meant you did little in the way of field work or hard labor. In Africa, it was similar. There were very pale Africans in more developed villages. Many a time however, all Africans in the tribes that you normally see were all of a similar complexion, but used other things to symbolize status, like colored clothing, hair ornaments, and even hairstyles. In every culture, people seek what they cannot have, and each time it has to do with status. Because of western influence, white skin, round eyes, blonde hair and blue eyes (which is still actually a rarity in many Caucasians) are the epitome of beauty. Also, thinness is hard to maintain and achieve in women due to childbirth and hormonal changes throughout life, so thinness is also desired, because it is a rarity. It is very hard to change the color of one’s skin, and so if that is one thing that someone can point out as superior or better, they will because it is a permanent ”problem” that can’t be fixed, and it will tickle them to see you try. Also, remember the media plays a huge role in beauty standards, and who is the media and advertising monster? THE WEST. Hope I helped

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  5. well see i think it’s just an inferior complex and ignorance on both sides. especially for Asian people. first of all for everyone’s information.

    there are more asians than any other race in this world, asians are a majority while white people are minority’s compared to the world’s population.

    so i take it since Asians are the majority, they want to be lighter/fairer to stand out or look different from the common people? ummm no…. it’s just all plain racism, maybe they try to be white in USA or canada to fit in with the people.

    i think all races/cultures throughout the world are beautiful…… most people just try to look thru the white standards of beauty… that’s the problem

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  6. THEY ARE JUST STUPID PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO SENSE OF SELF WORTH

    I have an asian friend and once she just looked at me because I am a fair skinned black person and asked me if i bleach my skin. So f ******* offensive. The sad thing is they think it is okay to have these kind of conversations. IT makes them sound so stupid and brainwashed.
    They are racist ignorant brainwashed fools.
    She also has a habit of trying to tell me to straighten my hair
    How do you get to be like that. So f****** racist . and yet she considers me to be her friend. So messed up and weird that is what they are.

    Reply
  7. Ever since Asia experienced European colonization in the not-too-distant past, it’s not difficult to see the effect White Euro-Christian culture had on the Asian psyche. It’s not only abt “looking white” but the entire “package” – speaking perfect English, adopting the latest Western trends & fashions, even being part of the Christian religion is seen as being”sophisticated” and/or “glamorous” or of a “good background”.

    Add to that the the importance of status and rigid hierarchical structure in most Asian societies- where milky-white skin & large eyes are already prized as beauty AND status symbols long before contact with the Europeans cause that’s what most of their aristocrats/ rich people look like (and wannabes aspire to). Just that European colonization helped accelerate such thinking, and it didn’t help that the old-world Europeans were even more class and status conscious than they ever were.

    Put two and two together; imagine you, a young Asian boy or girl, growing up in such an environment,day in, day out…what kind of message does this send out to you??? You get bitter because how well you were treated was purely based on your LOOKS and BACKGROUND and nothing whatsoever to do with intrinsic values like your moral character or intelligence. It’s also not uncommon for young Asian men or women doubt their abilities; their self-esteem is often not strong. Some even outright told me “Perhaps if I’ve looked less “Asiany” and speak English like a native, I might have a better chance of…say, getting the promotion/scoring a date.” (????) It’s heartbreaking… I used to turn up my noses at those Asians seeking plastic surgery to enhance their “beauty”- whatever that means- but now that I live in Asia for >10yrs I begin to understand- and can even empathize a little. Seriously, Asian society today is not very kind to people with (ironically!) the stereotype “Asian” features, if you get what I mean.

    Another disturbing trend for some Asian women is to get a Caucasian man for marriage at all costs. It’s like an almost-fanatical obsession to make “Super-Race” Eurasian children, it seems…it would have been funny if it weren’t so tragic. But taken into context the rigid hierarchical system explained above it isn’t really hard to see why…perhaps their children would more likely get a better head-start if they are part White???

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  8. I think Asian women or the Asian community in general (East and South East) have some deep rooted personal issue or we can call it “self-hate” relationship with themselves. Yes, every ethnicity have their complexity but not in the way I see in Asian women, which is almost sickening. All I can say is that they need to love themselves and stop that infinite search of acceptance of others especially from white people. Black women have it hard of all the race of women but still they love themselves and walk with their head high, they do not run in hospital to make their nose look more westerner or skin look light or preferring white men to their own men to make “beautiful babies” with them whatever that means. So PLEASE!!! Asian women learn to love yourself or history will shame you one day.

    Reply
    • You’re totally, absolutely right. There also seems to be a “Mixed (Read: Eurasian) obsession in almost EVERY Asian country!!! Those who think I’m exaggerating should go check out the forums on Yahoo, Asian Finest,etc. Almost EVERY topic contains ASIANS insulting OTHER ASIANS…with names like “chinky eyes”, “brown monkeys”,etc…it’s incredible!!! I’m seriously beginning to wonder if those commentators were “banana/chocolate Nazis”- you know, yellow or brown-skinned “White supremacists” if that made any sense…it is that oxymoronic!!! Then there is also “competition” over which Asian stars look the most “White” and they’ll post pictures of their favorite Eurasian celebrities that they think are the most attractive (read: WHITE-looking), then arguments would break out over which Euro-Asian mix would look more “White” than “Asian”, and how other “types” of mixes are “inferior” like comparing packaged goods. You’d think that after centuries of harsh treatment and condescension at the hands of the white men, they would have the good sense to empathize with their neighbors and cherish their heritage even more. Sadly, they chose the lower-end path of despising their very own backyard. Sick & disgusting-beyond-words.

      Reply
  9. Seriously people gotta stop ranting on Asians having Western standards of beauty! For somebody to be attractive, they gotta not look like the average Joe on the street-it’s attractiveness by definition! For somebody to fall into that category, this person’s face must be in great proportion..and this means no slanty,small eyes and wide nose taking up a lot of face or protruding bottom half of face or whatever…

    conventionally everybody looks to an averaged, proportioned face as attractive, like Jessica Alba. the plain Asian qualities described previously aren’t attractive by conventional standards because it doesn’t put the face in great proportion nor is it easy on the eyes. So for an Asian to aspire to a well proportioned face (never mind the skin colour for now) and for that to be likened to Western beauty desire is just mere bad luck for Asians.

    The skin colour gives it away..but that aside, all Asian are doing are aspiring to a conventional standard of beauty.

    But all the Western media does is glorify those plain Asian looks which by definition is not attractive. They should go to more Asian countries and see it for themself. I mean, for someone to think Lucy Liu is more attractive than Zhang Ziyi would only be an Western media influenced opinion. In Asian countries, you are more likely to find Lucy Liu features than Zhang Ziyi look. By definition, Zhang Ziyi is the more attractive one.

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  10. It’s all marketing people. I’m Armenian and decided to get my big Kardashian nose done and the plastic surgeon said that I have some “eastern” characteristics (duh because we were mixed with Mongolians at some time) and that he should take it off my face. The result…smaller nose with a turned tip, larger chin, and fat grafting to take away the dark under-eye look. I’m not saying that looking eastern or western is better, but that we are FUCKED up as a society.

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  11. This is quite sad. I have had those comment before to. Only once. As if looking like a white person is a compliment.

    I think Asian society need to do some soul search and ban advertising of white people in Asia. What will that do to a society that thinks they are not good. It will bring Asia down into the drain.

    Reply
  12. I got glamor shots too! I took photos of me in “ancient” times and I look quite “ancient.”

    And btw, I will never ever go under surgery for beauty unless I destroyed my face (and other things) in car accidents.

    P.S. The skin-whitenning treatments are actually not that reliable since the Chinese government doesn’t really test these products for dangers.

    Reply
  13. its strange that “yellow” asian ladies want to appear more caucasian, because for those of us who are already born with A. Double eye lids B. Very pale skin C. Big boobs like myself, we are not so attractive to asian guys but are caucasian, black, and other asians..

    Why would a women want to look unattractive to their own race I don’t know. I think what others have said here about the gras is greener is so true. I would like to look more typical chinese to fit in, as there is no point looking more caucasian no matter how many lids your eyes have or pale your skin they will always see a yellow woman…and a yellow person will behind your back say “oh my she so ugly she had to have surgey”, since when has anyone in the asian community been praised for their cosmetic surgry?

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  14. Interesting post! As a hapa, I am also intriqued with others to want what they don’t have. Lucky me, I have features of both sides, most good some bad. Overall I like my body, and don’t want to change a thing.

    White and Asian blend is beautiful because it isn’t generic, it is a combination of different things that are beautiful… and you end up with a very exotic concoction. I think all my cousins who are 100% extremely beautiful, but surrounded by them I look special, but if they came home with me to the states, they would be the exotic beauties, and put on a pedestal.

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  15. FINALLY! someone has noticed!

    Asian women are obsessed with western beauty. Yes, NOT ALL but a GOOD MAJORITY of them are. I’m sure this post wouldn’t have been written unless it was a noticeable amount.

    Western Beauty Influence = Media

    I read most of the comments and I have to say that a some of them are kind of…contradictory?

    I’ve read that Asians don’t wanna be Caucasian, they’re ideal of beauty is paler skin and lighter eyes. Um but aren’t those the features of Caucasians? Sure, “Caucasians tan like Asians brighten their skin.” Would they think to do so if skin-whitening products weren’t created? Since when is being a healthy tan colour a bad thing?

    In the Philippines, they have Caucasians in the advertisements instead of Filipinos. Ummm…Why?!

    Reply
    • I don’t think it’s right to say that LOTS of asian women strive to look like white people. There might be a good number of asian women (along with other minority groups) in the usa wanting to look like white people just to fit into american society. But in asian countries, I think most strive for asian beauty standards (that have some western qualities).

      I also agree with the people that say plastic surgery is world wide. All groups of people are trying to change themselves in some way.

      Reply
  16. I had to write an essay on this today in class actually. What a mere coincidence.

    When
    Asian women move here, they feel pressured to adapt to the environment.
    What I mean by that is they feel that they need to look like Caucasians
    in order to be pretty, because the media has set standards through
    magazines and television shows. Honestly, it’s not only the Asian
    culture, it’s Hispanic, Indian, way more. The ideal beauty is
    controversial between cultures.

    Personally, I love being Asian, and I love LOOKING Asian.

    Reply
  17. See I AM Asian. Not Oriental, East Asian, but South East Asian, with South Asian (Indian) ancestry.

    Yea, people will always want what they can’t have.

    But then you see beautiful Chinese ladies and go why would they want to look Westernised when they’re already pretty?

    But yea, Asians are obesessed with fairer skin. It’s terrible- I’ve caught my own grandmother pass comments that make me sick about darker skinned people- like when she sees a couple, where the girl is darker she goes ‘Oh that’s pitiful’.

    I think it’s disgusting. I like the tanned look, though with weather like this it isn’t difficult to become burnt.

    Reply
  18. white/fair skin is definitely not a western thing… being dark is the hype here, and i know girls who take pride in not “conforming” to the western trend and staying pale

    i don’t think asians are thinking “i want to look more western” over there. maybe asian-american women here feel more pressured to look americanized because we live here, but from personal exp, girls in korea have a different (and better) style than americans

    plastic surgery is also not a “western” thing… it’s being done all around the world. it’s actually much more prominent in japan, korea, and china, compared to anywhere else

    asians getting the eyelid surgery has also never been because they want to look more western. it’s human nature to find bigger eyes more attractive, not because bigger eyes are just “western”. i really believe it’s a misunderstanding.

    americans take way too much credit imo..lol

    Reply
  19. well .. some of the asians wanting bigger eyes is because we dont want slits for eyes, not because we want to look western, not all of us have slanty eyes ==”

    white skin? we have fair skin, some people just prefer darker tanned skin and some lighter.

    and to me, you dont look western in your picture at all, i guess what she meant by foreign was the makeup and all, you looked a bit japanese style or something. well, atleast thats what i think.

    but i deffenatly don’t have any desire to look western. it’s not that westerners arn’t beautiful, because everyone is. but i like the fact that i’m asian and love my asian look

    Reply
    • the light fair skin part, from my observations, applies to the women I know in my life who are in their 40s.

      and young people in my country, most of them from what I’ve seen, love getting tan. (they should watch out for skin cancer and skin pigmentations mannn)
      I do have my asian imperfections like single eyelids, small eyes, stubby nose, and small chest…but it’s the little physical not-so-significant flaws that make me unique.:)

      Reply
  20. A lot of people don’t realize sometimes there is a practical aspect and it’s not about wanting to look white. I’m half black and I straighten my hair because if I don’t have I have to sit for an hour and untangle it everyday.

    If you lighten your skin..do you have to untangle it everyday? Do you have to..I don’t know. Whatever. There’s no “If I dont lighten my skin then I’ll have to waste time doing this”

    But with my hair, it gets curly. it gets big, and it gets mega tangled. And I don’t have the TIME to deal with it on a day to day basis. When my hair’s straight. I comb it down and go.

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  21. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

    Asians’ obsession with being pale has NOTHING to do with wanting to imitate Caucasians. Chinese people just generally perceive pale skin as beauty. In Northern China, Shanghai for example, women there have snow white skin with reddish hue and these women have always been deemed to have the most beautiful skin in China, in contrast to women in the south with darker complexion.

    In fact, the most white washed Asians, the ones who do want to imitate Caucasians, are those who prefer tanned skin and darker complexion as opposed to pale skin tone.

    If Chinese women want to imitate Caucasians, why would you see weight loss commercials everywhere in China? They are much more common than plastic surgery advertisement. We all know that the majority of Caucasian women aren’t skinny and most do not have the body type that Chinese women desire. In fact, the normal average body size in North America is considered fat in China.

    Reply
  22. i’m not sure about all the other things that you were talking about but, as far as the light skin goes, I know that having light skin was a sign of status.

    also, i live in LA so i can only speak for those who live around here, but almost everyone is obsessed with tanning. many celebrities and models will get a fake spray tan before big events, and aren’t these often those people who define “beauty” because of the media?

    while i cant deny that there definitely are throngs of women out there who aspire to adhere to the ideals of western beauty, it would be unfair to to say that all asian women, and asians alone, are obsessed with western beauty. after all, it isn’t just the asian women who are lining up at the cosmetic surgeon’s office.

    it would also be quite stereotypical to say that the norm for all asian women is to be short, flat chested and have small eyes. i have many asian friends who just the opposite.

    perhaps these types of “obsessions” come with the difficulty of living in a culture where so many people, including in los angeles, are misinformed when it comes to asians. asians are often labeled as being “exotic” because they don’t look like those from european, latin, african, etc. descent. it’s almost like people get surprised when they see an asian person that doesn’t fit their description of being “asian.”

    that’s like saying to a non-asian person, “hey, you don’t look *insert ethnicity here* you dont have *insert stereotypical quality here*”

    i find your confidence in your looks, love and acceptance for your self refreshing.

    but as an asian person myself, i don’t like the idea of being grouped as just another person obsessed with western beauty.

    Reply
  23. I don’t believe that Asian women are obsessed with Western beauty. Its just a stereotype. Plastic surgery is big in Asia, but its also bit in the US. Any surgeries to improve your skin, like those that remove freckles, bags, acne scarring, are not only coveted by Asian women. My non-Asian friends would love to get rid of their bags too and, actually, all Asians I know don’t have freckles.

    Actually about 50% of Asians are born with double eyelids. Actually, out of all my friends, only ONE girl has single eyelids. Asian people wanting double eyelids does not mean they want to look more Westernized. Bigger eyes is a coveted trait because Asians believe that bigger eyes are more beautiful. Eyes with double eyelids give the impression of bigger eyes, and bigger eyes is a sign of beauty.

    Surgeries for the wrinkles your face, hands etc., every woman hate wrinkles. I see my mom buying anti aging, anti wrinkle creme, and over the next counter, I see a Caucasian woman buying the same things.

    I think that all women who are flat chested wishes their chests are bigger too, I definitely wish mine would be bigger. Wanting to change change the shape of your nose is not merely to look Western. Also, I was under the impression that Caucasian people liked to be tan. On a sunny day, the only ones I see tanning in a park are Caucasians.

    Your post makes me angry too.

    Reply
  24. It’s not just asian women, if you buy a mexican magazine you’ll see tons of white people then you’d be like… wtf is white people got to do with mexico? I thought this was a mexican beauty magazine… people that look mexican are not considered pretty…that’s the majority of them including myself 😛 but personally, I like to look mexican

    Reply
  25. It’s because Westerners tend to have more money than than Easterners. Western nations as a whole are wealthier in general than Eastern nations. It’s like buying that person who buys a designer bag no matter how ugly or how attractive or worth it it is, they want to be what is associated with wealth. They allow Westerners to define their idea of what is beautiful because they if they have more money then they are part of the cool crowd and we want to look like them so we can be associated with that coolness, wealth, and image of being elite.

    Reply
  26. I’ve noticed some of the surgeries that are gaining popularity in Asian countries aren’t even really Western or Asian.

    Like, there are two kinds of double-eyelid surgeries. A natural one that mimics the fold that appears naturally in a percent of any Asian population, and then the super-deep double-eyelid surgery that gives the look of a surprised anime character.

    Reply
    • It’s too bad that people everywhere like plastic surgery so much. Human beings in their glorious variety are beautiful. The fact that anyone would get a surgery to make his or her eyes different saddens me and it annoys me.

      I think I have a larger nose than most but that’s just the way I was made and have learned to love it.

      Reply
  27. i know that there are certain WOMEN that are obsessed with BEAUTY.. its a bit unfair to make a generalization out of all asian women and all western beauty. i have olive skin, size 32b boobs, im 5’4″ and a half, a 0 sized waist, and a double eyelid that you can see if you look really close. i think i look great. i agree with everyone who says that looking paler is a indication of social status – i dont think that asians want to look like white people. and besides – dont you hear about enough caucasians who go to tanning salons, get collagen injections, nose jobs, and liposuction? we could easily say the same thing about them – all white people are obsessed with becoming Angelina Jolie.

    in conclusion, while i do not feel that you are trying to be stereotypical, your post is kind of upsetting – just think about all the other beautiful asian women out there who just dont give a damn.

    Reply
  28. Gah!

    Why do people ALWAYS think that Asian people are trying to look Caucasian?!

    Having pale skin has always been a standard of beauty in many Asian cultures.

    Same with big eyes. & if you ask me, bigger eyes with the double eyelid simply makes a person look more awake and alert, & therefore, somewhat more “inviting”. It does NOT make them look any more Caucasian, at least in my Asian eyes.

    When you’re a child, you don’t have boobs. When you’re a woman, you do. It’s a human thing – not a Caucasian thing.

    & clear skin.. since when has clear skin been only a Caucasian standard of beauty? I can’t think of too many cultures that think having pimples is beautiful.

    Every culture has their own standard of beauty. & while Asian cultures may be influenced by Caucasian standards, I don’t believe that just because an Asian wants big eyes, means they want to be white. I’m not saying there aren’t any Asians who DO want to look white — but people need to be a little more careful when they say that Asians in general want to look Caucasian.

    Reply
  29. I’m asian, and I’m proud of the way I look.
    One odd thing is, I’m not persay “yellow” or tan like the typical Asian, my mom is light skinned, so I inherited her light skin as well.
    Though, I want to be tan, I think I would rather stick with having my pale skin. I’m also fine with being flat-chested, too, I wouldn’t want to be running and having my girls jump all over the place haha. Lastly, which gets all the asian girls, is their chinky eyes, I think chinky eyes are cute, and I definately have chinky eyes. I just wish asian women would embrace their own beauty, because it’s different, and that goes for other foreign countries as well.

    Reply
  30. Plastic surgery can make people look unnatural. If people
    want to change the shape of anything on their face or body, it NEEDS to match
    their other features.

    Therefore, if someone from one race wants plastic surgery to look like another race, the outcome would look extremely WEIRD! Probably worse off than the natural look.

    Anyone who wants plastic surgery is insecure with themselves. The plastic surgury industry knows that and will make people SOOO insecure that people will think, paying $5,000+ is worth their money. The industry got a whole bunch of women wrapped around their fingertips.

    Also, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!!!!!!!

    Reply
  31. I’m not even gonna bother reading this entry. Way to set a stereotype. I’m an Asian woman who’s obsessed with EASTERN beauty. I suggest the next time you try to title your post, you come up with something clever and more consistent with reality than your imagination. Think I’m being harsh? Don’t generalize and we’ll get along.

    I also find Western beauty enchanting, Northern, Southern, whatever. I find beauty in everything. That’s a statement from an Asian woman so you can shove that title up yo butt. You need to understand that we live in a diverse world, and you can’t make inferences based only on people who surround you. All women are equally beautiful.

    Reply
    • I AGREE! Why do they want to look like western people? I think where ever they come from, they should represent their home land. My boyfriend’s friends are all chinese. They don’t have light skin but they put on like 10 layers of really light, white-ish foundation… to the very whitest! And one went even farther to go surgically cut her eyes to be wider.

      I am lucky, I have big eyes and a nose that looks like I got a nose job (I didn’t though) and big you know Hahaha, less to worry.But over time when you get older, doesn’t your eyes sag or boobies needs another boob job or soemething??

      Reply
  32. I grew up in asia and watching anime I was taught that the blonde haired blue eyed women were beautiful and wonderful, they could perform magic. The steretypical asian was shunned…

    Reply
  33. Like many other comments, this post makes me a little angry.

    I grew up in Hong Kong and was exposed to all types of whitening products, desire to look more caucasian… the bottom line is everyone aspire to look pretty, and the beauty standard in Asia points to the western beauty standard of having bigger eyes, light hair and eye color. I don’t see it as an identity crisis… I don’t like my black hair, just because it makes me look super stern… I think generally bigger eyes are perceived as more beautiful. Double eye lid is not a western thing… a lot of asians have double eye lids including me and a lot of people I know…

    I am 100% happy with being Asian, the way I look though I like lighter-than-black color hair but I love the texture of my hair… I use whitening products because I don’t like freckles and the appearance of more luminous skin (FYI: Most of the whitening products give people more luminous looking skin hence a “whiter” apperance)… sometimes I wear colored contacts because I think it adds more sparks to my eyes… to me I don’t want to look like caucasians, I just want to look pretty (which might coincides with some caucasian beauty features)…

    I think people are being too harsh on Asians about being like caucasian features. It’s almost a reality that caucasians still dominates the fashion and beauty industry… it’s slowly changing which is a good thing… but don’t over extend this to an identity crisis problem.

    Reply
  34. Asian obsession has little to do with looking caucasian than what it has to do with how paleness was a sign of being of higher class in past history. Even now, in hong kong, darker skinned people are associated with being housemaids while lighter skinned people are the ones who hire them. Of course, this is changing, but it will take time to erase this stereotype.

    Also, double eyelids tend to make the eyes look larger (let’s face it, who doesn’t want larger eyes, except for the select few)
    Caucasians also want larger breasts, if I recall, breast implants are quite popular in America. Does this mean caucasian people want to look more caucasian? I don’t think so, I think they just want to look more ‘beautiful’ and have bigger breasts. They want to fit the ideals shown in magazines and movies (and sadly porn).
    Caucasians also want to be thinner, like the models shown in asian magazines. Does this mean they want to be asian? No, it’s also because skinny is the ideal shown in American culture, just as it is shown in asian culture.
    Asian cultures also have their set ideals of beauty, and this includes having bigger breasts and paler skin. To begin with, some asians are even paler than caucasians.
    All in all, things done are to become more beautiful, or maintain beauty.

    Reply
    • Light hair in Japan is also thought to be a sign of luck, but I can’t say for other Asian cultures. Large eyes have also long been a cultural preference in Japan, though the specific reasons are unclear.

      Reply
    • Again.

      Yes, not ALL of it has to do with Western beauty. But you can’t deny that a LARGE part of it has to do with Western beauty.
      The United States has a LARGE influence on Asia. I’m sure that you can make the argument that these are simply general ideals of beauty, but please, does it help that Western culture perpetuates these ideals to such an extreme degree?
      Western culture pervades all walks of life around the world. It is going to have a significant impact on other cultures.

      Reply
    • good point about Caucasians wanting to look more Caucasian. I never
      thought about it that way. I didn’t write this post to make people
      angry, I was just highlighting what I have seen while in Asia and also
      at home. Not every Asian woman who desires to improve her appearance
      wants to look white, but there are definitely those out there who do
      think that way. My sister actually explicitly says quite often that she
      wants to look more white. She uses lightening products, she curls her
      hair (to no avail, it’s too straight, haha), she’s proud of her big
      nose (although I don’t know how she managed to relate that one to
      whiteness), and she laments that her eyes may be getting smaller.

      Reply
  35. I agree. When i went to Hong kong, i noticed how many people try to look like they’re caucasian. My greatgrandmother was caucasian, so I guess I’m a little mixed. but to me and my friends here, we really don’t noticed anything but asian… lol. I do have that fold in my eyes, my eyes are slightly a lighter brown than my other asian friends, and i guess you can say my boobs are pretty big for an asian girl. but still. when i went to Hong Kong, I had a random sales girl ask me if I was mixed. I thought it was quite weird.. I get a lot of stares when I’m in Hong Kong and it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable.

    Reply
  36. I am not sure if it is all about wanting to look Western. Afterall Chinese traditional standards of beauty focused a lot on white & flawless skin, taller nose, bigger eyes (folds help) and being tall. I was in China and this snobby bitch called me a peasant due to my tanned skin, and you know how american girls seem to obsess about tanning. It irks me whenever I have an Asian make-up artist, that they try to make me look like a little white China doll. It is scary because I feel like a ghost. I think it is more about self-esteem and desire to look beautiful according to the current standards.

    Reply
    • its not the asians that are obsessed about the west its also vice versa i mean wtf is up with white (ie)chicks trying to act asian its just pathetic…. feel comfortable in your own skin

      Reply
    • I can’t believe someone actually called you a peasant for being tan. I
      agree about the Asian make-up thing, when I did my glamour shots it
      seemed like they just kept putting white powder all over me. Ughhh.

      Reply
  37. I think the entire East is like that.

    My cousins back in the Middle East basically try to mimic everything American.

    Everyone is so scared to the Middle East, but little do they know that their fair skin and blonde hair and blue eyes will get them admired like a queen.
    Personally, I find that funny.

    But, really, It’s the younger generation (us), I think.
    We’ve got internet, TV, texting…

    Honestly, I think every culture is starting to become like each other due to internet and TV. It’s just like… globalization.

    There are mild differences, but I probably would not be able to tell a Tokyo city Japanese girl, from Los Angelese Japanese girl. Or a blondie from Berlin, to a blondie in New York. (Except, every German I have ever met seems to dress nicer than any American I’ve ever met, but that’s besides the point.)

    Reply
  38. I’m here in Philippines (me as one of them “Filipinos”), most people I see here purchase a lot of whitening products to enhance their “beauty” (privilege people undergoes plastic surgery or liposuction, you name it)..

    I myself have brown skin or some might say tanned.. I would have to admit that before, I was one of those who purchase the “EVAH” whitening products.. but to no avail there’s no change .. So I’ve come to a decision that I should love my color cause I’m born this way & I’m not going to be prone for skin cancer.

    There’s a problem, most I’ve seen at stores and commercials regarding facial cleansers, facial scrubs, facial creams, BLAH BLAH are with whitening ingredients…
    Where will “loving-their-tanned/brown-skin-people” buy products that doesn’t have whitening ingredients?
    I mean, can a person go out without others staring why their face is white and their bodies are not? It would look like a pantomime… HAH!

    Reply
  39. i think it’s because asians in general have the same “asian generic” look…brown eyes, short stature, black hair, as to caucasians…blue/green/hazel eyes, blonde/brown hair. i mean seriously…if you’re an asian girl, how many times have your peers or colleagues gone up to you just to say, “OMG you like tila tequila!”

    the “generic asian” look is just common. not saying it’s a bad thing or a good thing; it’s just something in general. seriously.

    Reply
  40. because there are many people who aren’t happy with what they’ve got:

    while asian girls like using whitening products (those that would make their skin later); caucasian girls like tanning products. while asian girls like to dye their hair blonde or brown; caucasian girls like dyeing their hair darker/black.while asian girls like curling their hair; caucasian girls with natural waves straighten their hair.
    what i believe is that we should all appreciate what we’ve got because no matter what we are, i’m sure somebody in this world is jealous of what we naturally have 🙂
    so BE PROUD OF YOURSELF

    Reply
  41. aha for me, i’d actually prefer dating foreign boys than chinese boys, coz they’re cuter or what, and my friends think the same way too. we wanna look like foreign coz, they’re more pretty basically, and foreign boys r most likely fall for girls that r so pretty with big eyes whiter skins taller and bigger breasts.

    Reply
  42. I think its a bunch of factors, but I think the two main ones are…

    1: They’re obsessed with anything “Western”. China copied our interstate system for example. It’s because the USA is the main economic power house and that’s what their aiming for.

    2: Asians value youth, youth in general = big eyes. “Double” and “single” eyelids are natural in Asians, but the larger eyes appear more youthful. I don’t think all Asians really think that they can look White, but they want to look more youthful. On the other end, I’ve been made fun of for being Asian and so have some of my friends so maybe they are influenced in what they consider beautiful. Growing up I wished that I looked White just to fit in but thankfully I’ve learned to appreciate and value my cultural background and love who I am.

    Reply
  43. I hate when people refer to White/European as “Western.” Technically, Africa is also west of Asia. No one ever says they want to look African. And what about Black Americans? Aren’t they Western too?

    I’m mixed, Black and Korean, and I’ve seldom been admired by Asians except for my large eyes and long eyelashes. When I see beauty or clothing ads in Japan, there’s a white girl being used as the model. I laugh, because it’s silly. Japanese people and Europeans/Caucasians/White Americans don’t look alike.

    I don’t care, though. I’m proud of the way I look, regardless of what the “ideal” race may be.

    Reply
    • It’s just how the terminology is =P Did you know that when people talk about “The South” they exclude Australia because it’s not a developing country like most other south-of-the-equator nations? =/

      Reply
  44. I know a lot of asians who don’t want to look like a caucasian… i love asiatic beatuy products and I think that if some of these women want to look like foreigners it’s only because it’s… different

    Most of us are not satisfied with our body, so we want it different. For a western girl it can mean to be tanned or to put eyes liner to have “cats eyes” so to asians girl it can mean a whiter skin and caucasian eys…

    My skin is really white and I don’t go to the sun not only to avoid skin cancer but because I like it. I don’t have boobs (almost not at all) but… i choose dresses that does not ridiculous on me and i’m ok with my body.
    we should stop this . it’s only to make us… spend money on products, surgery and other things…

    Reply
    • I agree that being light-skinned is not necessarily a part of why Asian people would like to emulate Western culture, but I am going to absolutely refute the idea that their preference for big eyes, big boobs, and what else may you has nothing to do with the Western ideals of beauty. In some cases, it has EVERYTHING to do with Western culture.

      My god, look at the Japanese Ganguro trend! TELL ME THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WESTERN CULTURE. Frankly, I’m disgusted by some of the people here trying to attack the author. She was simply stating her opinion and opening a forum for discussion, as you all are. And you can’t deny the fact that there is a heavy Western influence on other parts of the world, particularly Asia. That’s just stupid.I do agree with the comments on “the grass is greener on the other side.” I know that in the United States, there is a large amount of people that crave for an “exotic” cultural identity, and in Asia, westerners are exotic.

      In my personal opinion, to each his own!I love being Asian. I love it to death. I also think the double eye-lid surgery is kind of funny. I began to notice that my “fold” had become more prominent and, to be honest, I was disappointed.

      Reply
  45. i’ve read quite a few comments, and as much as asian girls [that are in tune with their native Asian culture] say they don’t see themselves as trying to be caucasion-looking.

    i know when i try not to tan too much, i don’t have “LET’S LOOK CAUCASIAN!” in mind – its… i don’t know. hard to explain.

    an asian woman might not realize they are conforming into “looking caucasian”. its just that this is what is commonly accepted as “beautiful” to society and its become natural to think that lighter skin is the way to go. and bigger eyes the better!

    wow. i hope i made sense somewhere in this reply. i feel like i went in circles. but it does feel hard to explain.

    Reply
  46. Why?? Asian women are gorgeous!! They’ve got beautiful silky hair, crescent/almond shaped eyes that are alluring and sexy, and are just good looking period. White women are nasty masculine beasts that are over the wall by age 25!

    But then again, I’m asian, so… this is a little biased 😉 but true…
    Be proud of who you are ladies.

    Reply
  47. This is so true, I saw a lot of commercials targeting what you are saying in Chinese magazine. I was thinking why are they so obsessed with products making their skin whiter? The image of Michel Jackson comes to mind. Even though we live in the world where all race should be seen as equal but, that’s not true. Caucasian are still be seen as superior to all the other race like Asian and African. Think about it, why are African American sacrifice loosing a chunk of their hair just get them straight and why do they get jealous of other African American girl have lighter skin then theirs? And you mention all example for Asian wanting to look Caucasian. Maybe, we don’t want to admit or do it under subconscious but, the feeling is there.

    Reply
  48. i’m asian, and definitely proud of it. i love my naturally tanned skin and naturally black hair, that’s never been dyed.

    it’s mainly asians from poorer countries that see western culture as the route to prosperity or something. however, i think the trend of looking western is definitely dying out.

    Reply
    • I have a few close Asian friends, and some of them have talked about not liking looking Asian… I never understood that because I always thought they were beautiful. And I was jealous of all the attention they got from guys because of their exotic looks (even though they said that they were jealous of me). I think it’s awesome that you embrace it. I guess we often don’t appreciate what we are… regardless of our looks. I’m half Lebanese, so I have dark hair, eyes, and olive tone skin… All though my features are fairly caucasion because of my mom. I used to want to be fair-skinned with blue eyes… back when I was younger, then I grew up and realized that my look was unique…

      Reply
  49. We had two Japanese exchange students when I was in high school, both were female. They use this glue like stuff on their eyes so they wouldn’t look Japanese. I didn’t get it. But women in America do all kinds of pointless crap to their bodies so….I guess it’s the same thing whether you are white, black, purple….whatever.

    Reply
    • it’s hilarious cause one of my best friends is korean and they have the same ideas of beauty. i’m extremely faired skinned, so she walks up and yells, ‘YOU’RE SO WHITE!’, with a huge smile across her face. and americans want to be tan….. it makes me laugh how no one wants what they have. but this girl makes me feel like i should appreciate how i look. haha

      Reply
  50. i don’t think a desire to be skinny & have large boobs or getting plastic surgery is necessarily a caucasian-envy thing…no one wants crappy skin or to be fat!!

    and the eyelid surgery isn’t to look “white”, really. i mean, those types of eyes have been considered desirable for a long time in Asia, before the white ppl came (who the asians thought looked like freaks BTW) and white skin in Asia is like being tan in the US, they are both signs of wealth and the associated leisure/excercise/grooming time and ability to keep yourself looking good…

    Reply
  51. what? i want lighter skin and bigger eyes and taller (not really bigger boobs) but thats not coz i want to look caucasian, its cas thats wat i think looks nice.

    how about white people who dye their hair black? do u think theyre trying to look asian or somethign?

    “ I like looking Chinese, I don’t care about looking more like a white person. Everyone else in Asia does though. ” <=== just cas they want to be paler? and bigger eyes and boobs and taller?? zulus are tall too

    comestic surgery ads are worldwide. not just asia

    and its “shuang” yan pi not ‘suan’ (sour) LOL

    Reply
  52. “if you were tan, it signified that you worked outdoors as a peasant”

    Queen Elizabeth I was also really pale for the same reason. I think this has actually been around in Europe for at least a few centuries.

    One movie (besides the movies about Elizabeth) that I recall where they also demonstrated this notion of beauty was Titanic. Kate Winslet’s character, Rose, came from a rich family and if you’ve seen the movie, she is really pale. I think they mentioned this and all she had to do to avoid tanning in the making of the movie or something.

    On a related note, being kinda fat also indicated wealth because you had the money to eat all that food.

    It’s funny how much the standards have changed. It was only decades ago it was beautiful to be a full-figured and curvy woman, like Marilyn Monroe.

    For anyone who wants to read, this is an interesting article about colorism. It states that European imperialists are blamed for bringing the idea that “lighter skin is righter” to Asia and North Africa, but some people claim that this idea may have already existed in these areas. I haven’t read through it all yet and I don’t know who’s right, but it’s interesting so far.

    http://www.colorq.org/Articles/article.aspx?d=2002&x=colorism

    Reply
    • It’s through out world history. Any ancient painting always show the women lighter. I agree with you, their reason for wanting to look pale is not because they want to look white, but because they want to look dainty and wealthy.

      Reply
  53. I guess you can say it’s becoming a culture thing. I understand that one has to love themselves for who they are, but I don’t see a big deal in minor cosmetic surgeries, especially to remove acne scars. If they aren’t making a big deal, neither am I.

    Now, the getting the crease in there surgically, that’s a different story. It’s influence from the western world to what they think is pretty. I would say to embrace their Asian side because their are pretty.

    Plastic surgery is big in the Americas too. Even in the Latino community. My mother is always talking about breast augmentation and liposuction. It’s world wide.

    Reply
    • There’s alot of people, not just asians, that are obsessed with other cultures. I, on the otherhand, appreciate what I look like. I’m in love with my very pale skin. I hate the idea of tanning. Some people can’t be happy with what they’re given. It’s upsetting, but each to their own.

      Reply
  54. this is a system problem. it started through history with colonization. the ones that did the colonizing were always the lighter colored and superior ones whereas the locals who were being colonized were always the dark skin inferior.

    though….that’s not the only piece to the entire picture of course.

    to understand a current problem, there are probably roots in history…..

    Reply
    • But was Asia colonized by the western society? Philippines, yes. But China? I don’t know Eastern Asian history too well, but I don’t believe they were.

      Reply
    • In the past century, China had not exactly been colonized… but many
      European countries and the US took what they wanted for themselves.
      They were called spheres of influence, and so in certain places the
      foreign country would control everything that went on there.

      Reply
    • I agree with you in that “looking Asian” is beautiful too, and I’m perfectly happy with my features. However, I don’t really feel that a lot of those are about women trying to look like Westerners. For one, they’d be trying to tan. American girls apparently love to tan, and my cousin says this is the biggest difference between girls there and girls here. Second, cosmetic surgery is something women all across the world want. I don’t really see larger breasts as something limited to Europe and America; in fact, plenty of Caucasian runway models you see on TV aren’t larger than a B.

      The crease is definitely a Western thing though. Personally, I don’t understand the appeal to it.

      Reply
  55. I think we are all obsessed with another cultures beauty, in some cases. I know a lot of American girls obsessed with asian beauty, I am one of them! I wish I were born Asian, because they all have the perfect skin. I think Asian women are exceptionally beautiful, (but I think that about a lot of cultures and races and ethnicities.)

    I wish that women loved themselves and their features as they are. Its so depressing to see women doing dramatic changes to their body in hopes of looking a certain way.

    I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to be angry about asians wanting to look western. Its TRUE that a lot of them do strive for that. I’ve read a lot of books on chinese cultures and such, and some feel that if they do not meet a certain standard, they will not marry. When moving to the USA, they often try to look like us because they want to be accepted. Its that way in a lot of places, its just more focus is put on western culture and asian culture.

    Reply
  56. i’m chinese. i’m perfectly fine with how i look. although i could lose a few pounds. 😛

    i can’t really tan. i’m the least tan in my family. i already have that eyelid fold. i would never consider opening my eyes more or getting a boob job though. my boobs are decently-sized as they are.

    i agree with everyone else though. it’s not really an asian thing. it’s more of a “hey i want to look young and beautiful” thing.

    Reply
    • i love my yellow skin 🙂 its kind tannish olivey yellow and it looks warm and byootifful.

      For an asian I have really big eyes, but to other ethnicies and white people as a whole my eyes are smaller. Though, oddly enough, my eyes are bigger than some white people’s i know.

      I’ve always taken pride on my larger than normal asian eyes..not sure why. My mom always pointed them out to me (in a good way) so I guess thats why?

      The only thing I wonder about eye size is do small eyed people have a smaller range of view just looking straight?

      Reply
    • I’m also Chinese, and even though I do not want to look caucasian, I might be able to clear a few things up. The Chinese, especially the ones from cities, are increasingly exposed to the Western products, media, and cultures. For example, cosmetics, fashion, movies, and tv. When so much of this is pictured as the ideal (example: the models for the products) everywhere on the streets, people will begin to believe it.

      Reply
    • i’m asian (pakistani) and alot of pakistani girls try to look white. i have no idea why, i love my colour. but most pakistanis want to have light skin, light eyes, light hair, because it looks different than the pakistani norm of black hair and black/brown eyes.
      whatever makes people happy i guess.

      Reply
  57. I think thats a total stereotype and I don’t think most Asians want to look “caucasian.” I’m sorry but not only do Caucasians have the eye lid and not only do Caucasians have light skin, tall noses, etc…Its about beauty and in most countries those are the things thats beautiful to the society.

    oh and btw statistics show that 50% of Asians are born with double eye lids.

    Reply
    • There’s even make-up techniques to give non-Asian more of the Asian look. I think they were going more of the exotic looks of Asian eyes, not necessarily the single eyelid. I wouldn’t trust statistic though, there’s so many errors calculated into them.

      Reply
  58. Some Asian women don’t like to have fair skin. They go tanning… much like Caucasians do.

    I must say I’m kinda guilty of this. I wear colored contact lenses to alter the color of my eyes, I dye my hair, and I wish my boobs were bigger. However, I don’t see myself as being as extreme as other Asians.

    Reply
  59. Well, the light skinned thing isn’t just because of Europeans. If you trace back, Chinese people who were wealthy and could afford to stay inside would stay white whereas peasants and farmers had to be out under the sun and were always very tanned. If you wanted to look and seem high class, you would have light skin.

    I really agree with “the grass is always greener on the other side”. Frankly, I’ve grown up in North America and I’ve been back to visit Guangdong and Hong Kong twice (I wish I had glamour shots taken!) but I’ll never aspire to look Caucasian. I think the fact that I’ve been so totally immersed in a community of Caucasians that looking Asian is both refreshing and unique to me.

    Most of the people I went to high school with were Caucasian, but they would tan and tan and tan because they wanted to be dark. (Well, sucks for them because now they’re orange.) So many people, including all ethnicities, will aspire to be something they’re not for one reason or another. I know what I am and love being and looking Asian!

    Reply
    • I know that having light skin is not just a European trait. The problem
      I have with it is that in Asian ads for skin-lightening products it’s
      usually a white model. And I once read a former ANTM girl’s blog
      who was working in HK at the time, and she said that she always had
      tons of jobs lined up because they wanted white girls in their ads.

      Reply
  60. I tan VERY easily, when i went to hk everyone there was “how are you ever going to find a guy if you’re so dark?” and that was when I was 11 or 12. When I’m home in Canada, I get stopped all the time by people asking me if I used a tanner and that they love my skin. But to me I love the way I look, even though I wish some of my features were different but either way this is me and there’s not much I can change about it as I believe in natural beauty. I’m tan from running, so what if I can’t find an asian guy? I like white guys better anyways. Call me whitewashed but I don’t care.

    Reply
  61. Those are western ideals of beauty? I thought those were just general things. What is considered an asian ideal of beauty then?

    Reply
  62. well im asian, and like i like to be either pale. or tanned. i mean like some asians, their skin is like neither. and they just dont want to be tanned. LOL

    i have “suan yan pi” hehehe. (:

    Reply
    • =[ I wish it would stop! In vietnam people would wear turtle necks so their bodies would be light skin ahhhh *cringes*

      Reply
  63. I do believe that a lot of people who go through certain plastic surgery end up looking alike. But I don’t agree to the idea that Asian woman are trying to look Caucasian or “Western”. No. Just because someone wants wider eyes, doesn’t mean he or she is trying to look Western. They just want to look better for themselves. It’s just a nice look to them. It doesn’t mean that they’re trying to look like a certain race, but they just want to enhance their personal looks to what they think is beautiful. Plus, not all Caucasians have big eyes. EVERYONE has different, but similar features as other races.

    Considering that South Korea’s plastic surgery rate is the highest in the world, there is a possibility that SOME, not all, of these girls may have gone through plastic surgery. It could be minor, or it could be drastic. But S.KR does an amazing job at results that look fairly natural, so as to think that the person has not even gone through surgery. We don’t really ever know.

    At the same time, maybe most of them haven’t gone through surgery. These days, a lot of Asian woman use a certain tape that is used to create a double eye-lid for that occasion – that’s part of the make up process. False eyelashes also do the job of helping the eyes appear bigger or wider than usual. It’s all about the make up, if that person doesn’t go through plastic surgery anyhow.

    Reply
  64. People see white or fair skin as beautiful or a trademark of beauty I guess. I’m not really sure, but I think it sucks they should be happy with whatever they have.

    Reply
  65. I don’t understand that, personally, because there are gorgeous people everywhere, regardless of race or religion. You just can’t hold everyone to the same standards, because obviously we’re all going to look different, but if we were all identical no one would be beautiful.

    Reply
  66. Whenever anyone wants to be something they are not, I assume it’s a combination of worship of a foreign or unattainable ideal and some sort of self-hatred/self-disdain.

    Reply
    • I was just having the SAME conversation with my asian friend. But it’s like, ALL races strive to be more white. and white people are trying to be something else, (tanning, etc) It’s just odd. I think all cultures are beautiful in their own ways. Why want to be something you’re not? embrace yourself!! I do!

      Reply

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