Bruha! Ang Dumi Mong Tingnan! These are just some statements echoed to the Morena community, myself included. As a child, all I knew was that I was ugly—needing to use skin-whitening products, rebond my hair, and use all types of gadgets to narrow my nose. This idea was exacerbated by the similar commercials of Filipinas with Western features and the teleseryes with morena characters portrayed for comedic purposes and to portray poor, undesirable, and even cursed characters. The idea of a “glow up” in these shows always depicted how these characters go from dark-skinned to light, making them more attractive to their peers, and even the well-off love interest and his family. As I grew older, I started to accept my skin color and my features, which was not a small feat. However, I still experienced small glimpses of judgment regarding my features hidden in thinly veiled comments, forcing me to be louder about accepting myself. Through continuous advocating and acceptance, I realized that there was something deeper about the collective, implicit, and explicit colorism towards morena women.
Art by Neil Roman
From the coils and frizziness of my curls, the point of my nose, and the unevenness of my dark skin, every facet of my being was reduced to assumptions and prejudices associated with Western beauty features. The views that us Filipinos have regarding our own features are systematically enforced and rooted to the subjugation brought by the colonial period. This subjugation was evident through the hierarchy that was enforced during the Spanish era with the mixed Filipino-Spanish citizens higher than the Indios-the pure Filipino working class. Then, during the American colonial period, the Americans publicized an altruistic reason for colonizing the Philippines in the United States by producing newspapers and advertisements where the Filipinos were introduced as “little brown brothers,” too uncivilized, too unruly, and too unable to rule their own country. The Americans discussed their duty to civilize Filipinos through the “White Man's Burden,” a poem by Rudyard Kipling where the implicit idea that the Americans must help the Philippines progress since they have the resources to help colonies in need was once again emphasized. In reality, there were imperialistic and malicious intentions implied. This imperialistic intent was also apparent in depictions such as the US’ Political Propaganda Cartoon, Filipinos’ First Bath, wherein the Filipinos were being scrubbed, washed, and stripped of their native characteristics to be altered as the civilized Americans. Another example is the various advertisements of Pears Soap from the 19th century (Understanding Slavery Initiative, n.d.) in the United States by Andrew Pears’ Pear Soap Company (Gio, 2020). The typical design of these advertisements would portray that the brown skin of Filipinos would be completely white after using the soap while indicating that dark-skinned people are dirty. It subscribed to the idea that dark skin was undesirable, and white skin was the ideal that must be achieved. The representation of the Filipinos through these print media reflected the “White Man's Burden” since it prompted the idea of the uncivilized and pitiful Filipinos who need help. Even in Philippine entertainment, the idea of the lowly, undesirable, and poor Morena/Moreno was furthered through past teleseryes, namely Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy, Nita Negrita, Bagani, and Bitoy ang Itawag mo Sa akin.
It is evident how the inequalities that began in the colonial period intertwine and affect different dimensions of the morena, and how these compound with other social institutions, perpetuating the imperial hegemonic mindset. This phenomena can be investigated through the lens of intersectional feminism, which is defined by the critical race theory scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw as “a prism for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other.” (UN Women, 2020). Intersectional feminism explores the compounding factors of the discrimination experienced by the Morena. The Morena, a Filipino woman with Filipino features, experiences an overlap in her many roles and identities. The colorism and discrimination experienced by the Morena have affected the perceived socioeconomic status of the Morena community while also perpetuating stereotypes and detaching the desired femininity from the Morena characteristics.
The racism and colorism that the Morenas experience is a reproduction of the cultural colonialism as a way to conform or assimilate to American culture, values, and society to become “civilized”. As a result, Filipinos aimed to become white-passing — restricting themselves from using the Filipino language, stopping their practices of the Filipino culture, and experiencing overall immigrant assimilation to reach the American Dream. Furthermore, skin color developed into a determinant of socioeconomic class and a means for homogenization through colonization (Gonzalez, 2020). Even with the rise of neocolonialism, whiteness still has more power in the entertainment industry because of its perceived marketability. (Gonzalez, 2020). Systemic discrimination, therefore, is continually normalized, obscuring the internalized racism and colorism in the country (Madarang, 2018). Additionally, as women, these morenas already experience microaggression and misogyny in the workforce and discrimination from their potential partners’ families. Since they do not fit the ideal beauty, they lack the feminine characteristics associated with it, making them less desirable and valued.
Conclusion
The explicit portrayals, implicit messages, and ideas further the hegemonic ideas of Eurocentric features and whiteness as desirable. These representations continue to reinforce the existing power structure and class hierarchies affecting the Morenas’ perceived socioeconomic status.
After repeatedly hearing the remarks and stereotypes directed at myself and the Morena community at a young age, I was pressured to accept their ideologies; a few years later, I started to agree with them, which I thought was under my own free will. However, looking at it now from a more encompassing and critical lens, I realized that my own will was merely rooted in our country’s colonial history and how it has shaped my community, friends, and family’s perception, as well as mine. I have experienced the ambivalence of the morena experience, from being subject to the colonial powers’ pre-existing hegemonies and resulting intersectionality of feminism, yet empowered by our unique cultural identity and characteristics. Being a Morena has been clearer to me now than ever, as I embody my womanhood through the strength and resilience in challenging these dogmas about the color of my skin, the curls of my hair, and the nativeness of my facial features. The complexities of being a Morena say so much about why we should not just be reduced to stereotypes that dictate our capabilities, identities, and roles.
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