Whitewashing

Whitewashing in beauty is a phenomenon at the intersection of the fashion industry, digital photography, mass media, marketing and advertising. It describes a situation in which the skin tone of non-white people is digitally retouched or physically modified to appear whiter. Whitewashing can also present itself in the alteration of hair texture to resemble Eurocentric beauty ideals of straight hair. Whitewashing can be seen in the form of skin whitening, either digitally or with harmful skin bleaching products, or by chemically relaxing textured hair to make it conform to Eurocentric beauty standards. Additionally, plastic surgery can be used to alter features to make them seem more European, such as double eyelid surgery. Whitewashing can also be seen when a film or television series based on a book or other precedent decides to rewrite a non-white role as white and use a white actor to play the role. This is not to be confused with blackface, which is when a person who is not Black attempts to portray a darker skin tone with makeup or digital editing. This type of whitewashing is most common in the film industry and has been an issue since the beginning of Hollywood. More people of color are being represented in the industry as of late, but whitewashing remains a prevalent issue that can affect the self-image of young children whose races have been marginalized in film.