Moreno Skin,
Whitewashed Minds

A visual portrayal reflecting on colorism and the influence of Eurocentric beauty standards often reinforced through television, film, skin products, and at times within Filipino family dynamics.

While reflecting on experiences growing up as a Filipina woman, messages about weight and skin tone, paired with the limited representation of morena women in commercial media during my years working in advertising, created an ongoing tension around body image and belonging.

Colonial histories have long associated lighter skin with greater access to social, economic, educational, and health privileges, shaping how beauty and worth are often perceived.

The figure in the artwork offers a quiet opo (a gesture of respect toward elders) while also reflecting the expectations of deference and harmony that can shape patriarchal family dynamics and the roles often placed on Asian American women.