Othering and ethnicity

國

立 政 治 大 學

‧

N a

tio na

l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y

still have another ingredient that won't feel so uncomfortable. but some white products will have side effects then I will try another product" (P11).

She first became aware of the skin whitening phenomenon when a classmate in college advised her to buy a particular product. P11 started using skin whitening products from the age of nineteen to date. "The first time maybe it's from my college because of my classmate she recommends a product to make my skin white. She thinks I should use this and I will be more attractive" (P11). The connection between skin color and class status still exists in Taiwanese society. So much so that it may have some of its people othering themselves from the community.

In Taiwan, lighter skin tones are preferred. This was apparent as many participants expressed their desire to maintain a whiter complexion to see themselves as a respected member of society.

4.2 Othering and ethnicity

Taiwanese aborigines, for instance, have for generations been treated as second-class citizens, limiting their social mobility. An aboriginal interviewee discussed her experiences issues that can be faced if you are of a darker skin tone in the Taiwanese society. Here in the following quotation, the participant talks about the different experience she had in comparison to her much lighter sister who is lighter in skin tone. “My sister is a light-skin. We are all aboriginal, but she is light-skinned she is super white (P4).

P4 is a Taiwanese aborigine. For generations, her ethnic group has been treated as second-class citizens, limiting their social mobility. An aboriginal Taiwanese with a very dark in comparison to other Taiwanese groups. P4 discusses her experiences of the different issues she faced as a darker skin toned woman in the Taiwanese society. The next quotation showcases what

‧

a participant associated with being white in the Taiwanese culture. “ whiter skin will put me in the position to have more social status."

As twenty-five years aboriginal from south Pindon Bai wan, P4 grew up darker than many in Taiwanese and with the skin whitening phenomenon. P4 dealt with being an outcast for most of her life. She does not have many Taiwanese friends, as many Taiwanese people usually thought she was a foreigner. P4 used her sister as an example to showcase the difference between her sister and herself. She mentions that her sister has a white, fair complexion and has many Taiwanese friends. P4 dealt with being an outcast for most of her life. Like many of the participants, P4's mother would warn her about staying away from the sun. P4's mother put exclusive remedies on her skin to prevent her from darkening. P4 states "We are all aboriginals, but she is light-skinned she is super white.

The aboriginal issues date back to the 1940s; a time when the Chinese nationalist expansion subjected aborigines to cruel treatment and punishments. Their rights were taken away as well as centuries-old aboriginal ancestral lands were the aborigine communities' primary source of income till date (Munsterhjelus, 2002). The aboriginals are still more likely to be unemployed, hold lower-paying riskier jobs, and are less likely to graduate from college. The aboriginal participants showcased this as a prevalent issue (munsterhjelus, 2002). P4 discussed her constant fear of not finding employment due to the color of her skin. "In the beginning, when I was looking for a job I was worried that my boss doesn't like dark skin girls because my boss is Taiwanese and I think 90% of the Taiwanese still want the light skin girls" (P4).

“Othering,” refers to the action by which an individual or group becomes mentally classified in somebody’s mind as “not one of us.” Othering is a discourse that the participants used

‧

to construct their explanation of questions continually (Purvis and Hunt, 2014). Noticeable participants whether intentionally or not “othered” themselves from the different Taiwanese ethnicity groups and especially about the aboriginals. This was visible with words like “them”

“they” “us.” In that quotation, the use of “they” is the perfect example to showcase how an individual becomes mentally classified in somebody’s mind as not one of them. When participants were asked what their thoughts were regarding how skin colors may vary across the different ethnic groups. A participant stated that most Taiwanese would, of course, care about their skin tone with aboriginals being an exception. Another quotation provided by another interviewee once again showcased the language of othering that many had through the different interviews. Except for aboriginal people, the word "they" "them" was used a lot by other Taiwanese when referring to the indigenous group. Again, note the keywords "they" "we" when referring to the members of the Taiwanese ethnic group.

These examples show how that in the current Taiwanese society, there may still be a big embracement that whiter skin is more beautiful. So much that many may have subconsciously disassociated themselves from all things that do not follow an individual perception of centuries old narratives. A different narrative of people within the Taiwanese society, which helps to set a clear pattern of the way that the Taiwanese participants perceive whiten already black.

When referring to other ethnical groups other than themselves, the aboriginal participant stated that she did not usually socialize with Taiwanese people. Many Taiwanese people perceived her differently due to how dark she is. It’s vital to highlight that it is not racial discrimination the participant feels, interestingly se understood that Taiwanese people are usually more comfortable with other Taiwanese due to the language barriers, etc. she is generally placed in the category of

‧

" (P4).