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Racial Transformation
May. 23rd, 2013 04:14 pmWhen Does Plastic Surgery Become Racial Transformation?
This article, about a young man who underwent surgery to look less Asian, is kind of fascinating. For one, I'm not sure what I was thinking he'd look like, but seeing the pictures my first thought was "actually, he looks kind of bi-racial." But also it's interesting to me because I've been told many times since moving here that I don't look that Asian, and it's weird watching people react when I say "that was intentional." (I switched to a different haircut and found I was having less trouble with racist jerks, so I keep getting similar haircuts; I still am pretty clear about my bi-raciality when it comes up.) I scanned the comments and they're all about how sad it is, but do people think that about hair dye? Cosmetics? My hair cut? Weight loss? I don't know that I find it that sad; it's kind of neat that he figured out what would make him happier in his own skin and was able to afford it, and he seems pretty honest with himself about why he's doing it.
And... I don't know, I have some complex thoughts about the whole thing but I just wanted to post the link even though I don't feel like writing an essay to go with it.
This article, about a young man who underwent surgery to look less Asian, is kind of fascinating. For one, I'm not sure what I was thinking he'd look like, but seeing the pictures my first thought was "actually, he looks kind of bi-racial." But also it's interesting to me because I've been told many times since moving here that I don't look that Asian, and it's weird watching people react when I say "that was intentional." (I switched to a different haircut and found I was having less trouble with racist jerks, so I keep getting similar haircuts; I still am pretty clear about my bi-raciality when it comes up.) I scanned the comments and they're all about how sad it is, but do people think that about hair dye? Cosmetics? My hair cut? Weight loss? I don't know that I find it that sad; it's kind of neat that he figured out what would make him happier in his own skin and was able to afford it, and he seems pretty honest with himself about why he's doing it.
And... I don't know, I have some complex thoughts about the whole thing but I just wanted to post the link even though I don't feel like writing an essay to go with it.