Code Switch

Ask Code Switch: What Does Race Have To Do With Beauty?

Dec 29, 2021
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INSIGHT

Beauty Standards: Fluid, Not Fixed

  • Beauty standards are not fixed; they shift due to cultural and political influences.
  • For example, teeth blackening in Japan was a beauty symbol until Western influence led to its ban.
ANECDOTE

Plastic Surgery and Economic Necessity

  • During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, plastic surgery spiked in South Korea.
  • Resumes with photos led job seekers to see plastic surgery as an economic necessity, not just vanity.
ANECDOTE

Double Eyelid Surgery Origins

  • Double eyelid surgery in Korea traces back to a US military doctor post-Korean War.
  • He aimed to "alleviate suspicious looking eyes," reflecting a racial bias in beauty practices.
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