Carving desire

It’s amazing how us in the United States compare and seek the media to define beauty, then we judge on the morality of the situation. We bag on all these celebrities who place themselves in plastic surgery for some boob implants, redoing the nose or liposuction; and these celebrities are not asian. I haven’t seen much of the famous Latin Americans or Asians in the U.S. hitting the tabloids in a negative way as much as the white celebrities. The Latinas or especially Asians have not been as popular to begin with. After reading China’s Cosmetic Surgery, it surprised me to think how a third world country can go so far into being as similar to a foreign country, the Europeans. I learned in History, that the Europeans are dominating, and now I truly believe they have been from the beginning.

I couldn’t believe how popular leg-lengthening is in China! Who knew that in such a big country, a person’s appearance, including men, meant everything; from your job to your marriage. You have to be a certain height in order to be admitted into getting specific jobs, to take a driving test and even to get into law school? I’m so fascinated, amazed and yet so disturbed at the same time. It hurts me to think that this kind of mentality does not seem to be a problem in this country, that it is the rule and no exception. This is part of their oppression that they can’t escape, they have no freedom. This led me to think everyone has this in our world today. Women are still trapped in the oppression of men’s domination, subconsciously. In Afghanistan, Muslim women are to hide their hair, to keep their “Kabul” and hide their identity.

In Asian countries, and not just China, getting eyelid surgery is not a big deal. I know a few “asian” friends who go to Korea in order to get this surgery, because it’s cheaper! It’s cheaper than in the U.S. and that must mean something. It’s as popular and normal in Asia as getting a tattoo in the America. Why do this? To assimilate their eyes to the Europeans, Whites, Western ideals. Everyone is trapped in this desire to be something, someone better.