Masculinization of Women of Color
A woman has been constantly defined by the pigment of her skin, whether too light or too dark. The length of her locks, whether too short and “boyish” or too long and “girlish.” In general, women of color have been thrust into a society in which they cannot adhere to the prominent Eurocentric beauty standards; they are also surrounded by media that portray the subconscious knowledge that women of color will never be the priority because they are rarely seen as women. This specifically applies to Black and South Asian women as they share one main commonality: hypermasculinization. The lingering frames of Mitski’s “Your Best American Girl” are a clear exhibition of this as they display the token “American girl” with the token “American boy” with the woman of color nowhere to be found within the frame because she isn’t “even a star.” Society has pushed the belief that women of color are far from women with the features that make them so uniquely and distinctly beautiful, and it is a grappling issue.
This masculinization can be seen through specific women in society today, mainly Black women: Megan Thee Stallion has been fabricated with labels of “liar” and “aggressor” upon her accusation of a violent encounter with Tory Lanez. Star tennis player Serena Williams has been accused of her inherent “masculinity” and that she is not feminine enough when in reality, she is powerful and has the ability to compete against anyone. Arana Blake, a star writer for Nubian Message, describes that many of these accusatory claims stem from the belief that African women hold higher levels of naturally occurring testosterone; however, there is a significant lack of evidence to be held as support for this. Blake goes on to explain these claims stem from the fact that mainly African women are sex tested by athletic officials, with anti-Black feminism and Black transmisogyny rule created by the World Athletics Association. Ultimately, darker-skinned women have been the constant target of demonization and viewed as too masculine for their natural features that they hold no control over. Additionally, with harmful stereotypes implemented by pop culture, film, TV, etc., Black women are claimed to be aggressive and competitive, qualities frowned upon by society because white men have continuously run them through legislation and expectations, and these explicitly racist and misogynistic views have been glued stuck.
Furthermore, this emphasis on a predominately white system has shaped much of this occurrence toward women of color. Palestinian-American journalist Edward Saïd’s ideas of orientalism state that women of color possess a collective body that exists for another’s pleasure and that through this white system, women of color have been reduced to something less than the human they are. Women of color have been reduced to an aid or asset to the development of a white narrative. Sophia Barreto, a Trinity News writer, describes that through this, the concept of a woman of color within an apparent feminine role sparks outrage in society. Claims along the lines of the belief that women of color don’t hold power to be innocent or sweet like white, feminine characters fly around, and in its place comes the domineering, everlasting, harmful claim that the idea of a woman of color should stick to its originality; that Black women are aggressive, Asian women are merely an object of seduction, and that Hispanic or Latina women are dominating and wild. Society rushes in to falsely correct that possibility of women of color breaking past the picture they have been forcibly hammered into with the idea that they are placeholders, that they lack genuine love and connection as it is a far too white feature.
Women of color are more than the careless colors that are painted over them. They are the exhibition of centuries of fighting and acceptance, and although this is no just world, women of color must embrace the beauty they undoubtedly have. Although once we had not accepted how our mother raised us, it is time that we finally do.