It’s a fine line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, a delicate situation, sparking vicious debates up to many contrasting opinions and perspectives. The technical definition of cultural appropriation, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.”

“An eye for an eye, and the whole world may go blind” These words echo in the annals of India’s colonial history, one of frivolous religious wars and self determined sovereignty. However the man who uttered these words, the man who is credited as the “Father of the Indian Nation,” who is worshipped, may have left the world blind to his own evils.

Stereotypes have always surrounded the community of young Asian women. One image, in particular, showed us as weak, and submissive to the world.

The fundamental concern in civilization can be simply entrenched in the double standards enforced upon women by societal standards. The conviction that pride is paralleled to chastity must be eradicated. Some women are empowered by nakedness and others by modesty.

Strong women have become a brand. It’s emblazoned on t-shirts, pens, keychains, and wine glasses. Millenial women put it in their hashtags on Instagram. But what makes a woman strong? A blend of misogyny and the lack of a proper sex education uphold the stereotype of women being physically weak.

In this paper, Aishah Khan explores the history and culture behind skin whitening.

Skin-whitening is an age-old phenomenon which has been adopted by white women as well as women of colour as early as 1600 in Japan (Ashikari, 89, 2005) and 1889 in the United States (Mire, par.2, 2005). It is a practise which incites controversy, not only because it is questionable that women across ethnicities wish to appear white and consume these products, but there are also serious health risks that arise due to the use of skin-whitening products…