My Experience Of Internal Racism In The South Asian Community

Harleen talks about her experience of racism within the South Asian community.
Description: India has a longstanding obsession with fair skin which has led to some toxic attitudes towards one another. Harleen explores her experiences with internal racism within the South Asian community.
Video by Harleen Nottay.
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[@olla975]

This internal racism in the south Asian community will only change if social media influencers of the south Asian community stop making videos glamorising the notion of having fair skin There has been a recent video is based on a theme call “ethnicity tag” Some influencers of Asian community may be mistaken from a European country as they have light skin, and then make a video naming the countries and then end the end, they will reveal their actual ethnicity How ever you will never see a south Asian influencers making a video, if they were told they were from a country where people are mainly dark skinned 🤔 If these influencers just the think and reflect their post and videos they make, this will have a massive impact

[@mannybudhu3905]

How is this racism, ?, which race are Indians racist towards, Black women want straight hair, I don't see another Black women attack them for being racist.

[@tudormiller8898]

Definitely! Dark skinned British Asian women I date often talk about the issues regarding colourism within South Asian communities here in the UK, and the pressures from family and friends to use skin whitening creams, or wear light coloured contact lenses.

[@mannybudhu3905]

@@tudormiller8898 But how is this racism ?????, if Indian prefer light skin its colourism not racism, how come white women/men are not accused of Racism when they use tanning lotions, ???????????

[@tudormiller8898]

That’s not only social media influencers. It’s also the whole culture of white worshipping that exists within South Asian communities.

[@indrajeet]

Hahaha, what a simplified way of looking at things- fair skin...🙄 One of the biggest issues the South Asian community in the UK faces is "self racism". The obsession among so many to disconnect from their ancestral culture, racial inferiority complex and the need for white acceptance and approval.

[@ayal9287]

Very well articulated and thank you for speaking. I know a girl called who spoke about racism she experienced as a Pakistani Scottish person on the social around the time of the 2021 Euros but if I’m honest her video came across as if she was making it more about her than the actual problem with racism. Your video is much better articulated so thank you.

[@ArunKapur03]

Wise words and insight! We need to certainly open up conversations and narratives!

[@bbcthesocial]

Thanks for your comment, Arun. Glad you liked the video!

[@ArunKapur03]

@@bbcthesocial Most welcome! It's very much a important and relevant topic that needs to be spoken loudly about! I've got my own stories, we have to all be voices x

[@maxhammer4067]

Iv always wondered if it ever got any better, when I was at uni I dated a Indian girl hindu, and we faced racism all the time of groups of indians all the time, when her family found out all hell broke loose, I was put in hospital, 9 stitches in my head fractured jaw, police refuse to investigate any future due to racial sensitivity

[@adetolaayodele3425]

The experience you had to endure is profoundly horrendous. All because you found love? All round terrible.

[@tudormiller8898]

As a young British black guy from London who dates Desi women, I regularly experience racism and colourism from within South Asian communities. It’s something the South Asian community has to discuss openly and deal with rather than brushing it under the carpet.

[@mannybudhu3905]

Indians marriages form bond with other families, even within Indian culture "classism" is a big thing, even Indians have a hard time dating other Indians. Outsiders have much less of a chance. Jews exhibit the same types of norms. I don't believe it "racism" per se, as In India dating is only a recent phenomenon.

[@tudormiller8898]

@@mannybudhu3905 Outsiders have less of a chance unless they have white skin.

[@tudormiller8898]

@@mannybudhu3905 What do you mean by dating is a recent phenomenon ? Indians dating non Indians ?

[@tudormiller8898]

@Antares I've dated a few British born Desi women from across London. All different religions and skin tones.

[@mannybudhu3905]

@@tudormiller8898 Indian culture is conservative, girls are marry off at an early age, most times without knowing their mate. Only recently Indians start dating like in the West. That is their culture, their way of life. Who I am to judge. Why do foreigners judge others in their light ????

[@lightshade3321]

Dark is beautiful don't forget it!

[@AbdulKhader-786]

so is light

[@NortheastNomad]

I really liked this, you make great points and bring up the struggle that we have all experienced or witnessed in the brown culture. This is excellent and I hope that this shines the light on the internal racism that is so upsetting in South Asia and helps us all understand. Love from 🇺🇸

[@Aryanbloggs]

What about the racism from Indian females that only date white men?? Thats also racism.

[@supersagarsagar]

BBC is actually promoting that Because they love Indian woman but hate indian men

[@gravityclarity]

It's funny and sad how Indian men get upset because Indian women date white men--meanwhile, Indian men have "preferences" for light skinned women.🤦🏽‍♀️ You don't like the taste of your own medicine!

[@ahsanurr4219]

True fact

[@Goldenfly737]

Indian males do that too

[@Aryanbloggs]

@@Goldenfly737 Indian men dont rub it in...

[@arricammarques1955]

Its not the color of your skin, its character that rises above such ignorance.

[@tudormiller8898]

If only many people within the south Asian communities felt like that.

[@jamcho6224]

Some people have to be physically pawned along the way.

[@moose5996]

It's mainly a caste thing, and where they come from back home, which doesn't make sense. That was back home, why does it affect us here in the UK?

[@tudormiller8898]

Ummm! Because south Asian communities still adhere to the old influences of the caste system back in South Asia. Even second, third generation south Asian families born here continue to follow this dreadful historical bullshit in 2021.

[@moose5996]

@@tudormiller8898 it's unfortunate, hopefully it changes with our generation. I reckon it will

[@pwirusb940]

@@moose5996 nah I don’t think it will change in this generation. It will probably start to change 3,4 generations down the line. It’s so badly injected into us. it’s gonna take time

[@moose5996]

@@pwirusb940 well peak times for us then I guess 😐

[@Eddieteddy965]

Parents’ influence. Mostly positive, but Often excessive, suffocating, even toxic.

[@ColonelFluffles]

Honestly if I focus on the numbers, Amongst south Asian people, I've seen more dark skinned beautiful women compared to the lighter brown ones.

[@rainwalker2254]

It makes more sense to say that those who were born with dark skin were automatically seen as lower class, so were consigned to outdoor labor, not that dark skin from the sun, per se, is the reason they were held to a lower class

[@goodthinkingtv]

You should put the individual creator's details in the description box.

[@Rebeccm8eawhita]

Harleen kaur is a model from Scotland and was a contestant in Britain Next top model 2012

[@hornybodhisattva]

It’s classism n the cast system

[@sassykulturesurridge5885]

Thank you.. For bringing this up.

[@jadalba9760]

This happens in the Phillipines with whitening products everywhere and the rise of Korean/Japanese culture in popularity.

[@scottishbanjo]

This is kind of small potatoes when we look at anti Muslim bias thats happening now in India

[@imranqqq7307]

This is a class issue. First criticize Indian women for preferring rich men to poor men, and then make this video.

[@BrianDonato]

Appreciate the video - internalized racism is a serious problem. I go deep into it + self-hatred in general in the last video on my channel as well. I hope videos like ours get people to think deeper & more productive. Just subscribed to your channel also - Keep up the meaningful content

[@SiamHossain-pu7ln]

Makeup disappointed her too 😞😞😞😞

[@gigismall7982]

Exactly!

[@sunnycriti9809]

Love Yourself

[@ninipaloma3171]

Thank you. You are beautiful inside and out.

[@KaitoSan777]

I am 24year old man I already decided to marry a brown girl in the future if ever got one.😂😂 Never dated never proposed anyone. I don't know why brown girls attract me.

[@abdulmahmood8592]

Wow you are pretty

[@thehoneyeffect]

#Colourism and racism are not the same thing

[@shantesummers5775]

Tell the folks in the workplace who forget what they look like!!

[@ggbooy8395]

White is not always right. I actually love dark skinned Asians.

[@natanity2551]

The sorceress Diablo 2

[@humble_integrity]

do i hear a irish accent?

[@moose5996]

Scottish

[@AtheistOrphan]

What? She couldn’t sound more Scottish if she tried!

[@antionygrilmady9044]

Attraction is a attraction you can not change it

[@mr.dakamd5444]

Indian Goddess!

[@VNavale]

This is BBC's social agenda. I'm South Indian and very dark but have not had any issues with other Indians who are lighter with regard to colour of my skin but have been discriminated by whites many times although things are getting better with time. Indians form a tiny minority in the UK and I've not seen anyone coming to harm by whatever prejudices they have. The issue facing blacks and other minorities in UK is not prejudiced Indians. Indian women yearning for lighter skin is not racism, white women who want to be tanned are not liberal.

[@gm836]

You aren’t even dark.

[@SASMADBRUV7]

You're clearly blind to this. India especially has a very large obsession with fair skin and there is definitely internalised racism there.

[@joycee3556]

@vidyadhar , there is surely internalised racism in India more than any other country,If you have ever experienced castism you can clearly understand how worst it is compared to racism

[@mannybudhu3905]

Correct, you don't see Black woman attack other Black women for wanting straight hair. She claim Indians are racists, show me which race they racist towards ?????????. More Indian face racism from Blacks, yet I don't see Blacks discussing their "internal racism".

[@tudormiller8898]

Well you must be in the minority. I’m non British Asian, I date British Asian women, all dark skinned, and they’ve all experienced colourism from light skinned South Asian women and men, family, friends, work colleagues and strangers. Hardly any racism or colourism from white, British or Irish people.

[@user-zv8js6wt2y]

Please and kindly title the video "indian community", don't say "asian".

[@zangfai226]

the title says south asian and we are south asian,,as a whole we are asian too

[@user-zv8js6wt2y]

@@zangfai226 No such thing as "south asian". A b.s term created to mean "indian". No such ethnicity as "south asian".

[@Eddieteddy965]

South Asia is made of at least 6 different countries. In the UK, all of these fall under the South Asian umbrella, as their identities and cultures are recognised (and celebrated). India is one of them. Unless this issue is exclusive to British Indians, then the convention is to use the wider geographic term - South Asia.

[@whatevsss7502]

@@user-zv8js6wt2y y'all never went to school? India is in Asia-

[@user-zv8js6wt2y]

@@whatevsss7502 Actually its you who never went to school, because what school teaches you is that you can't speak for other people. Caste system, persecution of dalits, color based self loathing, rape culture, gendercide, fetuscide, female infanticide and that psychological disorder known as hindu nationalism, are all indian ills, not "south asian" ills. Don't pawn your negative attributes onto others.

[@Mickster71]

He wasn't brutally murdered. Maybe Your the racist?

[@frog5104]

Lol 😂wtf cares?