Pretty Normal Colors--Chloe

It sounds weird to say, but I had a major culture shock when I first came to California. It wasn’t because of anything you would usually associate with it. Instead, it’s something easy to take for granted when you grow up so used to seeing it everywhere: the diversity. It has developed my new norm: color.

The edge of Orlando, Florida isn’t very diverse. The southwestern edge is swallowed by amusement parks and hotels to accommodate mass numbers of summer tourists. But, only 30 minutes away is a small suburb where kids ran around the orange trees and splashed in the lakes. Everyone one was fair-skinned or pale, whichever word you chose, it means the same. European, Latin, Arab, Inter-state immigration, although diverse, everyone followed the same color scheme. The norm there was fair-skin. Being darker than the “golden-Miami tan” was strange. Any shade of brown skin stood out. So why let yourself get dark? Being as pale as possible seemed not only the prettiest thing to do but the normal thing to do.

The bustling city center of Davao, Philippines knows 4 colors: white skin of foreign families, pale skin of beauty ads, tanned skin of natives, and dark skin of foreign students. Giant posters decorate the Pan-Philippine Highway promoting the latest skin whitening creams and growth shakes for kids. My mom always told me that if I stay pale, I won’t need to buy them. I won’t lie, I’ve used whitening products before. I can’t blame my mom for her opinions. This is where she grew up. The beauty aisle is full of endless whitening ingredients, attracting every type of girl. So why let yourself get dark? Being as pale as possible seemed not only the normal thing to do but the prettiest thing to do.

The large suburbs of Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga, California have every color imaginable from palest whites to the darkest darks. Southern California is filled with the dream

of becoming famous. Models from every race. Minority actors moving up to gain more exposure. Most importantly, the people here openly express their happiness of seeing their race represented. Never in my life have I ever seen so much color in one place. Who cares how dark you are? Every color is accounted for, no color is normal, but no color is the prettiest.

Individual experience is what truly defines the norm. My norm was pale skin, everyone around me had it or they wanted to. I spent my time trying to fit into that. I did. My success was only driven out how fast I tanned, but there was always a way around that. My mindset was always surrounded by the “don’t get too dark.” Landing in California, I was shocked to see so many see so much tanned skin in a suburb. From my own experiences, skin tone diversity only existed in the downtowns of big cities. I never thought it was possible in America. Most of my domestic travels out of Florida have been to visit family in majority-white neighborhoods in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Colorado. It was unreal to 10-year-old me. In my head, America was a “melting pot” of lighter skin tones, diversity was something only in the big cities. Now, my norm has evolved to be tanner to match what I’ve been exposed to.