Assumptions of Asian Beauty (Asian/Asian American Issues)

I know I said I'd be away but just wanted to post today (hey, it's the beginning of the semester, so I'm not super crazy-busy yet!)

I was just on a forum, and someone basically posted 'why do asians try to look non-asian/caucasian: getting surgury on their eyelids, coloring their hair, and bleaching their skin'. That post kind of annoyed me, because a lot of people assume that just because an Asian person colors their hair or has the double lids or has light skin or who don't have perfectly straight hair is trying to look caucasian. True, some people may be trying to, but just because a person looks a certain way or chooses to alter their appearance does not neccessary mean that they hate the way they look and are trying to look like someone else.

As many of you know, I am of Asian descent: Chinese-American actually, meaning my family is originally from China, but I am an American (another assumption a lot people make is that people of Asian descent can't be Americans as well. I guess that they don't know that it was a Chinese-American who won the right in the late 1800s that that if you're born on U.S. land, you are an American citizen. But that is a post for another day).

Growing up I had very, very dark brown almost black hair (not true black), and it's only been within the last few years it's been true black (since I've started using natural cosmetics. I don't know if it's because natural cosmetics don't dry my hair as much, or that I just don't spend as much time in the sun or what; anyways it's black now). Also I was born with curly hair, which straightened out as I grew up. Nowadays I prefer my natural hair color, but in college (eight years ago) I did dye red hairlights in my hair twice, because I thought it was pretty and interesting.

I was born with double lids, similar to everyone else in my family (both my dad's and mom's side). Many people don't know this, but actually about 25% of Asians naturally have double lids.

I have light-medium skin; not as pale as some Asians are, but not as dark as others, but I can get pretty light in the winter time.

Unlike what some people assume, I am not trying to look caucasian, it's just the way I look/was born. I am proud of my Chinese heritage! I just wish some people didn't assume so much about other people.