Colorism is a type of discrimination that affects ALL people despite racial categorization. Many believe that this term is exclusive to the black community and the dark-skin/light-skin ‘debate’ that is found in many communities. However, as displayed in the film and as examined in cultures that range from Asian to ethnic whites, displaying darker pigments (of any amount) automatically puts you in a socially inferior pool.
The film, Aferim!, is about Romanian – Gypsy racial conflicts; who is a slave and who isn’t (or who is perceived not to be) is based on a conversation surrounding blackness. The Gypsy’s were often referred to as darker, while the Romanians were whiter. The way that Costandin (the law enforcer of the town) was able to ‘bully’ people/ find the slave was based on how dark the people around him were, regardless of actual identity – If the person was darker, they were violently questioned.
Aferim is a term that connotes a job well done – a literal ‘Bravo!’…This term is exclusively held for the white men from the white men. These legacies of slavery are seen in all cultures and affect the whole world in ways that are beyond the time frame of the movie.
Wow, what an incredible topic for a movie! I think this is certainly a subject that people tend to ignore. I actually have some pretty strong feeling about “blackness” being correlated to lower social standing because I’m from southern India, where most people have darker skin than those in the North. Ever since I’ve been at college, I’ve been “complemented” on how relatively light my skin is for a Southern Indian. I know that nobody really means to uphold stereotypes with such comments, but it does bother me. My dad is pretty dark-skinned, but he is the one person who has given me every opportunity that I’ve had–he’s done so much for me, and the fact that he is perceived as “socially lower” than I am just because of the pigmentation of his skin makes me so sad.
I don’t mean to go on a rant (not sure if you can tell, but I’m pretty passionate), but even Disney movies uphold the light skin/dark skin stereotype. I’m not talking just about The Lion King (and Scar), but even Aladdin. Aladdin’s skin gets lighter over the course of the movie, so as a peasant, he is of lower social standing and has dark skin. But once he wins the heart of the princess his skin tone lightens, as he is now a prince. It’s ungrounded and unnecessary–we, as a society, really do need to move past “blackness” stereotypes.