Bridgerton & Breaking Down Indian Colorism

Television and movies have exploded in terms of representation for minorities, especially for those like me of South Asian background. Never in my childhood would I have dreamed that I would see so many famous South Asian characters on regular, everyday TV! Not only did I not think this was a possibility as a child,…

Role Models for My Daughters: Lupita Nyong’o

“You can’t eat beauty. It doesn’t feed you.” For the latest post in this series, I would like to feature actress Lupita Nyong’o. She is of Kenyan decent, but her Mexican name is a product of her birth in Mexico (Lupita is a shorter version of Guadalupe). She was raised in Kenya and studied in the…

For the first time ever, Miss America matters to me

Since Monday morning, I have been taking in the positive and negative feedback towards Nina Davuluri’s winning of the 2014 Miss America crown and $50,000 scholarship. Ms. Davuluri is the first Indian American (not to be confused with American Indian, aka Native American) woman to win the title of her state, New York, and the…

Beauty and the Marketing Beast: Why I Can’t Love Dove

Many of us have seen Dove’s latest ad campaign as it makes its way around social media sites. Upon initial viewing, my first reaction was, “Wow!” They make a great point about how women view themselves, downplay themselves, and perhaps even emotionally handicap themselves when it comes to their physical appearance. I saw the reactions…