The sun petrifies the women of Vietnam and, really, all Southeast Asian members of the gentler sex — torments them, haunts them something fierce.
Why might they behave in this manner in a region that regularly exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime?
I don’t think it’s because they’re vampires — although an expat friend in Penang, Malaysia, once referred to the local Chinese young ladies as “vampires” for reasons aside from a sun phobia, in reference to their reputation for liking money received from older foreign men very much.
It’s also not a religious thing, there being few people of any spiritual persuasion in Vietnam.
If they’re not vampires or Muslim fundamentalists, then what’s up?
It turns out that they don’t want to tan their skin.
“Why?” you might ask.
Western Social Justice™ activists, you’ll not be surprised to learn, chalk it up to European colonialism.
Via Travel Noire (emphasis added):
Colonialism has also left its mark on the beauty standards in Asian countries. Many nations across the continent were once colonized by white powers from the US and Europe. Eventually, their fair skin signified the power and affluence of the colonizers. Even in Japan, which remained uncolonized, noblewomen during the Edo period adopted white makeup to emulate the luxurious image associated with lighter skin. These historical factors continue to shape modern beauty standards in Asia…
The ingrained Eurocentric beauty ideals, stemming from class distinctions and colonialism, continue to influence societal norms in Asia. While the preference for pale skin remains prevalent in many Asian countries, the tide is slowly turning as new standards of beauty gain momentum. The potential for change is palpable. It will take a collective effort to deconstruct these discriminatory beauty norms and foster a society that celebrates inclusivity and the beauty of all skin tones.
This, you’ll be shocked to learn, is lazy pseudo-academic bilge of the most vulgar anti-white, anti-European sort that you expect from any Western sociologist.
Related: Existential Angst in 'Nam (50 Years Late)
Even I, when I first visited the Far East many years ago — although I’d already consciously rejected the racism I was inculcated with during my so-called higher education — subconsciously attributed this phenomenon to anti-Person of Color racism, probably introduced to these formerly pristine Asian nations via evil white colonialism.
Related: The State of Feminism in Southeast Asia
East Asian advertising — on television, on social media, on gigantic billboards and posters plastered all over the place like a NASCAR — is replete with skin-lightening products and services.
It’s not about race, though.
The impetus here is class consciousness.
Via The Diplomat (emphasis added):
There is a deeply rooted cultural norm involved… skin color and beauty. In many societies, and especially in Asia, dark skin has long been associated with working in the fields and, therefore, rural poverty. On the other hand, pale skin is associated with living a more comfortable, cosmopolitan life indoors, out of the sun. Skin color is thus a sign of social class…
This preference for white skin is reinforced via the media: television, magazines, and billboards. Pharmacies stock an array of skin-whitening creams; some even promise to lighten the color of the most intimate body areas, such as nipples or armpits.
