Let's begin by defining the word "morena". In my country which is the Philippines, morena (or moreno) is used to describe a person with brown skin. The term is likely derived from the Spanish word "moreno," which means "brown or brunette."
To have brown skin is a very common skin color in the Philippines. And I am one of the Filipinas born to have a natural morena skin.
However, having a brown skin color has cons growing up because I get bullied or get some negative side comments from time to time. Well, I didn't remember getting bullied intensely like others because maybe there were browner than me in a room. But getting bullied is still getting bullied. There's no way in between.
"Ang itim mo."
"Pag magswi-swimming tayo, maitim na, iitim ka pa lalo."
Growing up, most of the comments about my skin color were mostly negative. Walang papuri. Walang nagsasabi na "ang ganda ng kutis mo, pwede pang model, pwede pang artista", alam nyo yun, mga papuri sa mga mapuputi. Haha.
As far as I remembered, since I was in elementary, I have somehow already started to use skin whitening soap like 'Silka', because it is what I've seen from my other distant cousins who used to live in our house. Some of them have brown skin and they use those kinds of soaps to whiten their skin.
And so growing up, that's what I thought to be just a normal thing.
That's why, when I go with my Mama to buy some groceries, I sneaked in a whitening soap. Sometimes, I also buy it with my own money from my allowance. That's how I've been when I was elementary until high school.
Did my skin whiten because of those products? No.
What I mostly get from it was it makes my skin SO freakin' dry and itchy (especially during wet seasons) to the point that I need to put on lotion to mend it.
So we've come to the exciting part. Haha.
I think it was in late high school or senior high school when things have changed... and it's mostly thanks to the people on the internet.
During those times, I somehow started getting into watching YouTube videos.
As far as I can remember, I get into the algorithm of travel videos because I really love the idea of traveling. And so I met "Avelovinit", a Filipina travel vlogger. I like the way she travels because back then, she mostly traveled solo and within just a budget. Relatable and pang-masa sya. Ganern. Di ako maka-relate sa mga luxury travelers eh. Hahaha. She also has good humor. And for me, as a mere viewer, she's a representation of me because we have the same skin color. 🥺 (I am teary-eyed while typing this because I somehow remembered the days when I was so insecure about my brown skin color.)
So by watching her videos, she mentions from time to time about her skin color. That she was also insecure because of it but when she travels, she realized that her skin is actually beautiful because the foreigners appreciate it.
I think it was from then on that I realized Filipinos have this colonial mentality that our beauty standard should be fair skin. Well, in fact, our natural skin color is brown. And there's nothing wrong with it.
If foreigners can appreciate brown skin color? Why can't Filipinos do the same?
After Avelovinit, I discovered "Ayn Bernos", she's an advocate for colorism and I guess some of the Filipino readers already knew her because she joined Miss Universe Philippines 2021.
After Avelovinit and Ayn Bernos, I then also discovered Angely Dub, the CEO of Access Travel who is also a proud morena.
Related article: Woman I Look Up To: CEO who has Traveled the 7 Continents, Angely Dub
So, ever since around late high school to senior high school, I stopped using any whitening products and I learned to love my morena skin. 🤎
And I owe this confidence I have now to the people I discovered on the internet. Not on the people I personally know. Because most of the people that I personally socialized with, make me feel that there's something wrong with my skin color well, in fact, my brown skin is beautiful.
Closing Thoughts
Representation matters.
I am so thankful for the public figures that I discovered online who have empowered and still keep on empowering other fellow morenas and morenos. 🤎
I have a younger cousin and a very young niece who also has a natural brown skin and if ever there's a chance I could advise them, I will tell them to never ever use any whitening products because it's not at all effective. Our natural skin color will just keep on coming back. Been there, done that. I will empower them as well. Tell them that our natural skin color is beautiful, not a flaw, not an imperfection, and whatnot.
To anyone who is also a morena or moreno, I will repeat this once again... our skin color is SO beautiful. 🤎
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I write things that spike my interest such as finance, investing, kdrama, kpop, architecture, my learnings, and misadventures.
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Date Published: June 13, 2022
Sadly, pinoy mentality when it comes to skin colors are still influenced by the western culture... Pagmaputi, maganda. That is not always the case. Besides, ang totoong balat nating mga pinoy (at pinay) ay kayumangi. Moreno, at morena. Para sa akin, mas lumalabas ang tunay na ganda kapag morena...