If you’re a person of colour, you’ve likely heard this term before – whitewashed. Whether you refer to yourself as ‘whitewashed,’ called another person of colour ‘whitewashed’ or have been called it yourself, this term is something so easily ingrained into our minds as being okay. But is it really?
Simply put, being ‘whitewashed’ is a term used to describe a person of colour that seems to be less connected with their native culture and ethnicity, and instead identifies more with the culture of the country that they live in. In other words, they are adopting “white people culture” more than their own.
For instance, one of my best friends – a South Asian female – is a Starbucks fiend, loves Taylor Swift, shops at Aritzia, loves her Birkenstocks and embodies the VSCO girl aesthetic. She has been jokingly called whitewashed by some of our friends and others, but it doesn’t really bother her because she knows that she is very in tune with her culture and ethnicity. She can read, write and speak her native language, she enjoys her cultural food, films and music. Not only that, but she can understand a few other languages that are similar to her own.
However, other people might be more affected by being called ‘whitewashed,’ specifically those that are not as confident in their cultural identity.
When I was younger, I used to think that I was ‘whitewashed’ because I couldn’t speak my native language fluently, nor can I read or write it. My parents both speak to my sister and I in a combination of our native language and English which we like to call Hinglish (Hindi and English), and we can understand everything that’s said. We both went to Hindi class, but the teachers were terrible so we never got past the first three letters of the alphabet. Despite not speaking Hindi that well, I still feel very connected to my culture. You could catch me listening to Indian music, watching Indian movies and wearing Indian fashion all day!
When I would call myself ‘whitewashed’ it was often in fear of being called that by someone else. After having conversations with multiple friends of mine who feel the same, I realized that this is a common trend. As I’ve gotten older, I realized that not being fluent in my native language doesn’t make me any less cultured, it just means that my experience with my culture is different than someone else’s. I’m also currently making more of an effort to speak my native language when I get the chance to because I want to for myself and not out of fear of being called ‘whitewashed.’
Overall, I realised that we should be more mindful of what we say to others, because we truly don’t know how it will impact someone else. In some cases, calling someone ‘whitewashed’ diminishes their capabilities as a person of colour. For instance, when someone tells a person of colour that they “sound white,” it implies that a person of colour could not sound intelligent otherwise. Additionally, saying that someone is “basically white” diminishes their experiences as a person of colour – which is not okay.
If you’re an individual that can relate to feeling ‘whitewashed,’ just remember that there isn’t only one determinant in being ‘cultured.’ You’re also allowed to like whatever you like, so don’t let anyone tell you that your interests make you disconnected from your culture. Most importantly, don’t ever feel forced into abandoning your culture because it’s different. Our backgrounds are what make us unique, so stay cultured in whatever way that means to you!