Things I thought I understood

I thought I understood racism growing up in Nova Scotia with many of my friends parents being immigrants from Aisa & having African Canadian friends & hearing some of their parents & their stories.

Then God asked me to be a missionary in Asia. Koreans wear gloves & spf 100 to keep white b/c it's beautiful they told me. Mongolians who were tanned told me that all they wanted to do was be less tanned. why you ask b/c being less tanned meant that they not be judged as fast & would appear that they were in a higher social class. tanned Mongolians are working class Mongolians & that is not good some told me.

Now I live in Thailand & in most small & big stores I can't find cosmetic (deodorant, aftershave, skin cream, toothpaste, etc...) that does not have whitening/bleaching agents in it b/c in Asia "white is beautiful". I go to every mall here & there are sometimes whole floors of clinics to change almost everything about your body & they always have skin whitening specials.

Many Thai workers & outside labourers here will wear boots/shoes, heavy socks, thick pants/trousers undershirts, long sleeve shirts, hoodie sweaters with the hood up, winter ski masks that only show your eyes & mouth & a large hat while working in +45 Celsius sunny heat. They do this b/c they don't want to tan or get dark. Why? Because white is beautiful here & they usually will be treated differently. It is sooo sad.

They never impose this on foreigners that are not Eastern Asian looking, but say this is just for us, meaning Asians. They are racist to their own kind; Asians, especially Eastern Asians.

"...The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7b

"For you created my inmost being;
 you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
 your works are wonderful,
 I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14