As an ex colony i do wonder why we give other nationalities such a hard time
We?
We weren't a colony.
Having workied in multicultural organisations all my life, here are some examples from daily life in the office - the Turk wont speak to the Greek cypriot; the Indians have caste issues, Northern and Southern Irish wont speak to each other; West Indians wont talk to West Africans, and so forth I found the English talked to every one and there was very little racism from that quarter.
But of course you're talking about the rise of the far right and nationalism. If you've had a poor education, not many opportunities, you look for someone to blame. People like Tommy Robinson, Jaida Fransen, Paul Golding latch onto that, it's so easy to blame someone else for using an opportunity that was denied to you or you cant access.
On the otherhand, its interesting why pale skin is valued through nearly all cultures. It would be good to have an open and frank discussion without someone stuffing non existent words in mouths and making wild assumptions
www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/might-of-white-skin-whitening-cream-pale-colour-lighter-dark-is-beautiful-bollywood-cosmetics-a7910416.html
In India, these were codified in the caste system, the ancient Hindu classification in which birth determined occupation and social stratum. At the top, Brahmins were priests and intellectuals. At the bottom, outcastes were confined to the least-desired jobs, such as latrine cleaners. Bhatia says caste may have been to do with more than occupation: the darker you looked, the lower your place in the social hierarchy.
This preference for fair skin was perpetuated and strongly reinforced by colonialism, not just in India but in dozens of countries where a European power established its dominance. It’s the idea that the ruler is fair-skinned, says Emmanuel. “All around the world, it was a fact that the rich could stay indoors versus the poor who worked outside and were dark-skinned.”
The final wave of influence is modern-day globalisation. “There is an interesting whiteness travelling from the US to malls [in other countries] featuring white models,” Bhatia tells me. “You can trace a line from colonialism, post-colonialism and globalisation.” Western beauty ideals, including fair skin, predominate worldwide. And with these ideals come products to service them.
In Nigeria, 77 per cent of the country’s women use skin-lightening agents, compared with 59 per cent in Togo and 27 per cent in Senegal. But the largest and fastest-growing markets are in the Asia-Pacific region.
In India, a typical supermarket will have a wall of personal care products featuring “whitening” moisturiser or “lightening” body creams from recognisable brands.