Many Asian Americans who have double eye lid surgery say they didn’t do it to look more white (Pictures L-R: Before & After blepharoplasty procedure).
But a story on NPR by Kat Chow seems to indicate that at least the decision has a lot to do with race.
Chow talked to an Asian American women who had the surgery.
“I was made fun of a lot for my small eyes … and I didn’t really like how I looked,” said Ye-Kyung Song who had the surgery when she was 17. “And I always thought, well, if I didn’t have these small eyes, maybe then I would like myself better.”
Dr. Robert Flowers who’s credited with popularizing the surgery defends those Asians who have had the procedure.
“The general idea then — and I keep hearing it even today — was that Asians who have facial and eyelid surgery want to ‘Westernize,’ ” says Flowers. “And that’s even what Asian plastic surgeons thought they were doing then as well. But that’s not what Asians want. They want to be beautiful Asians.”
What does it mean to be a beautiful Asian when you’re de-emphasizing those Asian features?
I’m likely interpreting these interviews through my own biased lens. How do you interpret them and what are your thoughts on this subject? You can both read and listen to Chow’s story on NPR.
