3. You look exotic (dark skinned), you should marry a foreigner.

Even if you’re just being nice by saying, “hey, you look pretty for a (dark) Filipina,” that’s just sick. Our skin color or the way we look shouldn’t be the sole basis for our attractiveness. This is racist at best. As Filipinas, our natural brown skin, petite physique and black hair may set us apart from other races, but that doesn’t mean we’re above or below the “normal” standard of beauty. I mean, there’s no such thing. Exotic may very well describe plants, animals and places, but never people of color.

Because not all Filipinas are dark, those who are become objects of ridicule and suspicion especially when they date white foreigners. While it’s normal for Filipinos to become physically attracted to foreigners, particularly Caucasians, and vice versa, still marrying a foreigner isn’t always the best and only mating option for a dark skinned Filipina.

When you start labeling us as exotic, that could mean two things – you love or hate us for being different. Either way, it’s dehumanizing and has negative socio-cultural impacts. It’s never a nice thing to say to a Filipina that she’s exotic, pointing out how strangely different she looks from the women back home.

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