UF sociology senior Gigi Bermudez said there are standards that define how Americans see beauty: blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin and a slim figure.
Bermudez, 22, is a student ambassador for UF Hispanic-Latino Affairs. She said most minority women grow up struggling to see themselves as beautiful because they do not meet certain standards.
Because of this, Bermudez said she’s helping plan "Women’s Empower Hour: Eurocentric Beauty Standards" in the Florida Gym on Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. UF Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs and Hispanic-Latino Affairs are hosting the event, which aims to encourage women to embrace their own physical appearances.
"Trying to aspire to whiteness for the sake of acceptance leads to so many people having lower self esteem," Bermudez said.
The event will be interactive, and the audience will be able to talk about the physical features they don’t like about themselves, she said. The purpose of the activity is to reveal the impact that standard beauty ideals have on the way women see themselves.
APIA and HLA will also facilitate discussions about Eurocentric beauty standards and give a presentation about their history.
"The event is really, really important because it’s accepting that someone else’s beauty is not the absence of your own," she said.
UF APIA Student Ambassador Nashrah Ahmed said children growing up hearing white is beautiful often begin to develop internalized racism: when people become racist against their own race.
By the end of the event, Bermudez said she hopes minority women feel proud of who they are.
"Learn how to walk in your own shoes and be as authentic as you can be," Bermudez said. "When you’re true to yourself, that’s when your beauty really radiates."
