Asian's Wanna Be

Today, digital media makes the world one global village. The more media reaches many countries, the more media becomes culturally rich. However, westernized beauty is becoming a single standard. Due to the media spreading outwards, I found that many Asians want to have similar facial structures as Americans; double eye-lids, a high nose and sharp charms.

Saeko Kimura had new life after she got prettier face by making her eyes bigger with glue. The positive outcome is that she gained confidence and self-esteem of her appearance by improving her face, while the negative is that her appearance is not the same way she originally had as an Asian, but looking more "American." She was willing to lay down on the operating table and pay enormous costs for eye-lid creases. The procedure took only 10 minutes and she got permanent double eye-lids which she had always dreamed of. Now, the plastic surgery has boomed up in Asian women and even men enormously, and it seems there is no limit to the increasing rates of people who have done plastic surgery. According to Lisa, a reporter of TIME magazine, a million procedures were performed last year in Taiwan, double the number from five years ago. MailOnline says, in Korea, at least one in five adults have done plastic surgery and upgraded their faces, and even students who go to middle or high school have had their eyelids done.

Also based on my experience of 20 years in Korea, I have watched so many girls get double eyelid surgeries as their graduation present. I don't think it is a person's fault if the person has a complex issue of his/her appearance and he/she makes money to invest in a better appearance. However, the problem is that many have done it in very young age with their parents' support. Why do they trying to do it before they are even grown up and enter real society. I have thought about it and I think that is it because we live in a society which values a standard 'beauty' the most in life. I think beauty has to be considered not only in appearance but also one's own inner beauty or personality. What is the point of only pursuing to obtain a beautiful face only to keep getting older and eventually die?

Every culture has its own beauty, but now more and more Asians want to look like Caucasians.

Now most people influenced by media are answering to what the prettier face is; westernized beauty, like a barbie doll.

       "The Chinese and Korean patients tell me they want to have faces like Americans," said Dr. Kim Byung-gun.

 

The irony is that even Americans are addicted to plastic surgery. WebMD reports that more than 10 million cosmetic procedures done in 2005. So, what is real beauty? If many Americans are addicted to plastic surgery for beauty while Asians are trying to catch up American beauty standard, then what is the ultimate goal of beauty for both of cultures?