A&D ANNUAL 2021

Saira Arias

The colonial legacy of the Philippines continues in the persisting inferiority complex regarding Filipino native identity and culture. This manifests in Filipino beauty standards. Such ideals value European features over Filipino physical traits and thus, enables light skin to be regarded as social capital. However, this aspect of colonial mentality also persists among first-generation residents in the West. Filipino-Australian academic Elaine Laforteza maintains that lighter skin can be perceived as a signifier of belonging to a westernised global village. Grounded by the theoretical framework of decolonising design as complemented by empathic design, this research focuses on personal experiences collected through co-design methodology to facilitate discussion and provoke introspection.The ‘Kayumangg(i) Toolkit’ aims to challenge the transformation and maintenance of these perspectives regarding colourism belonging to Generation Z within the Filipino-Australian diaspora. Three sequential phases underpin the project; share, introspect and affirm. Each phase is accompanied by a deck of open-ended questions and a unique activity. A social media campaign for Instagram will see that the project continues within the online sphere. Fundamentally, the ‘Kayumangg(i) Toolkit’ invites young members of the Australian-Filipino diaspora to make their judgements on their attitudes and to contribute to the ongoing dialogue.