Breaking The Asian Myth: Why Asians CAN Wear Yellow

We’re no stranger to Asian myths聽–聽they’ve been thrown at us our entire lives. They’re聽ridiculous聽over-generalizations about Asians that assume we’re all聽exactly alike. Some Asian myths are dangerous, like the idea聽that Asians don’t get fat or don’t get breast cancer –聽both of these聽hinder our community聽from聽taking necessary health precautions.聽Other Asian myths聽are much less harmful聽(unless you count the dangers of all the eye-rolling it causes us), like the belief that聽all聽Asians聽have the same kind of聽hair.

Well, we’re here to add another eye-roll myth to the list: Asians shouldn’t wear yellow.

I was shocked to discover just how many Asian women were told that they shouldn’t wear yellow because it clashes with Asian skin. I don’t know about you, but when I look in the mirror, I certainly don’t think my skin shows signs of jaundice. It may have a yellow undertone, but all sorts of ethnicities have yellow undertones, so why are we forbidden from wearing yellow?

As it turns out, there’s no valid reason for the myth at all. One-time聽fashion dictators聽simply thought it made us look sallow and was not flattering on our skin tone. (It’s the same thinking behind why redheads should not wear red or pink.)

Yes, now is the time to sigh. But who can blame these color-blind fashionistas of the past. After all, this video from the ’80s highlights just how early we’re taught that Asian=Yellow.

The reality? No, Asians are not literally yellow. We simply have to blame a German professor from the 19th century who聽came up with the聽five color typology聽for humans that categorized Asians under the term “yellow.”

Luckily for us, this means that we can wear yellow without disappearing into our clothes. And as it turns out, we do a damn good job of it, too. Don’t believe me? Check out the following Asian celebs rocking yellow outfits. You’ll be sure to include this color in your wardrobe after you get a load of them.

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