South Asian Youth in Canada : Young Women Negotiating Mainstream Representations of Colour
South Asian women in Canada negotiate mainstream representations of skin colour, in a context where light skin is systemically privileged through marketing “whiteness” as a desirable and attainable ideal for beauty and success. A semiotic analysis of two web spaces target at young, South Asian woman in the West will be undertaken, to reveal the constructions of colour which favour dominant ideology. However, it can also be seen that such spaces serve as a means to challenge hegemonic constructions and provide a platform for South Asian visibility in the mainstream. In considering colourism within the South Asian context, it is imperative to reflect on systemic power imbalances and colonial history, which have shaped the experiences of South Asian communities. Key words: South Asia; Gender; Colourism; Youth; Semiotic analysis; Media representations.