#for casting these pale north indians

[justthoughts1310]

OG ATLA is a diverse show, Netflix ATLA isn't.

In a world where so many people are fixated on skin color and skin tone, it's crazy to me that I haven't seen anyone say anything about this yet. However, I believe most people are thinking it, so I'm going to say it.

ATLA is a show of characters with diverse skin tones. Sokka and Katara are brown-skinned characters.

Whereas, Aang has white skin and Zuko and Azula have very fair almost porcelain like skin. Their skin was supposed to be without blemish, and Zuko even pointed this out in one episode.

When you look at the live-action cast of ATLA, they are all white-washed. They all have very similar skin tones with the exception of Sokka's actor who is very fair-skinned.

Now, I know what you're thinking. OP how could they all be white washed? They are all indigenous or of Asian decent. None of the main characters are white.

Well, you are correct. However, I am going to introduce you to the concept or colorism. It allows for POC characters to still be white washed, under the notion that the European beauty standard is the idea beauty standard. Translation: the lighter (whiter) the skin, the more beautiful the person.

Which is what we see here with the lightning of Sokka and Katara's skin. Now, you might say, that they were appropriately cast as indigenous. Yes, they may have been. However, idenginuous people come in wide range of skin tones. There's light-skin indigenous, brown skin indigenous, dark skin indigenous and everything in between.

Therefore, we cannot pretend that this was the only canonically correct depiction of Sokka and Katara. We certainly cannot pretend that these actors were the best fit for the job, since they both walked their parts and completely missed the motivations and central themes of their characters.

As a kid, I know that it made me as a black woman and a lot of my friends who were brown women (Indian, Asian, North African, and Latino alike) feel seen when they saw Katara. They were able to see themselves in Katara, because Katara looks like them. I felt more seen when I saw Korra, because Korra was darker and starting to approach my skin tone.

That alone should be enough to want to cast the characters correctly. I mean we so often hear people complain about the blackification of once white characters. The most recent example being Halle Balley playing the Little Mermaid. However, it has always been FAR more common, that individuals and roles of color have been played by and adapted by white actors who do not bat an eye.

Yet, that's not enough, because Katara and Sokka's skin tone meant something. It means something and so does Zuko and Azula's skin tones.

For starters, Zuko and Katara have brown skill despite living in a cold climate, in order to protect their skin from the harmful rays or the sun. Wow.... I know shocking right? 😲

Some of you are shaking your head and thinking that doesn't make sense. It's cold in the arctic, why do they need protection from the sun? It's because the sun's rays reflect off of the white snow. Without a sufficient amount of melanin, the sun's rays could burn the skin of the indigenous people who live there. However, with too much melanin, the indigenous people who live there may not absorb enough Vitamin D. Hence, the brown skin.

Secondly (this point is more race-y), Katara and Sokka at this point when the Southen Water Tribe has been demolished by the Fire Nation, are effectively peasants. They are especially peasants when compared to both the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation.

Peasants work outside. Therefore, peasants tend to have darker skin amongst the people in their given region. They have darker skin because they are exposed to the sun more.

Royalty has lighter skin, because they stay inside palaces, they don't do manual labor, and they have servants, so their skin is always protected from the sun. Has anyone ever notice how pale Toph is and the fact that she's the only character in ATLA who has a last name? That's by design people.

The sibling pairing of Sokka and Katara and Zuko and Azula are diametrically opposed in the original show. They are the ultimate dichotomy.

Sokka and Katara:

- wear blue

- are Water Tribe

- are brown skinned

- are peasants

- grew up in tents and igloos

- are kind to each other

Zuko and Azula:

- wear red

- are Fire Nation

- are fair skinned

- are royalty

- grew up in palaces and slept in Alaskan King sized beds

- hate each other.

The sibling pairs are opposed by more than just their nations of origins and the colors of the clothes. They are also opposed by their skin tones in order to reflect their lot in life.

Someone once said that Katara would never marry Zuko because she's too dark. Her skin is not the skin of royalty, and that person was probably right.

However, Sokka and Katara's skin is powerful, because if you read the Kiyoshi novels you'll learn that there's a great lineage in regard to who gets to train the avatar. It's my belief that if Aang met all of his friends before the 100 year war, Azula and Toph would have been the only people deemed worthy to train Aang. The most powerful people in the world are usually associated with the avatar, yet in the OG show, the most disenfranchised people in the world: Sokka and Katara made Aang into a fully realized avatar.

[humusboii2thereturnoftheking]

Israel is the low-hanging fruit Human Rights Organizations pick on for validation.

Remember these organizations operate on donations. If you were attempting to maximize donations, which topic would you discuss?

(A) The Uyghur concentration camps in China

(B) The genocide and ethnic cleansing in Sudan

(C) The genocide and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar

(D) One of the worst humanitarian crisis ongoing in Yemen

(E) The terrible human rights violations in Iran

(F) Pakistan expelling two million refugees

(G) Russia's war crimes and massacres in Ukraine

(H) The war in Gaza launched by Hamas

Obviously, the answer is G, as evident by the mind-boggling amount of attention the conflict receives. The popularity of the Israel-Palestine conflict pales in comparison to other global major events and Human Right Organizations know it.

For The Red Cross, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch It is much more profitable, popular and safer to criticize Israel than Russia, Iran, Sudan, China, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, etc.

Let's summarize:

The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) has made 6 times more statements to criticize Israel and has often resorted to hyperbole to cast Israel as a “limitless” destroyer to evoke sympathy for one side and demonize Israel. No statement was made speaking directly about the massacre of October 7th. Beyond language, only 2 statements condemning Hamas include videos and pictures while 38 tweets condemning Israel contain images, graphic testimonies, and videos designed to solicit greater attention and a stronger response. Through their Twitter, it is evident that the ICRC has dedicated large amounts of resources to interviewing doctors and victims in Gaza, to editing infographics and videos, and to appearing on the news to talk about the devastation in Gaza. Comparatively little to no attention was paid to Israeli victims.

Human Rights WatcH (HRW) - Is obsessed with criticizing Israel in the conflict and has been called out by their own founder for abandoning their mission and focusing on scrutinizing Israel. HRW disproportionately focuses on condemnations of Israel and that publications related to Israel often lack credibility. HRW also promotes an agenda based solely on the Palestinian narrative of victimization and Israeli aggression.

Amnesty International - Disproportionately singles out Israel for condemnation, focusing solely on the conflict with the Palestinians, misrepresenting the complexity of the conflict, and ignoring more severe human rights violations in the region. In October 2023, in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, Amnesty emphasized “the root causes” of the conflict, in particular “Israel’s system of apartheid imposed on all Palestinians.” Amnesty does not identify “root causes” on the part of any other actor, including Palestinians and terror groups.

I will reiterate- these organizations follow the wishes of their donors and while their funding isn't fully transparent here are some notable moments:

• In November 2023, MEMRI leaked a document detailing a €3 million donation in 2018 to HRW from Qatar.

• In February 2020, it was revealed that HRW's Executive Director Ken Roth accepted a donation in 2012 from a Saudi real estate tycoon for $470,000 “promising not to support advocacy of the LGBT community in the Middle East and North Africa.”

• In December 2013, Amnesty International admitted to working with the Alkarama foundation, whose Qatari co-founder has been accused of financing Al Qaeda and its affiliates.

• In February 2021, Indian officials accused Amnesty International India of money laundering.

Recommended further reading:

For those complaining I'm relying on UNWatch and NGO-Monitor: Every word is backed by a source which you are encouraged to verify yourself. Anyone refusing to accept factual data because of their cognitive bias should not be discussing this topic in the first place.

Today is the 187 day since Hamas abducted men, women, elders and children from their homes. 133 of them are still in captivity. Ceasefire will only come when Hamas surrenders and releases the hostages.

[sembulapeyalneerpol]

Amma is watching the first season of bridgerton and her commentary

1. Can't keep track of the families and which child is whose

2. Upon learning that the perianna (Anthony) is getting married season 2 to namba ponnu she was very confused because he is "ooru soothiran and just sleeping around"

3. They solved racism???????? How??????

[spite-and-waffles]

Please colour Asian skin tones properly. Brown is a racial classification, not a universal skin tone.

East Asians by and large have skin as pale as white Europeans, as do many South Americans, Native people, North Indians, and Arabs. Asians with one white parent will usually have pale skin.

The difference is in the undertones. Most people from Central Asia and North India have golden undertones. East Asians have a pink-yellow one. South East Asians retain the yellow tone even as their complexions grow darker. It's South Asians who have the brown complexion most of you use for all Asians.

Also the hue grows darker the closer to the equator, for all continents. But even then it's not uniform because of Arab, European and North Indian ancestry.

And Africans aren't all just Black. North Africa is mostly Arab, and there's a huge mixing of Arabs, Indians and Europeans in the West and South. Black people themselves have a spectrum of brown hues, most with a pink undertone. The darkest Asians and Black Africans have the same complexion, and are indistinguishable from one another.

Lighter skin is a universal beauty standard for men and women of colour. A part of it is because of European colonization, but it's also predated in regions by the thinking that high-born and high-caste people wouldn't be out working in the fields like peasants. So rich people will generally have lighter skin through a mix of marrying lighter skinned people, staying out of the sun and straight up bleaching their skin. But fuck colourism honestly. It doesn't need to be a factor.

[arledrone]

“all our gods are white skinned (except krishna)” that’s not even true,, goddesses like kali exist, and even ram is described as dark skinned… and historically, india has kept on whitewashing their *own* gods so it’s not even accurate in a religious scale.

and even if there’s only like one god that’s blue (which is supposed to represent dark skin mind you, as he’s described as that in many religious texts and epics) that’s no excuse to not have any representation? to not have sumeru, the region based off of south asia, north africa, and southwest asia, where tons of skin tones and different variety exist… to be mainly pale? that’s not an accurate representation of those regions. and if mihoyo wants to confuse all three regions together then they at least should give us the variety in skin tone. at the VERY least . but they can’t even do that :/

I strongly agree. Colourism in India's always been an issue. I mean, fuck, I've had a cousin suggest I use lightening cream once back when I was single and that's always been something that still stings. The fact it's so pervasive and invasive into religion is nothing surprising (especially for North Indian flavoured Hinduism oops did I say that aloud).

I do, however, have a preface about Sumeru.

Apart from Chapter Three's title "Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana", majority of Sumeru's names and vernacular largely tie into Iranic themes. Don't get me wrong, it can be hard to keep track of the Indo-Iranian influences.. Anahita refers to an Iranian (Persian) goddess, and her Farsi title Nahid. So that right there strongly ties the Dendro Archon to Zoroastrianism fairly directly in my opinion.

So, while there are similarities between Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, I think it's important to acknowledge a vast amount of Sumeru's influences APPEAR to be predominantly Iranian in nature, with Egyptian influences somehow weaved in (so far our only explicit indications of that are Cyno's Anubis motif and Kandake). Plus Dihya's namesake being an Amazigh leader leading to some type of North African influence (assuming it's not JUST for a single character's empty aesthetic motif).

Like, I am Indian, but I find it kiiiiiind of off-putting how India's being put on a pedestal compared to Sumeru's more blatant and intentional influences.

That said, everyone's seen my bitching about how Sumeru's being handled. I don't see the point in the majority of Sumeru's cast being light-skinned thus far, and Dhiya is BARELY passable for tan, let alone dark-skinned. And I don't have to repeat myself on the attire, that's for damn sure.

Note: Nilou's attire is like. Strong generic fantasy vibes that KIND of remind me of lehenga-choli attire, but her horns are reminiscent of Sasanian headwear, and her hairpiece reminds me of Iranian dance attire.

[sunshinewarrior11]

Heya, just a post about race and ethnicity in the Middle East.

So, I am realising, people think Turks, Arabs and Persians are the same. We are not, please don’t write as so. We speak different languages, are different ethnicities. And the Turks were our (Arabs and Persians) colonisers FOR CENTURIES. The Turkish stuff you think is arabesque is because it was stolen by them.

Please don’t write non conspicuous desert people as Turks, they don’t have a desert. At all. Also, ethnically speaking (not nationality as they do have diversity thanks to colonisations) but Turks are closer to Balkans peoples, Greeks, Hungarians and Mongolians.

Arabs that are pale with light hair and eyes will often tell you, ‘oh yeah I have Turkish in me from the occupancy’. This being said, the Middle East is possible one of the most diverse regions of the world where you will find every combination of skin tone, eye shape and colour, and hair colour and type. Though blonde/red hair is rare, as is light eyes. In my family alone, we got short women barely hitting 5 feet and uncles about 6’5. And all my cousins and I range in skin shade from pale to olive to mixed black. My dad is one of 8 siblings. Both parents brown hair brown eyes, same as his siblings. He had blonde hair and has blues eyes. (We did a dna test as well just to confirm and he came back as 76% pure arab). So you can have fun with how you draw up, but we aren’t white.

Also important point. We (Arabs and Persians) ain’t white, unless your mixed with something (being pale doesn’t count, that’s just white passing). I s2g the only reason we were given that status was so white people could claim Jesus.

Also this is specifically ATLA related. Wa Shi Tongs library being in the desert was ingenious, why? Bc places like Bagdad, Alexandria and various other Arab and Persian cities were hubs of education in the Middle East. With the first university, ever to be opened by a woman in North Africa. Men and Women were (for the most part) educated about the same amount as children. We had some of the most advanced mathematics, sciences, medicines and poets and theologists in the world. This stopped with the Ottomans. They stopped our education systems (that were probably the most advanced in the world before the Ottoman Empire colonised us and we believed in education for all). So, please don’t write Sand Benders as Turks, with Turkish names or any of that.

We are also not south Asian and what happened with the Disney Live Action of Aladdin was abhorrent bc the basically set arabesque orientalism for a theme. I was so happy when they cast an Egyptian to play Aladdin but disheartened learning a south Asian was cast as Jasmine and even saddened more to see that they dressed her in south Asian clothes and did all the Bollywood dance numbers. The story is from the levant and persia. If you wanna tell an Indian story, please do they have a beautiful culture. But the only arab clothes I saw were the rags Aladdin wears. We have such beautiful colourful clothing of our own.

In conclusion, Arabs and Persians are a rainbow of colours. Please please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, but know I can only speak for where I’m from and even then I’m mixed and grew up away from my heritage. But don’t depict us as South Asian or Turkish because it’s just wrong. Both of those have beautiful

Some clothing references from Abha, Saudi Arabia:

[writingwithcolor]

Hi I wanted to ask, I have an Indian-British girl who is getting married to an American-Taiwanese man, and she's going to introduce him to her family. The only reference I have of Indian family attitudes is from Bend It Like Beckham where non-Hindus are unacceptable. Does anyone have any advice on the spectrum of Indian family views on interracial relationships? I hope to get her family on the same page in the end. (cont)

Also this might be stupid of me to ask, do any Indians on here have any experiences of a traditional Indian wedding? (I’m not sure if my character and her future husband will even be able to have one because her fiancé isn’t Indian but it’d still be good to know. Also if it’s possible for such a wedding to happen when the groom is foreign) 

Indian Character in interracial/cultural relationship, family acceptance, and Indian Weddings

Indian x Non-Indian interracial/intercultural relationship

A friend of mine, an Indian Christian man, is actually married to a Japanese woman, but this is quite rare. The family would find it hard to accept someone from a different culture. Typically, they’d bring up issues like differing food habits and traditions as a reason why the marriage won’t work. Having said that, though, many families do come around.

A relative married to a American Jewish man. They chose to have two cultural ceremonies, one each for the Hindu culture, and for the Jewish one. Both halves of the family were very respectful of each other. Sometimes it might take the families longer to come around; this might happen when (or if) the grandkids come along.

–Mod Rasana

I can tell you about my personal experiences with interracial relationships.

There are two people in my family dating or marrying non-Indians. One, D, took up with a Persian-German guy who was in her college. She started becoming bitchy and fighting with my mom every time she was home for the holidays. Mom didn’t approve of her boyfriend for many reasons, the prime being that he was the suspected cause of her bitchiness. She also said he didn’t seem to put an effort into making a good first impression on her and my siblings. D took offense.

When they married, D made it as inconvenient as possible so that we didn’t plan to attend either the traditional Indian one or the British one. Our grandfather convinced my mom it would be a good idea to go. Long story short, it SUCKED. D hasn’t visited in more than ten years, and we haven’t seen her since 2011. Her husband has been quiet about all this, so we don’t know how much he was involved. The interracial stuff paled next to the drama.

A was different. He introduced us to his Farsi girlfriend, who is very sweet and the polar opposite of D. She makes it a point to spend time with us, and is unofficially part of the family during outings. Previous girlfriends were white, Asian, and even Indian. They’re getting married in the spring. Mom had reservations, but she’s accepted A’s fiancee. I like her a lot because she makes A happy.  

In short? It depends. 

If I married a white guy now, my grandparents would only be relieved that I finally settled down. I’m not interested in marriage at this point because I’ve been getting mixed messages about dating. Mom gets snippy and catty if she finds out I’m on a date, but hints she’d like me to get married. I don’t know what she wants. Though I could have a traditional Indian marriage, I’d elope and go to Hawaii on a honeymoon for two weeks.

As for your character’s family, establish the dynamics ahead of time. They could be accepting if she’s older than thirty, coming close to “Christmas Cake”. Perhaps they’re assimilated and more flexible. Or they may have unconscious prejudices. As long as you establish it, then your conflict will be plausible.

- Jaya

Indian Weddings

As for an Indian wedding, I do have personal experience but the kind of wedding is very dependent on the State the character comes from, their caste, and so on. Most people of Indian origin here in the United States just work with the temple priest (from the North Indian temple, or the South Indian temple) and pick and choose elements of the ceremony that works for them. The basic gods are the same but there are regional variations.)

–Mod Rasana

I haven’t been to an Indian wedding since I was eighteen and I don’t remember it due to food poisoning from the dinner. Mom says South Indian weddings involve everyone sitting in the sun and waiting for the priests to finish the ritual. 

Yes, traditional Indian weddings can happen with the bride or groom not being Indian.

- Jaya

[tipsycad147]

Sage advice: An illustrated guide to smudging herbs

by Michelle Gruben

Once upon a time, there were only three kinds of smudge sticks in most witchy shops: Small, medium, and large.  These days, you can choose from a vast array of smudging herbs, each with a different energy, aroma, and cultural history.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the plants that are most commonly used for smudging. (We’ll limit it to smudges that are derived from woods and leaves. Resin incenses are divine—but that’s a topic for another article.)

The variety of smudging herbs is incredible. But you’ll also notice some similarities. First, most of them come from the leaf and stem parts of bushes and small trees. (Fruits and flowers make wonderful sachets, baths, and teas, but lose all their charm when burned.) Second, most smudging plants grow in desert and mountain regions, where the soil is poor. Plants in these climates tend to be short and shrubby, and they rely on fragrant oils as a way to keep insects and other animals from munching on them to get to their water and nutrients.

You’ll also notice that many excellent smudging plants come from the genus Salvia (true sages). There are several hundred distinct species of Salvia, but only the most aromatic varieties are used for smudging. Many other varieties grow wild, or are cultivated as hardy ornamentals. Sage’s reputation as a beneficial plant is ancient and well-deserved. The Romans named the plant Salvia after the Latin verb meaning to save, redeem, or heal.

So where can you find these delicious-smelling plants? Well, just about any New Age store will have smudges for sale. (White Sage, at least—you may have to search online for some of the more exotic varieties.) Also try health food grocers, yoga studios, artisan and farmer’s markets. You may even want to consider growing smudging plants in your garden, or gathering them in the wild.

A quick warning: The plants listed below are not harmful or dangerous under normal circumstances. Still, they can cause irritation and allergic reactions in some people. If you have asthma or respiratory problems, burning anything may not be great for your health. (Consult a doctor or herbalist if you have concerns.) Burn smudges in a well-ventilated area—coughing and choking on the smoke will not enhance their effects! Always be mindful of fire safety, especially indoors and in dry climates.

Finally, please don’t rely on herbal remedies as a substitute for medical treatment. When I describe an herb as healing, I mean only that it will contribute to your general well-being—not that it will cure cancer, toenail fungus, or anything in between. I always recommend that you store herbs in labeled packages, out of the reach of children and pets.

White Sage (Salvia apiana—also known as Bee Sage, California Sage, Sacred Sage)

For many people, “smudging” means one thing only—White Sage. (Its Latin name refers to its main pollinator, the honeybee.) White Sage is the bread and butter of any smudging kit. Versatile and effective, it’s suitable for most any smudging ritual—cleansing, healing, protection, meditation, and so on. When mixed with other herbs, it makes a wonderful base for a custom smudging blend.

White Sage grows wild across the American Southwest in bushy clumps. (The strongest-smelling product comes from the western fringes of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.) The plant has been gathered for thousands of years by Native Americans, particularly the Chumash. It is regarded as a sacred plant—an important source of food, medicine, and benevolent Spirit.

White Sage is herbaceous, sweet, and slightly astringent.  It's rather similar to Eucalyptus, but more complex. Some people say it smells like Marijuana when burned. (To me, burning White Sage just smells like burning White Sage—but the similarity is something to keep in mind if you’re going to use it in public.) The smell of White Sage is so strong that just rubbing its fuzzy leaves between your fingers is enough to release the scent.

Almost all of the White Sage on the market comes from California. Most of it is wild-gathered and hand-tied by producers large and small. There really isn’t much difference in quality between brands. However, if it matters to you, you may want to seek out a producer who gathers Sage with the proper prayers and observances. It’s even possible to buy White Sage that is harvested by American Indians according to traditional practices, just as they have done for centuries.

Because it is the most widely available smudge, you can buy White Sage in many sizes and formats. Small Sage wands (3-4 inches) are ideal for small spaces, solitary practice, or to keep handy in a ritual kit. The big boys (8 inches and up) are best reserved for outdoor use and large group rituals—unless a wailing smoke detector is part of your space-clearing strategy! You can also buy the loose leaves and stems by the ounce or pound. This lets you control the amount you use, and allows for blending with other herbs.

White Sage is affected by periodic droughts, meaning it has years in which the harvest is smaller. The price and quality fluctuate accordingly. Still, there’s no need to pester your local New Age emporium about the vintage year of their stock. Freshness isn’t a huge consideration, either. The volatile oils in dried Sage will dissipate somewhat over time—but I’ve used Sage sticks that were hiding in my altar cupboard for years and no one was the wiser. Buy it, it’ll burn just fine.

Common Sage (Salvia officianalis—also known as Garden Sage, Common Sage, Green Sage, or Kitchen Sage)

Many a hard-up Witch has wondered if it’s okay to use culinary Sage—the kind that goes in turkey stuffing and breakfast sausage—for smudging. The answer is yes! Common Sage is a close relative of White Sage, and has many of the same beneficial properties as its superstar cousin, White Sage. Common Sage originates in Europe, and its medicinal and folkloric uses date back to the Middle Ages. For those involved in the European traditions of Witchcraft, it may make more sense to smudge with Common Sage than one of the North American varieties.

Besides, not everybody has a metaphysical store that they can rush to for supplies, and a good Witch knows how to improvise. The main advantage of Common Sage is that it grows in many climates, and is readily available in fresh and dried form at most supermarkets. Will Sage ward off bad vibes when used in food? I don’t know, but I’ll take another slice of Sage Derby while I mull it over.

Not everyone agrees that the smell of burning Common Sage is pleasant. A little goes a long way. Also, the herb must be quite dry to smolder effectively. If burning Sage doesn't work for you, remember that you can still use the plant to cleanse and bless your space. Add the essential oil to sprays and washes, or put the leaves in sachets, witch bottles, or mojo bags.

Blue Sage (Salvia clevelandii or Artemisia tridentata—also known as New Mexico Sage, Desert Sage, Grandmother Sage)

Blue Sage is a hardy bush found in the deserts of the Southwest. It’s named for its abundant blue flowers, but the leaves also have a blue-ish cast. It has thin leaves and a fragrance that is both herbaceous and floral, similar to Lavender.

A close relative of White Sage, Blue Sage is also good for healing and cleansing rituals.  Its soothing, relaxing smell can be used to aid meditation, or burned simply for enjoyment. It’s not as pungent as White Sage, and is more agreeable to some folks who find the strong, bracing scent of White Sage overpowering. You can find Blue Sage in smudge sticks and in loose-leaf form.

Another pale sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, is pictured above. It goes by the trade name "Blue Sage," but is not a member of the Salvia clan.

Lavender Sage (Salvia leucophylla or Salvia mellifera)—also know as Gray Sage, Purple Sage, Wild Lavender)

Yet another far-flung member of the Salvia family, Lavender Sage is a sun-loving plant that grows in southern coastal California. It’s named for its clusters of purple flowers—the leaves are rounded, green, and fuzzy like Common Sage. (They darken to gray when dried.) Lavender Sage is unrelated to the flower Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). However, it physically resembles Lavender (especially when in bloom) and has a similar clean, flowery fragrance. As if that wasn’t screwy enough, some artisan producers do use true Lavender as an ingredient in smudges, and they don’t always make it clear which plant is meant. Lavender Sage is known for its calming, peaceful, and sedating effects. It inspires love and relieves anxiety. Because of its irresistible scent and natural beauty, a Lavender Sage smudge is a great choice for your spells of attraction. Lavender Sage is often combined with White Sage for a killer duo. Like a 2-in-1 shampoo, this pair will cleanse and condition in a single step! Black Sage (Salvia mellifera, Artemisia nova, Artemisia douglasiana and others—also known as Mugwort, Magical Sage, Black Sagebrush, Dream Weed)

Used to encourage dreams and visions, Black Sage is an herb of introspection and inner healing. When burned before bedtime, it aids in restful sleep and pleasant dreams. Black Sage is used for astral travel, shamanic journeying, and for protection during such excursions. One Pagan priest I know begins group trance workings by smudging the participants with Black Sage. Black Sage is like the mystical, shifty-acting cousin of the Sage clan—so shifty, in fact, that people can’t even agree on what plant it is! There are a few different products sold under the name “Black Sage.” I found this out when I noticed that the Black Sage I ordered for the store looked different from month to month. I called my supplier, and he confessed that the exact composition of the smudge changes based on availability. A true Sage, Salvia mellifera has long leaves that are dark green on top and silver underneath. It is found in the mountains of the West Coast from California north through British Columbia. The plant can be difficult to identify because it resembles other species. The leaves only darken dramatically in times of drought. To add to the confusion, there are several cultivars, and Black Sage readily hybridizes with Purple Sage and Blue Sage plants. Other Black Sage products come from shrubs in the genus Artemisia. They are commonly called sagebrushes, but these dark-green plants are more closely related to the Daisy than to true Sage. When dried, Artemisia tridentata has a lighter, straw-brown color, and may also have small crowded blossoms on its stalks. But Artemisia douglasiana (shown in the photo above) is leafier and easy to mistake for dark Sage such as Salvia mellifera. Why does it matter? The metaphysical properties of both plants are similar, but Artemisia-based smudges may also contain small amounts of thujone. This mildly trance-inducing compound is best-known as the active ingredient in traditional absinthe liqueur. Black Sage contains less thujone than the common herbs Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Black Sage won’t cause you to “trip” or wildly hallucinate. At most, it may intensify your efforts at visualization and vivify your dreams. Even so, some people (like pregnant women and straight-edgers) should avoid using Black Sage. Desert Sage (Artemisia tridentata or Artemisia californica [pictured]—Desert Magic, Mountain Sage, Grey Sage, New Mexico Sage, Sagebrush Smudge)

This aromatic shrub thrives in the windswept deserts of the Santa Fe/Taos area. It has skinny, branched leaves and a light brown color. Desert Sage shares some common nicknames with Blue Sage, and the two plants are sometimes sold interchangeably. (Are you noticing a pattern here?) Desert Sage has a warm herbaceous aroma that is a bit peppery (think Bay leaves or Mint tea). It is used for cleansing and purifying, protection, and inner strength. It is said to bring pleasant thoughts and relieve headaches and anxiety. Desert Sage is available both loose and in smudge sticks. It blends well with most other smudging herbs. Desert Sage produces a dense, straw-like bundle that is sometimes sprinkled with resin incenses for an especially rich combination. Desert Sage laced with Dragon’s Blood or Copal is just delicious! Dakota Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana—Badlands Sage, Silver Wormwood, Old Man Sage, Silver King, Western Mugwort, Dakota White Sage)

Another Artemisia smudge, this one grows all over the badlands of South Dakota stretching all the way south to Louisiana. Dakota Sage is rarely found in commercial Sage products, but I’ve included it because it’s easily gathered in many places across the United States. The aroma and appearance of Dakota Sage is very similar to that of Desert Sage. However, the fragrance is usually less intense. Piñon Pine (Pinus edulis and others—also known as Pinyon Pine)

The Piñon Pine is a generous evergreen tree from the foothills of the American Southwest.  The nuts were an important food source for early Americans--these days, the tree is best known for stocking chimineas (Southwestern patio stoves). Piñon has a smooth, woodsy scent that's especially powerful, thanks to its high concentration of pine resin. Piñon is an excellent all-purpose smudge, and a capable stand-in for White Sage, if you prefer to avoid the latter. Its energy is cleansing, healing, and strengthening. Oh, and it repels insects, too. Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens [California Incense Cedar], and many other species)

Cedar is an ancient tree, one of the oldest beings still thriving on the Earth. Cedar trees look much the same as they did when dinosaurs roamed the land. Back when other trees were trying out those newfangled “leaves,” Cedar said “I’m good” and stayed with the tried and true. The smell of Cedar is woodsy and fresh. It recalls ancient forests, and invokes their protection and wisdom. Both the wood (in the form of chips or shavings) and the foliage make effective smudges.

Cedar smudges carry a medicine of protection. Cedar is often used to cleanse a home or apartment when first moving in, inviting unwanted spirits to leave and protecting a person, place or object from unwanted influences. Along with Rosemary and White Sage, Cedar is one of the most aggressively cleansing smudges you can choose. Juniper (Juniperus communis)

Juniper has a sweet and spicy "Christmas tree" fragrance and abundant blue berries.  Like Cedar, Juniper is probably one of the most ancient plants. Juniper is said to have a masculine, protective energy, and is used in spells of cleansing and prosperity. Juniper berries are popular in good luck charms, while the leaves are often used for smudging. Juniper is best used for blessing a new venture or dwelling, and inviting in abundance. Bearberry (Uva ursi)

Bearberry is a low-growing North American shrub in the Heather family.  As its name suggests, it is a favorite of foraging bears. It is used for smudging, animal magic, shape-shifting, and other shamanic work. Native Americans traditionally mix it with Tobacco leaf to create a ritual smoke blend (called kinnikinnick), said to carry prayers and bring visions. Sometimes the leaves come mixed with peppercorn-sized berries.  Don't throw these out—the Bear spirit is said to appreciate the offering. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalus)

A culinary herb with an assertive fragrance, this woody perennial may also be used for smudging. It clears negativity, inspires confidence, and invigorates the mind and body.

Some people prefer to avoid herbs associated with Native American cultures out of concerns about cultural appropriation. Rosemary is an Old World herb with a long history of use in incenses, and so makes a guilt-free alternative for Western practitioners. Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata or Anthoxanthum nitens—also known as Seneca Grass, Holy Grass, Vanilla Grass, Mary’s Grass, Bison Grass)

Sweetgrass is a long, fragrant grass that grows wild across portions of the American Great Plains. It's frequently braided or tied in bundles, then dried.

Sweetgrass is sacred to several Plains tribes. They have traditionally burned it to drive out evil and harm, and allow benevolent spirits to approach. Ancient lore states that Sweetgrass is the hair of the Earth Mother, and invokes love, kindness, and honesty.

A relative of American Sweetgrass was known in medieval Europe. Sheaves of the sweet-smelling grass were strewn across thresholds, especially of churches, where it would release a gentle aroma when trod upon.

Sweetgrass smells of fresh hay with hints of warm vanilla. It induces a mellow, almost soporific state when burned.  (It contains coumarin, which is thought to be mildly psychoactive.) Some say the proper way to burn Sweetgrass braids is to shave small portions off with a knife, allowing them to fall on hot coals. Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon glutinosum and Eriodictyon californicum—also known as Holy Herb, Mountain Balm, Consumptive’s Weed, Bear Weed)

Yerba Santa ("holy herb") is a sweet-smelling plant that grows in the arid hills of the Southwest.  It got its common name from Spanish monks who were impressed with its healing properties. Yerba Santa is burned to honor ancestors, increase psychic powers, and bring healing and protection. It is also a traditional remedy against coughing and many other ailments. Yerba Santa grows wild only in certain areas of California and Northern Mexico—a true regional treasure. Tobacco (Genus Nicotiana)

The health hazards of Tobacco are well-known, so much that its sacred uses have fallen by the wayside. Wild-growing and cultivated Tobacco had a place in the rituals of many Native American tribes. Aleister Crowley considered Tobacco a consummate herb of Mars. And it is said that Faeries particularly enjoy offerings of the stuff. (Along with other human vices, like whiskey and sweets!) Commercially packaged cigarettes are full of reconstituted crud, chemicals and additives that make them unsuitable for magickal use. If you’re going to burn tobacco ritually, the best option is loose tobacco leaves, but they aren’t easy to find. The next best thing might be a shredded pipe tobacco that is additive-free. Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens—also known as Holy Wood)

Palo Santo (or “Holy Wood”) is a sweet-smelling tropical wood that is a natural incense.  Palo Santo is said to clear out negative spirits and energies, increase relaxation, and bring joy and harmony to the home. It is in the family of trees that produces Frankincense and Myrrh, but is native only to Ecuador, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands. Its aroma is smooth, aromatic and spicy. (I think it smells a bit like gingerbread!) The holy reputation of Palo Santo dates back to the time of the Incas, who used it in their ceremonies of healing and cleansing. When the Spaniards arrived in South America, they couldn’t easily obtain their preferred church incenses, so they substituted the local equivalent. To this day, Palo Santo is used there for Catholic holy days and processions. Palo Santo comes from a slow-growing tree that is in danger of over-harvesting. Both Ecuador and Peru have laws on the books designed to protect this rare species. Reputable importers use only fallen limbs and strive to minimize waste. Sticks, chips and even sawdust are sold by the ounce, with the scraps being compressed into incense cones or distilled for their essential oil. Sticks of Palo Santo can be lit on one end and burned just like any other smudge stick, but in humid conditions charcoal may be required. The chips and powder are best burned over charcoal.

Mixed smudges

Sometimes you may want to use a smudge with multiple ingredients, combining the aromas and properties of two or more plants. Mixed smudges come in a huge array of combinations, some laced with resins or flowers—far too many to list.  A Black and White Sage smudge (pictured) combines the psychic openness granted by Black Sage with the protective qualities of White Sage. However, it's worth noting that in some Native American traditions, the Four Sacred Medicines (White Sage, Cedar, Tobacco, and Sweetgrass) are never mixed.

Hope you've found this tour of smudging herbs useful and enlightening. Happy smudging—and for godsakes, open a window!

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/100896071-sage-advice-an-illustrated-guide-to-smudging-herbs

[geraltcirilla]

I’ve noticed that people took the strange reaction of the northerners towards Missandei and the unsullied to be racist. I’m curious as to how that conclusion of it being racist was made? I’m being genuinely curious here, bc it reminded me of a personal experience I once had while visiting Grenada (where most if not all ppl are either native or of African descent according to our tour guide who pointed this out to us. (1/2)

(2/2) I myself am of East Indian descent and live on another c’bean island where the population is very diverse. I was about 7at the time & on vaca w my family. My sis & I were playing on a beach when we were surrounded by ~15 children from a school on the beach. They were staring (even a teacher) at us &touching our hair asking if it was real, until my mom came to make sure we were okay when she saw the crowd. I saw it as curiosity. Was there something I missed in GoT or is my comparison wrong?

Weeell, this conversation is a toughy. Because I see why people where saying it was racist but I also know what the writers were intending.

So what I believ believe. the writers meant is that… Northerners don’t like outsiders because they’re distrustful. I like to think of them in real-world comparisons to people who live in rural areas in the middle of nowhere in Russia. People don’t move there because it’s a terrible place to live. People don’t vacation there because it’s a terrible place to vacation. Therefore unless you’re born there, you don’t live there. So if strangers come around it almost always means trouble. Like “Why did you travel x amount of months through the snow and rain to get here? Only people looking for trouble would do that.”

That’s clearly how the Northerners are intended to be written. In the show that looks kinda weird because D&D and the other GoT casting directors made a very odd choice of only casting black people to play Unsullied or Missandei… and for some reason everyone in the North is white. This is not something that is specified in the books, I just want to be clear. (Besides Missandei.) Slavery has nothing to do with racism in the books and the Unsullied are not said to be black, but the GoT casting department casted them this way anyways. So every slave in the show is a POC, never white. This makes everything Daenerys do seem weird like a white savior (which is not an argument you can make about her in the books).

I do want to point out though, the books actually do specify the Northern look is “dark skin, black hair and grey eyes”. Ned Stark has this appearance, and so do Arya and Jon. Sansa, Robb, Rickon and Bran all take after their mother, and the Tully appearance is “pale skin, blue eyes and red hair”. So it is very likely that Northerners as a whole are actually predominately not white (because they stem from the First Men who are likely not white, as the First Men are believed to have originated in the Great Grass Sea… which ding ding ding Is also where the Dothraki originated) and that the Stark children are all biracial. This is why if you look at fanart pre-show of the Starks they all have darker skin.

So for some reason when casting this show, they decided to cast one of the only groups actually specified to not be white (Northerners) as white and then cast any enslaved group as not white, even though slaves are NOT said to be dark-skinned in the books.

I think there’s a discussion of racism to be had here but we should be @-ing the casting department. IMO people are picking this particular battle specifically as an excuse to attack the Starks because they’re angry the Starks didn’t welcome Daenerys. But I want you to think about this from how it would look in the book-verse without racist HBO in charge…. a pale white woman with silver hair and purple eyes invades a country filled with brown people and demands she is their queen and they don’t like her…. Now who is being racist?

Everything can sound bad if you manipulate your words enough. This is why I don’t like this conversation because you KNOW HBO and D&D didn’t think this deeply about it. They literally called Bran “Bran the Broken” because they thought it would placate us for Christs sake.

Anyways I want you to know I write this from a Daenerys-supporting and Stark-supporting perspective. I’m just kinda not down for how some people have been viewing or interpreting the Starks as of late.

[16-233]

On whether Only “Chinese/Chinese-American” actors should play “Chinese” characters

I see this discussion come up very often in the casting stage for shows, such as the debate of the father role in ABC's Fresh Off the Boat being played by a Korean American Randall Park, and how Jamie Chung wanted to audition for Crazy Rich Asians but was turned down because she wasn’t Chinese. 

So first of all, unless a segment in the show/movie requires the actor to speak Mandarin/Canto to his family, and the actor utterly fucking failed at the task and broke immersion for the viewers who speak Mandarin/Canto, the fact that he "looks not Chinese" would not fucking even matter. 

I’m only speaking for the Chinese “ethnicity/identity” here so don’t take this as me justifying Chinese actors taking Japanese roles if Japanese people have a problem with it. (Even though usually it’s because Japanese ppl looks down on Chinese and think we are unworthy of playing a Japanese person, but let’s not touch that for now)

It is possible to be ethnically “Korean” or a myriad of other things (such as Russian) and be Chinese. 

In the instance of the father in Fresh off the Boat, 朝鲜族 (Korean Ethnicity) is one of the 56 ethnicities officially recognized by the Chinese government, and there's almost 2 million of them in China (mostly in the northeast, but people migrate to Tier1/2 cities all the time).  

They've been living in China since the fucking Qing dynasty (and possibly earlier) and identify as "Chinese". 

“But the family in the show is Taiwanese not Mainland Chinese!!” you say?

Well, guess what, there's been this thing in the 40s called the Chinese Civil War. Like a bunch of people escaped to Taiwan with the KMT because the commies won and pretty much it's the entire fucking reason Taiwan and China are separate entities. People of all ethnicities were in the KMT army dudes. Do you know Qi Yu and her brother Qi Qin? If you are Taiwanese, ask your parents who they are, they probably know. They are both ethnic Manchus. If there are Manchu people in Taiwan (who may or may not have--but most likely have--immigrated there with the KMT because the ancestral land for the Manchu people are way up north... in fact, there’s a border dispute between South Korea and China because the Korean “holy mountain” and the Manchu “holy mountain” is the same thing) then there's no reason why the father in the show couldn't be ethnic Korean. (Even if during the war, most ethnic Koreans sided with the Communists... according to the Communists. lol.)

Plus, it is completely possible for a Taiwanese person of Northern Chinese descent to have Korean blood in them and still be unaware of it and identify as Han or Man.  

由于地缘和中国与朝鲜半岛历史上的紧密关系，朝鲜族长期在中国东北地区或聚居或与其他民族杂居。早期到来的朝鲜人多汉化或者旗化，归化为汉族或满族。中国现代朝鲜族大多是19世纪后迁入中国的朝鲜族人的后裔。

Due to proximity in geography and the close history between China and the Korean Peninsula, Korean people has been living in the Chinese Northeast in self-segregated and integrated communities for a long time. The earliest arrivals had mostly assimilated with the Han or Manchu, and identify as ethnic Han or Manchu. The contemporary "Ethnic Koreans" are often descendants of the immigrants that came after the 19th century.  

(x) 

This is not a case of "all Asians are interchangeable", that's equivalent to, like, casting a Han Chinese person to play an Indian person (or a Malaysian or Filipino, but that gets messy because there are actually people of Han Chinese descent living in those countries) or casting a Korean person to play a Thai character (also can get messy because there are a good number of pale Thai people... but you get the gist). A korean person playing a Chinese character is no different from a British person being cast to play a German, or a Swede being cast to play French--or some other generic "white" nationality.

It's different than casting an Indian actor to play Han/Han-resembling Chinese... which would be like casting a fucking ginger to play someone from the Mediterranean.

Let's not pretend Koreans aren't already playing people of Han Chinese descent in CHINESE dramas. There's 蔡琳, who actually changed her name from 朴蔡琳 (Park Chae-rim) so that her name would sound more "Chinese" to get her career to take off in China. And I really dunno why she chose to do that because Park Hae-jin did plenty well (he was in a couple of Chinese dramas in 2011, before he did My Love From The Star) without changing his name. Then there's Choo Ja-hyun and many more lesser-known Koreans working in the Chinese entertainment industry. 

On the reverse, there are also tons of ethnic Han Chinese actors working in Korea, like Song Xi and Han Geng. 

So the precedent has already been set and it wasn't set by white people.

Chinese people don't all look like what the Han ethnic look like. China is a civilization-state made up of 56, again, 56 different ethnicities. Someone can appear middle-eastern and be Chinese. Someone can appear Persian and be Chinese. Someone can appear white and be Chinese. 

See this person? 

She doesn't look "Chinese" does she? Well she is. She is a Tajik living in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and before you say "Xinjing is not part of China"... if she doesn't identify as Chinese, then why the fuck is she working in the Chinese police department (anti-terrorism division)? It's perfectly normal for someone to be Tajik or Uyghur and self-identify as Chinese, just like its normal for someone to be ethnic Han and believe in Uyghur/Tibetan Independence. (Though the Xinjiang situation is WAY messier because there are many more ethnic minorities in that region, not just Uyghurs, and the Uyghurs are laying claims to certain lands inhabited by the Kazakhs and Tajiks, plus some Uyghur identify as Chinese (for example, the capital Ürümqi is divided between two sides, the south side is inhabited mostly of Uyghur with separatist sentiments while the North is inhabited by people who believe in unity with China.))

The tajik people look like this:

More photos from an English source here, and their histories here. 

If you are Han Chinese, they probably look nothing like you, but they are not LESS Chinese than you. Their ancestors have been living in the land that's been under the rule of Tang, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and People's Republic of China.  

In fact, the Tajiks are actually famous for being extremely patriotic since the Tang dynasty. They were autonomous but was akin to a vassal state and kept their sworn oath to the Emperor of "China" during many foreign invasions. 

Speaking of Russians... It's also possible to be ethnic Russian and be Chinese. Guess what, "Russian" is one of the 56 ethnic groups! They live in northern China and mostly Northeastern China, however, there are groups of them in the Xinjiang region.  

(look at dat Haier brothers sticker on their cabinet XD dat is so 90s Chinese...)

The ethnic Russians first came to China in the 18th century, and more of them came in the 19th century due to turmoil in their homeland. Some of them married with Han or Mongol and became more mixed, while some of them still looks... Russian.

The Tartars are also an ethnic group living in Western China. 

So if a show was about a girl from the far north or northwestern China and they hired a Russian girl, if she could speak fluent Chinese (with Dongbei accent =w= ), it’s not AS problematic as, say... Emma Stone playing a white-passing hapa in Hawaii. 

What about South-east Asians playing “Chinese”?

These are the Wa people of southern China. Who looks like this:

(more on google image)

A southeast Asian actor could probably play a Wa Chinese (who would be from southern China), because there are Wa people in Thailand and Vietnam and Myanmar/Burma.  

For certain ethnic groups, sometimes they identify with their ethnicity first. So say a Wa person moves to America, he or she might identify with other Southeast Asians of the same descent and simply say she's "wa" instead of "Chinese", while some will say they are Chinese. I've seen Hakka Chinese from Fujian identify as Hakka first when asked, instead of Chinese, even though the Hakka people are often regarded as the "purest/oldest" Han-Chinese lineage in China (because northerners mixed with the Xianbei people before Tang and Mongol/Manchu people after Song and Ming). 

Using "Chinese" as a racial signifier to mean "Han and Han-passing ethnic groups" when you are Han Chinese is as messed up as a white person saying his "race" is "American". "Chinese" indicates where you come from and it's an indication of culture sphere/assumption of lineage (again, it is the ASSUMPTION of lineage. It's like picking out a dude in a crowd and using "he" pronouns for him because cis people account for like over 90% of the population). It is NOT the end-all be-all of one's outward appearance and ethnicity.

The actual Chinese word for "people of Chinese descent" is 华裔. It comes from the world 中华, which is derived from 华夏. "华" started as Han-exclusive, and it was meant to contrast against all other groups of people who were given derogatory names (such as 蛮夷, 鞑子, etc) because they were considered barbaric and uncivilized. (i.e 服章之美谓之华,有礼节之大故称夏)

This word hasn't been Han-exclusive since Han people started assimilating other ethnic groups (we were doing white people shit before American white people did white people shit) during their expansion or when Han people are conquered. (For example, a group of Xianbei people conquered the Han people but their leader commanded his people to learn the Han language and culture and pretty much assimilated his people with the Han, the same group of people went on to become the Sui and Tang dynasties.) 

“华人”一词最初指汉族，但随着华夏文明扩展到全国各地，“华人”的概念渐由当初单指华夏族，扩展到受中华文明影响的周边少数民族身上。并成为了全体中华民族之人的代称，其下包括了“中国人”以及海外“华侨”。

"Hua ren" at first meant the Han ethnic, but as Chinese (Huaxia) culture spreads, the definition of "Huaren" became inclusive to the minority ethnic groups that were influenced by/assimilated into the culture, it became an identifier for all who identify as Zhong Hua Min Zu (Chinese National or of Chinese National Origins). 

Like literally the meaning of “Chinese” in the Chinese sense is super blurry and made even blurrier in English because there just isn’t the vocabulary for it. In the Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋), the definition of being “Chinese” is literally: ”夷狄用諸夏禮則諸夏之“ (If a barbarian uses the etiquette of the Chinese nation, he is Chinese) So like, according to this definition, if a white person who follows Chinese customs in life can self-identify as Chinese. I know some people must have an aneurysm with this but like, I didn’t make the rules.  

Words like "Chinese American" "Chinese Singaporean" and "Chinese Indonesian" indicate where one's ancestors came from. One can be Miao (note here for Hmong readers) and "Chinese Singaporean", one can be Buyi and "Chinese Indonesian".

If you use "Chinese" to signify something specifically Han, and especially in a context regarding one's appearance, even if you don't mean to be racist (because remember, the original Han-exclusive definition of "hua" automatically assumes superiority over other ethnic groups, and the whole reason Hmong people outside of China would like to be referred to as Hmong instead of "Miao" has to do with this exact issue) and exclusionary, it can be racist and exclusionary. Either you use "Chinese" to mean all people who identify as Chinese and are recognized by the Chinese government as Chinese, or you say "Han Chinese" or "Hakka Chinese" or "Hmong/Miao Chinese" instead of using simply "Chinese" when you mean han + han-passing. 

It's exactly like saying "Asian" when you just mean "just East Asian, not the brown people", like... just don't. 

[aliwept]

since figs is writing tokoyami’s cousin, here’s some of his family’s meta, specifically from his dad’s side!

note:  tokoyami took his mother’s family name.... tokoyami. in the caste system at the time, his mother was the ‘superior’ one, and so the dad changed his to tokoyami as well when they married.

tokoyami’s dad’s original (given) family name was.  wadhwa.  being hindu, it’s of indian /  sanskrit origin, meaning ‘rose bearer.’

his dad was born in our time’s delhi, but moved north through asia, where he met tokoyami’s mother.

tokoyami’s paternal grandmother’s full name is arundhati madhwa.  (’unrestrained,’ basically), and arundhati’s sister is named kamala (’lotus,’ or ‘pale red,’ also the name of a hindu goddess).

despite his grandmother being native american, she adopted a hindu name when she moved to india, as it made her higher in the illegal but still apparent caste system. her original name was ankti (repeat the dance); she was hopi-kiowa.

often they would go by initials, or otherwise change their names according to the situation (see this and this.) especially when in situations when they would be discriminated against with their normal name; indian and hindu names are usually easily recognized, and can cause difficulties when searching for jobs, etc. or just to escape persecution !

and his grandfather’s full name is sanjaya madhwa, though the name changed to sanjay as he grew earlier. (’complete victory’). he converted and became muslim, but still participates in familial ceremonies, puja, etc.

arudnhati / ankti went missing before tokoyami was born. they don’t know where she went, and have assumed she died (and preformed puja appropriately). sanjay died a couple years after she went missing out of a quirk-related sickness.

[colbertwodehous]

At twelve o’clock precisely I reached Masloboev’s.

At twelve o’clock precisely I reached Masloboev’s. You and me, these Freys, Lord Manderly, his plump new wife, even his bastard, we are but his playthings.” A serving man was passing by. Visitors watch an Airbus A380 during a demonstration flight of the Paris Air Show, at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Monday, June 15, 2015. I will serve as Tommen’s regent until he comes of age. For the Birds is a family friendly installation and Brighton Festival reserves the right of admission. Get in to your sexiest lacy underwear, devote tonight to unleashing the temptress in you and for once really enjoy it without hang ups. An envoy from the Yellow City is haibike e mtb 2020 in Volantis even now, hiring swords. Mico Max 30, designed for rear facing children from 4 bottines cloutees femme to 30 pounds and up to 32 inches, provides superior safety for baby with Air Protect Side Impact Protection and an anti rebound bar. His hair was a cap of coarse red-black wire cropped about his ears, and in one hand he held a sad cloth sack. Mr. 12, 1982 Place of birth: Regina Marital status: Single Spouse/Partner: None Children: None First vehicle: 1989 Chevy Corsica Current vehicle: 2003 Honda Civic Favourite food: Pizza Favourite drink: Vodka, 7 Up and lime juice Celebrity dream man: Rafael Nadal Most annoying celebrity: Lindsay Lohan All time favourite movie: Pretty Woman Last movie she loved: Fast And Furious Tattooed? 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[fragiledewdrop]

Cool. Then I guess the whole outrage at how Disney is considering to whitewash Mulan was for nothing - or do Chinese myths not 'transcend time'?

I get what you are saying, and by strict logic I would agree. I’ll try to make myself clearer.Yes, an historically accurate portrayal of the characters of the Iliad WOULD HAVE BEEN PREFERABLE. I agree with that.

I also pointed out that such a portrayal would have needed an extensive cast of people of colour, and their absence seem much, much worse to me than the presence of black characters as the Greek.

This GLARING oversight makes it so that the series is not historically accurate. Yet I haven’t seen complaints about that. It probably stems from the fact that  Homer’s poems are seen as part of western culture, and, in the mind of most people, western culture equals white. In the case of Homer’s work and Greek culture in general , though, that is just not true. Not only is the Iliad set in Asia, but Greek culture itself didn’t just stay in Greece and then influence Rome- it spread like wildfire through North Africa (especially Egypt)and through all of Asia, up to and including India. That was the scope of influence that Greek culture , and its myths and literature as a consequence,had at the peek of Alexander’s empire. The Iliad is not “white” for all of these reasons.(What I mean is, ot only does it not include only white characters, but it hasn’t influenced only European and-by extention- American culture.)

It is WRONG to have a cast full of white actors. At that point, any other ethnical addiction makes no difference. Hector could have been black or Indian or Chinese and it would have been just as wrong as having him white. So, since it’s obvious by this that the series is not historically accurate, I don’t see how adding a black character makes a difference. I don’t see how THAT is the big deal in comparison to a whole people being whitewashed. So, with that said, the only way to still enjoy the good aspects of the series is to see it as a modern interpretation of a western myth. If that is so,it’s only fair to aknowledge that all members all of western society grow up learning at least some of these myths, and that at this point in time “western society” doesn’t mean “white people” anymore. How many Europeans or Americans of colour have grown up with the same mythology? Since they have already thrown historical accuracy outta the window, what difference does it make to make a character black?

Black Achilles is just as historically wrong as a white Paris or Priamus or Hector, but in a way at least it provides a window to tell all those western not-white people that “hey, this story belongs to you too. It’s a fundamental part of our culture, and that means your culture too”.

Would historical accuracy have been preferable? YES. But once that is out of the table, I can still try to save it and view it as a myth like I said before for the sake of a good plot (still not sure if it is,I haven’t even finished the first episode) and good characters which is what I most crave about a retelling of these myths I love.And as an aside, I can be happy that that people of colour are getting a spot in it too, because why not? IT’S ALREADY HISTORICALLY WRONG, SO WHAT HARM CAN IT DO?

As for Mulan, at least from what I know,it is an inherently Chinese myth. There is already a beautiful Chinese movie that does it justice .But we don’t know about that movie, do we? Or about Mulan’s legend. And it’s not because “Chinese myths don’t transcend time”, but because it’s unfortunatly true that while western culture is pretty much known around the world because of colonization, Asian culture is not as well known in the west. In this specific case, the only way we came to know Mulan’s story was through a WESTERN cartoon. Now they are making a WESTERN movie of a Chinese story, and all the big deal about it being whitewashed is due to the fact that the white, dominant culture would in that way try to appropriate a story that, in the country where is being produced, represents a minority. Troy, on the other hand, is a rendition of a “““““““white”“““““ myth that is trying to INCLUDE minorities.

I understand that what bothers you about Troy is that it’s historically inaccurate, and you think that inaccuracy should be treated in the same way Mulan’s whitewashing has been. What I am sayiing is YOU ARE RIGHT: IT IS HISTORICALLY INACCURATE, BUT FOR AN EVEN BIGGER REASON THAT WHAT YOU MENTIONED, AND THAT BIGGER REASON- THE ERASURE OF  A GREAT NUMBER OF MAIN CHARACTERS OF COLOUR- MAKES THE PRESENCE OF A BLACK CHARACTER PALE IN COMPARISON. At least to me.

As an example, let’s say for the sake of the argument that they DID whitewash Mulan. The story would stll be beautiful- because, like in Troy, the setting and the plot would be the same- but all the characters are white. Except Shang. Shang is Black. Imagine then that someone came into my ask and said “Can you believe they made Shang’s character’s black? It’s ethnically and historically inaccurate” and so on and so forth. My response would be “Well, yes, but the whole movie is already historically inaccurate because the characters are all white instead of Chinese, so what does a black character change? At least it broadens the spectrum. At least there’s representation for SOMEONE”

Do you understand where I am coming from?

I repeat for the last time: yes, the series is historically inaccurate in its dealing with ethnicities, but the presence of black characters is the least of the problems in that sense and IN MY PERSONAL OPINION is not that bad because of all I  have said above about western culture and inclusion.

Once again, I hope what I am saying is clear enough. I repeat that it’s just my opinion. And maybe now I will go keep watching the series and see if it’s worth all the effort I put into giving this reading to it- that of an ancient myth presented in a way that mirrors our current society. Is it a good choice? I don’t know. I still would have preferred an historically correct version. But I am willing to give it a chance.

[pyotra]

Politicians have released a predictable storm of anger against the resistance to the imposition of Hindi across India from citizens of non-Hindi speaking states. They quote the data from the Census that records Hindi as the most commonly used language in the country to strengthen the case for Hindi as a rashtra bhasha (national language). But the word bhasha baffles me.

Bhasha or bhakha is a medieval term used originally for the hybridised language of the commoners as opposed to classical Sanskrit (literally meaning refined). Sanskrit has always nursed a diglossia [in which two varieties of the same language are used within a community] between the mostly upper caste and upper crust male users of the classical version, and the rest, including women from all castes and communities. It formally barred women and outgroups from its pale. But as the juggernaut of history rolled on, Sanskrit was replaced among the movers and shakers, first by Persian and finally by English.

The word rashtra bhasha is actually a misnomer. Bhasha or bhakha is an inclusive mélange of dialects from Braj, Awadh, Mithila and Bhojpur, as well as Urdu and Khadi Boli, that have been formally embraced by the common folk all over the North of the Indian sub-continent for centuries, with few regional variations.

[...]  

Purification of Hindi

The Hindi that the Union government today wishes to crown as the national language is a different kettle of fish. It is firmly moored to a vastly associational Sanskrit with all its casteist baggage intact. Its highly associational vocabulary is being used to purge thousands of words it has assimilated through the centuries from regional dialects and Islamic and European languages.

At the government-organised national Hindi Sammelan at Bhopal two years ago, the great emphasis was on how to bring about the shuddhikarn, or purification, of a fallen (bhrasht) Hindi loaded with rural dialects and Urdu-Persian words. Care was taken to exclude all potential dissenters and bring on board only those willing to help create the ultimate template for a shuddh, sanitised Hindi. Since then many of those connected to this effort have been recruited to fill posts in major governmental Hindi committees, educational boards, research bodies and canon-driven publications.

It is ironical while daggers are out on both sides over the language issue, the young in the Hindi belt are willingly abandoning Hindi in favour of English. When it comes to their children, people, including vociferous supporters of Hindi and the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership, root for an English-medium education in (relatively expensive) private schools. Parents and children are in agreement that vastly superior job opportunities and upward social mobility are accessible only if one masters English first.

[phynxrizng]

MOON ,SUN , STARS

THE SMART WITCH WELCOME

INTRODUCTION TO MAGIC

MAGIC CIRCLES & SPELLS

REFERENCE

HERBALISM

FORMULARY

MOON, SUN & STARS

Full Moon Names and Meanings

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred.

There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year. Here is the Farmers Almanac’s list of the full Moon names.

• Full Wolf Moon – January Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon.

• Full Snow Moon – February Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February’s full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.

• Full Worm Moon – March As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter.

• Full Pink Moon – April This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

• Full Flower Moon – May In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

• Full Strawberry Moon – June This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!

• The Full Buck Moon – July July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon.

• Full Sturgeon Moon – August The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

• Full Corn Moon or Full Harvest Moon – September This full moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most often, the September full moon is actually the Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice the chief Indian staples are now ready for gathering.

• Full Hunter’s Moon or Full Harvest Moon – October This full Moon is often referred to as the Full Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon. Many moons ago, Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally reaped in late September or early October, hunters could easily see fox and other animals that come out to glean from the fallen grains. Probably because of the threat of winter looming close, the Hunter’s Moon is generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day in both Western Europe and among many Native American tribes.

• Full Beaver Moon – November This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon.

• The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon – December During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.



Magical Moon Garden What could be more enchanting and enchanted than to cultivate your own Moon Garden! Honor the Silver Goddess in all her glory with a fragrant and luminous evening garden. A wonderful offering, from which you will benefit as well.

Many night-blooming flowers are white and rely on strong fragrance, rather than bright colors, to attract insects. Plant night-bloomers near a bedroom window, where the breeze can carry the fragrance indoors right into your dreams.

Night-blooming flowers for your garden include:

Angels Trumpet (Datura innoxia) Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) Four O'Clock (Mirabilis jalapa) Yucca (Yucca filamentosa) Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) Plant some night-blooming flowers in a circle to mimic the Moon. They look terrific alongside silver-foliaged Lambs ears and Artemisia. Illuminated only by moonlight, pale flowers and foliage add a dreamy, ethereal feeling. You don't need to have a big space, potted plants work too, just remember to add a trellis or place onto which viney plants can grow.

You can save and dry night-blooming flowers to use in amulets or talismans, or to dress a Moon candle. Add fresh flowers to a special oil you have fashioned on the Full Moon or to water for magical workings. Press flowers and leaves into your Book of Shadows, or make magical bookmarks for special journals.

Following a Moon planting calendar will add a magical touch and keep you in the flow of the cycles of the Goddess. You can place Moonstones and Crystals in the dirt of your Moon Garden to energize the plants for meditations and spells. Don't forget that when you take from a plant, you should ask its permission and give thanks, perhaps an offering of water, mulch or plant food.

The Charms

     John William Waterhouse

Pray to the Moon

   When She is Rounde

Luck with you

   Shall then abounde.

What ever you seek for

   Shall be founde,

In Sea, or Sky

   or Solid Grounde

        - Traditional Wiccan Rhyme

Magic During Eclipses

Solar Eclipses

Consider this fact about solar eclipses: A solar eclipse can only occur during the day, on a new moon. This means that you are working with new moon energy, which is great for getting rid of things and letting go.  A solar eclipse does not have to be visible for you to work magic. Working magic during an eclipse is rather advanced. In order to understand the energy of an eclipse, you must understand the energy of time and of the seasons. You must also be able to raise and focus energy within a quite limited amount of time.

During an eclipse, some people may sense a time of stillness, others experience a feeling of uncertainty. You may experience either of these like the tiny glimmer of time before a pendulum swings back after having swung all the way in one direction. This is the essence of an eclipse, and is a similar sensation to that felt within a magic circle.

Lunar Eclipses Consider this fact about lunar eclipses: A lunar eclipse can only occur during the night of a full moon. This means you will be working with full moon energy.  A lunar eclipse does not have to be visible for you to work magic.

Magic spells performed during lunar eclipses combine the power of the full and new  moons simultaneously. Therefore, consider carefully your wishes. Any spell performed during a Lunar Eclipse must be done carefully, as one is invoking the Triple Goddess in each of her forms. Consider carefully what you wish and write it out beforehand.



Moon Phase Magic

The Moon is the most important heavenly body to witches. We draw on her power for lunar magic. We cast our spells in accord with her cycles. She inspires and illuminates us. There are moon gods, but the Moon has always been perceived as female. The Moon is cyclical, like women. She mirrors the stages of our lives: "Maiden", "Mother" and "Crone". She is Changing Woman, as are we.

The Moon is the astronomical body closest to us and, therefore, she has a profound influence upon us. The highest energy occurs at the Full Moon and, therefore, this is the most powerful time for magical workings. The New Moon is the next most powerful time for Magic. New Moon Magic: Initiation The New Moon has a more inward feel than the Full Moon. The New Moon has a void or empty quality, and therefore can be frightening to those not comfortable with uncertainty. Can you learn to trust the dark? It's the moment when the old passes away and the new is not yet here. That's why it's a powerful time for sending out your prayer, wishes, desires to the Universe.

New Moon workings can be done from the day of the New Moon to three-and-a-half days after. The New Moon is great for new beginnings, starting a new venture, initiating a new project or embarking on an adventure. This is the time when new love and romance can flourish. This is the time to hunt for a new job or to start trying to get pregnant. Under the New Moon, work with the new: the beginning of a new life, a new career, a new love, a new you.

Waxing Moon Magic: Growth The Waxing Moon, when the Moon appears to grow larger in the sky, is a time of growth. From seven to fourteen days after the New Moon, use the Waxing Moon for constructive magic, including love, wealth, courage, success, friendship, luck and health. As the Moon grows larger, the more powerfully you will feel the energy of the Goddess.

Under the Waxing Moon, you want to work with building on what you have started under the New Moon: gaining in prosperity, getting money, developing or receiving love, working toward having a pregnancy develop in a healthy way. This is the time to bring positive and constructive things into your life, such as performing magic to bring prosperity and health.

Full Moon Magic: Your Heart's Desire From fourteen to seventeen-and-a-half days after the New Moon comes the Full Moon and its magical potential. This is the prime time for rituals for prophecy, protection and divination. Perform any workings that require extra power, such as helping to find a new job or healing for serious conditions. This is also the time for love, knowledge, money, dreams and legal undertakings.

The Full Moon is the time to really go for what you want. The Moon's energy is incredibly powerful, and you can ask her to help you in nearly any request. Full Moon energy is available three days before and after the actual date of the Full Moon, so use this time for divination, dreams, love and whatever else your heart desires.

If you don't know what you want, resist the temptation to work magic under the Full Moon simply because it's a good time for magical workings. Instead, consider performing a ritual to honor the Goddess and feel as one with her. This can be a powerful enough experience on its own.

Waning Moon Magic: Removing From three-and-a-half days after the Full Moon comes the Waning Moon. The moon is getting smaller, and this time is used for banishing magic; for ridding oneself of illness, addictions or negativity.

The Waning Moon is the time go rid yourself of negative things in your life. Perform banishing magic to lose some weight or rid yourself of a minor ailment. Work to eliminate negative influences in your environment, such as banishing stress from your office or silencing malicious gossip. Consider going to the source and banishing the tensions that are causing you to have stress.

Dark Moon Magic: A Break, or Binding Many magical practitioners believe that magic should not be worked during the three days each month that the Moon is dark and is not visible in the sky. The Goddess is thought to have descended into the underworld; she is in mourning, and her energy is at its lowest point of the lunar cycle.

During the Dark of the Moon, Hecate, the Goddess in her aspect of queen of the underworld rules, and some witches have been known to call upon her dark powers to perform negative workings at this time. Better to take a break from magic and relax and meditate during this time.

Should you choose to perform magic during the Dark of the Moon, this can be a time of ridding oneself of bad habits. You may perform binding spells, to explore your darkest recesses and understand your anger and passions. This also is a time for bringing justice to bear.



Zodiac Sun Signs

Aries: March 21 - April 20 Taurus: April 21 - May 21 Gemini: May 22 - June 21 Cancer: June 22 - July 22 Leo: July 23 - August 21 Virgo: August 22 - September 23 Libra: September 24 - October 23 Scorpio: October 24 - November 22 Sagittarius: November 23 - December 22 Capricorn: December 23 - January 20 Aquarius: January 21 - February 19 Pisces: February 20 - March 20



Moon Magic Through the Zodiac

Moon in Aries: Spells involving authority, willpower and rebirth. Moon in Taurus: Spells involving love, real estate, and money. Moon in Gemini: Spells involving communication, public relations and travel. Moon in Cancer: Spells involving domestic life and honoring lunar deities. Moon in Leo: Spells involving power over others, courage, child birth. Moon in Virgo: Spells involving employment matters, health and intellectual matters. Moon in Libra: Spells involving court cases, partnerships and artistic matters. Moon in Scorpio: Spells involving secrets, power and psychic growth. Moon in Sagittarius: Spells involving publications, sports and the truth. Moon in Capricorn: Spells involving career, political matters and ambition. Moon in Aquarius: Spells involving science, freedom, personal expression, problem solving, friendship. Moon in Pisces: Spells involving music, telepathy and clairvoyance.



Moon Water Tonic Tonic waters containing the energies of the moon embody powerful healing benefits that bring about integral balance and wholeness throughout the body, mind and soul. Clear quartz crystal catalyzes the absorption of lunar energies as well as amplifies the healing benefits.

To Prepare Moon Water:

On a clear night, preferably on or right before the full moon, place a clear quartz crystal in a clear glass and cover it with one cup of purified or spring water.

Check an almanac for the exact time of sundown on the day you have chosen. At sundown, place the glass out of doors in a moonlit place (cover the glass with clear plastic wrap).

Remove the glass at dawn. The water is now filled with lunar potency. Drink the moon water every morning to prepare your body, mind and spirit for the stress of the day.



Herbs of the Zodiac

Aries: Garlic, Hemp, Marjoram, Mustard Seed and Angelical Root Taurus: Colts Foot, Dandelion, Sage, Thyme, Patchouli and Cedar Gemini: Caraway Seed, Lavender, Mandrake, Vervain, Mugwort and Wormwood Cancer: Lemon Verbena, Marigold, Geranium, Apple and Catnip. Leo: Anise, Bay Leaves, Dill, Mint, Oak, Clove and Chamomile Virgo: Fennel Seed, Valerian, Skullcap and Cyprus Libra: Penny Royal, Thyme and Lemon Verbena Scorpio: Basil, Sasperilla, Horehound, Ash and Hops Sagittarius: Red Clover, Burdock, St. John's Wort and Tobacco Capricorn: Comfrey, Slippery Elm, Thyme and Jasmine Aquarius: Frankincense, Myrrh, Valerian, Sandalwood and Peppermint Pisces: Irish Moss, Seaspirit, Hyacinth, Lovage and Willow

Found in , Coven Life.com

Source, the smart witch.com

[bfosterst]

for people who don’t think noah centineo could be latino

from tv tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LatinoIsBrown

In real life, Latin America comprises a variety of ancestries and ethnic groups, making the region one of the most diverse in the world. The region is populated by a mix of the indigenous population who survived the colonization, descendants of Spanish and Portuguese colonists, African slaves and numerous immigrant populations who moved to the continent in the last two centuries from places as varied as Germany, Italy or Japan, leading to large numbers of the Latin American populations comprising (usually brown-skinned) various kindsof multiracial people, alongside the more customary Whites, Blacks, Native Americans and even East Asians who have sizeable communities in Peru and Brazil, and Arabs such as in Chile and Argentina.However, in fiction, if a person is from a Latin American country, or, alternatively, his family originated from there, he will usually fit the stereotype of a light brown-skinned person, with dark hair and dark eyes. This is probably related to the fact that most visual media are produced in the area of Los Ángeles, which has a huge population of Mexicans, and increasingly Central Americans, the vast majority of which are of mestizo heritage who usually fit this appearance. This creates a mistaken belief that all people South of the Border are brown-skinned multiracials, which flies straight in the face of the region's actual ethnic and racial diversity. This includes ostensibly non-Latino celebrities such as Martin Sheen (part Galician) and Sammy Davis, Jr. (part Cuban), most of whom have not called attention to their Latin heritage (Davis did claim to be part Puerto Rican instead of Cuban, for fear people would think he was a communist).This trope can be subverted if the Latino/a is visibly white, i.e. fair to medium skin, Caucasoid facial structure, light hair and/or eyes; a guero or guera. If a non-white Latino/a dyes his/her hair a light color and/or wears blue or green contact lenses, this trope isn't subverted unless the character can reasonably pass for white. Additionally skin-bleaching generally won't help either, since it doesn't tend to cover up the Asiatic features of many American Indians; even Swedish-American actress Kim Basinger, with her light blond hair and pale skin, still visibly shows her Cherokee heritage. Same for Africoid features in blacks unless you include plastic surgery.A similar problem is treating Latinos as if they are a separate race when they actually include all races. Part of the problem is Values Dissonance: raza does mean "race" in Latin American countries, but without the connotation of color that the related word has in English. A more accurate translation might be "people" or "society." Thus, not only are Latinos all brown, but they belong to "the brown race", which does not exist in modern anthropology note . This is an inherently North American concept: the "separate-but-equal" racial classification system that arose in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Canada never caught on in most Hispanic-American countries; in fact, even in the US, at least as far as the Census Bureau is concerned, "Hispanic" refers to ethnicity, not race. Ethnicity was much more often correlated to social class than to skin color, so a person with mixed ancestry but who had high social status could be considered "white" even if his/her skin tone was quite dark.Because Latinos are considered an ethnic group, and ethnic groups can technically be multiracial, there are Latinos with almost every possible human skin tone. The confusion between ethnicity and race can lead to such misguided notions as noting that, on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, Haiti is "black" and the Dominican Republic is "Hispanic;" in fact, most of the inhabitants of both are black, just divided between French-speaking blacks and Spanish-speaking blacks (the Dominican Republic is a tad more racially diverse than Haiti, however).This trope is usually averted in actual Latin American productions, where producers are usually more realistic about this phenomenon. Telenovelas usually avert this, though some come under fire for only casting light-skinned white actors, or giving only "servant" roles to those with darker skin.Strangely, this trope is never applied to other European peoples who have intermarried into Native populations: there are also the similar metis of French Canada and the mixed Scottish-Cherokee tribes of the Appalachian highlands, but no one ever describes Franco- or Scottish-Americans as being "brown." Though of course the French and the Scottish had smaller Native American gene pools with which to blend, and they also settled many places where Native Americans did not live (something that is much less true of the Spanish). Add to this the already dark skins of Spaniards (from living in a southerly climate) long before they settled the New World and the centuries-old perception of the Iberian peninsula as "exotic" due to invasion and conquest by Moors, and it's inevitable that a Latin American would be "brown" (no matter how pale compared to full-blooded Natives) while, say, a quarter-blood Cherokee with a Scottish last name would be "white."Even when everyone in question is "white" (European-descended), people of Spanish - and sometimes Portuguese - descent are usually thought, both in fiction and in fact, to be strikingly different from all other European peoples. If ancestry comes up in a plot or as just part of the flavor of a multicultural story, people of Hispanic descent will be viewed both in-universe and out through a lens of exoticism (usually Foreign Culture Fetish) no matter how light-skinned they are. Strangely, studies have confirmed that the Iberian genotype (and sometimes phenotype) is present not only on the Iberian peninsula but in France, Belgium, Britain and Ireland as well. Nevertheless, if characters who hail from these lands show up, it's a safe bet that not only will they be portrayed as American as apple pie in a U.S. program, but their immigrant ancestry will almost certainly not even be mentioned except in comparison to Latinos and nonwhites.This misperception can also apply to other Ambiguously Brown peoples. People from India, for example, are often assumed to be of a single race, when in fact the Indian subcontinent is home to at least three races and nearly three dozen ethnicities, some of whom are little to nothing like each other. One need only compare Bobby Jindal with Nikki Haley (although, ironically, both are Punjabi); this doesn't even include people of mixed European and Indian heritage, such as "white" British pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck (half Tamil) and "white" British-American actress Nicolette Sheridan (one-eighth Punjabi). The people of the Middle East are also often described as "brown", but that region is home to people of various stocks, including homelands as far-flung as North Africa and East Asia.Related to Phenotype Stereotype and Facial Profiling (where people from a country are always depicted with coloring associated with that country), Spexico (where Hispanic Europeans are conflated with Latin Americans), Latin Land (especially when the trope portrays all Hispanic American countries as an uniform mass), The Capital of Brazil Is Buenos Aires (when Latin Land extends into Portuguese-speaking Brazil). Compare with Interchangeable Asian Cultures. Since Cultural Blending is often involved, Not Even Bothering with the Accent is very much expected in scenes featuring Gratuitous Spanish.