What We Learn from Studying Women of Color

When we study women of color, we raise our awareness and understanding of the exp ences of all women either implicitly or directly. Quite significantly, because of the imbalar power relationship between White women and women of color, information about one gi tends to make more apparent the experiences of the other group. It is well known, for e: pie, that ideals of beauty in the United States are based on the blond, blue-eyed model, logue about the reactions to that model in the experience of women of color, both u their ethnic groups and as they relate to White women, ultimately reveals that White w often judge themselves by that model of beauty. White women also serve simultaneou reminders or representatives of that ideal to women of color and, most frequently, to i selves as failures to meet the ideal. Another way of stating this is that a way of understanding an oppressor is to stu< oppressed. Thus, we come to another level of awareness and understanding when we women of color. We see clearly that White women function both as women who shai tain similar experiences with women of color and as oppressors of women of color.