Priyanka Chopra Jonas recently reflected on times in her youth when she was bullied because of her appearance, particularly the color of her skin.
In an interview with Associated Press, the actress said: “I was treated differently because I am brown.”
“I was really racist in 10th grade in high school,” said Chopra Jonas, 36. “I was called ‘brownie,’ ‘curry,’ and ‘get back on the elephant you came here on.’ That really affected me as a child and affected my self-esteem.”
She said experiencing this abuse motivated her to help others.
“I’m not going to let anyone feel that way again,” she said. “But it took this innate confidence that I think was created in me by my parents. It took my upbringing and my environment to create that.”
She believes that the bullying she experienced is a result of learned behavior.
“The way we treat people differently is the result of cultural, subliminal messages that have developed over eons,” she told AP. “The more we talk about it and open other people’s eyes and say, ‘It doesn’t have to be this way,’ and give them more examples, the more society will change, I think.”
Chopra Jonas spoke to Vogue India back in 2017 about her use of skin lightening cream and the beauty expectations and ideals she faced growing up.
“A lot of girls with darker skin hear things like, ‘Oh, poor thing, she’s dark,'” she explained to the outlet. “In India, they advertise skin lightening creams: ‘Your skin will be lighter in a week.’ I used them (when I was very young).”
“When I was in my early 20s, I did a commercial for a skin-lightening cream as an actress,” she continued. “I played the girl with the insecurities. And when I saw that, I was like, ‘Oh shit. What have I done?’ I started talking about how I’m proud of the way I look. I actually like my skin tone.”
The actress is now committed to embracing her own identity and appearance. She recently partnered with Obagi Medical for a global awareness initiative called “SKINCLUSION” that aims to “advance the global dialogue on diversity and make us all aware of the beauty in all our differences.”
“I want to create a world for my future children where they don’t have to think about diversity, where they don’t talk about it because it’s normal,” she told AP.
