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My Turn
by

Wayne Chan

From The Asian Reporter, V34, #9 (September 2, 2024), page 7.

To burn or not to burn, that is the question

My wife Maya and I have two completely opposite reactions to being in the sun.

On a cool, clear day, I love nothing more than to go outside with a t-shirt and shorts, take in all the fresh air, and feel the sun on my face.

Maya, on the other hand, has a different approach. She’s completely covered from head to toe, wears a huge, floppy hat that looks a bit like a giant portobello mushroom, and is slathered in sunscreen.

It’s a little bewildering to me because I’ve always suspected that as an Asian, we have a bit more protection against damage from the sun. After looking it up, studies do show that Asians and generally, all darker skinned populations, have more melatonin, which helps protect the skin from the sun’s UV rays.

That would explain why during my life, despite spending a lot of time outdoors, I’ve been sunburned only one time, and that was when I took a summer job at the beach as a lifeguard and I spent five days a week in the sun wearing only swim trunks and a baseball cap.

That would also explain why when I get together with many of my non-Asian friends, they inevitably talk about their recent visit to the dermatologist and how they need to have some skin removed due to sun damage.

Of course, upon hearing about their visits to the doctor and coping with sun damage, they can reliably expect me to say something like, "Guys, you should really try being Asian." And yes, I know I’m bragging about a situation that I can take no credit for, but I think is funny nevertheless.

Now I’m the first to say that everyone who spends a lot of time outdoors ought to take proper precautions to protect their skin, which includes generous use of sunscreen and protective clothing. But I also take some comfort in naturally being a bit more protected than many.

So it’s a little perplexing to me that in Asian culture, women in particular tend to avoid sunlight when possible, as evidenced by my Asian wife consistently wearing clothing that occasionally makes her look like a walking burrito topped with a portobello mushroom. May I also add (in case she reads this column) that she is the most beautiful walking burrito that I’ve ever met and I’m truly lucky to be with her.

When I inquired about this conundrum, I was told that while it is certainly true that human skin ages faster with a lot of exposure to sunlight, there’s also a perception that a lighter complexion is actually more desirable.

That’s perfectly fine with me, but it doesn’t explain how on the occasions when someone has complimented me about a particular picture, it’s usually one in which I’ve been in the sun a lot and they’ve often followed it up with, "You look Hawaiian!"

Or maybe it’s just because I tend to wear a lot of Hawaiian shirts?

Humor writer Wayne Chan lives in the San Diego area;

cartoonist Wayne Chan is based in the Bay Area.

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Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the
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My Turn by

Wayne Chan

My Turn
by