Tricia Capistrano of New York city, who is married to a Caucasian with ancestors from Sweden and Slovakia, describes how she and her son became a sort of instant celebrity when they visited the Philippines two years ago.

She said she did not envy Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with the most popular baby in the world because everywhere she went in Manila, her son, Emil, was always surrounded by women ogling about how cute and fair-skinned he was.

“My son is mestizo, of mixed race,” she said as she describes herself as a brown-skinned woman with a wide nose which she got from her mother.

She said she herself are fascinated by the lighter skinned “because our islands were invaded so many times by whites who tried to convince us that they were better and more beautiful than us."

She went on to describe the 400 years of Spanish rule and almost 50 years under the Americans. “As a result, skin-whitening products fly off the pharmacy shelves," she said.

She joked that because most famous actors in the Philippines are of mixed race, she might send Emil home so he can become a matinee idol and “fund our retirement.” While in Manila, she said she also approached some friends in advertising if Emil can land a commercial for diapers, cereal or maybe ice cream. But later, she said, she realized that this would make her “a part of the system that can sometimes make us dark-skinned people believe that we are inferior.”

She continued: “My mom, whose nose I acquired, has one of the widest among her brothers and sisters. She taught me to pinch the bridge daily so that the arch would be higher, like my cousins. Most of her girlfriends got blond highlights and nose jobs as soon as they received their first paychecks, almost as a rite of passage.

“As a teenager, I tried to hang out with the mestizas, because I wanted to be popular like them. It was only when I was 22 years old and moved to New York, where people of different colors, beliefs and sexual orientations are embraced, that I learned to appreciate my brown skin, wide nose, straight, black hair and five-foot stature. Because of the self-confidence I saw in the people I met, I found everyone-in the subway, on the street, in restaurants-beautiful.

“When some of my friends in Manila express disappointment that their children are not as light-skinned as Emil, I tell them it doesn’t matter. And for a long time, I’ve been content with my decision to skip my plans for Emil to be on the airwaves. I felt I was doing my share for my brown brothers and sisters.”

But Tricia said that after meeting a friend who told her she also worked her way to college because her parents could not afford her education, she debated whether or not to proceed with the plan to make Emil a star.

Tricia then went on describe how expensive it would be for Emil to get an education. She estimated that by the time he becomes 16, his college would cost about $500,000.

She said:

“Once again, I’m tempted to call that agent. After all, I am sure other fair-skinned children are being chosen to appear in Philippine commercials even as I write this. I know my boycott is just an anecdote in the world’s bigger drama. The real stage is in my decolonized mind. If my son ever lands a part on TV because of his color, do I want to be the one who has cast him? If I use my son’s fair-skinned good looks to pay for his education, am I being savvy or just selling out?

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAKE PRICE-WPN FOR NEWSWEEK