A portrait of people with albinism in Pakistan.
Albinism is a recessive genetic condition which comes in several different forms, and can effect people of any race or ethnicity. 1 out of 75 people is a carrier of the gene. In order for a person to be albinistic both of their parents must be carriers of the gene. In that case, there is a 25% chance the child will have albinism, 50% chance they will be a carrier or the albinism gene, and a 25% chance they will have normal genes. It is a condition found all over the world, however like many genetic conditions it is more rare in cosmopolitan societies where people tend to marry outside their group.
Also, notice how most of them henna their hair like I do. Interesting, since most people with albinism over here don’t dye their hair. I suppose the relative ease of availability of henna in Pakistan, and the popularity of blond hair in the West are two contributing factors, but I’d be interested in there being some kind of survey of people with albinism in Pakistan who have used henna at least as a child, to find out why it’s so popular.
I mean, everyone with albinism over here has horror stories of the bullying we endured as children, but still, most of us didn’t dye our hair. I did, but that was as much out of preference as self-preservation: I’m just not a blond person. And it did cut way down on the bullying. I don’t know if this is why these people dye their hair, but it seems like it’s mostly only the children that do, not so much the adults in this photo.
It breaks my heart that, the world over, children with disabilities and/or physical deformations or discolorations are still allowed to be bullied so much.
