Episode 5: Brown Skin is Beautiful

In episode 5 of “CRACKING THE COCONUT” we dive into skin — specifically brown skin, and how it is frowned upon in the Filipino community. There is a classist idea that dark skin equates to being poor or disadvantaged because one is outside working in the fields all day, while being light-skinned equates to lux, money, and power. In the Philippines, skin color is used as a form of monopoly that has the possibility to open doors and opportunities, depending on how light one’s skin is. Maybe this is why Filipino parents try to lighten their children’s skin? So they are able to reap all the possibilities and make a great life for themselves.