It's a care package from my mom back home in Los Angeles.

這是我回洛杉磯時，媽媽幫我帶的東西。

It's always filled with everyday items and a bunch of Filipino goodies.

通常都塞滿了每日保養品和一些菲律賓的一些點心。

Instant noodles in here, Sinigang soup packet, fruit from my mom's backyard, toothpaste.

泡麵、菲式酸湯包、媽媽後花園種的水果、牙膏。

But then there's this, skin whitening products.

再來是這個，皮膚美白產品。

Skin whiteners are a big business.

皮膚美白產品是一個大商機。

More than four hundred million dollars worth of skin whitening products is sold each year in India alone.

光在印度，美白產品每年的銷售額就超過四億。

Eight out of ten women in Nigeria use skin lightening products.

奈及利亞十名女性就有八名會使用美白產品。

The world's highest percentage.

這是全世界最高的百分比。

Skin lightening market in Asia-Pacific alone is valued at over 13 billion US dollars.

光在亞太地區，美白產品價值就超過一百三十億美元。

In 2015, the skin whitening industry was worth about $10 billion worldwide.

2015 年，世界各地的美白企業價值約一百億美元。

And by 2024 it is expected to more than triple to 31.2 billion dollars.

到 2024 年將會以三倍成長增加至 312 億美元。

These products have been around for a long time.

這些產品已經銷售已久。

And have proven to be damaging physically and emotionally.

也已經證實會傷害人體和心理。

So, what accounts for the growing popularity?

但為什麼它的歡迎度會持續上升呢？

For starters skin whitening products rely on advertisements like these, "Wow, you have the most beautiful, glowing skin"

首先，美白產品很注重廣告，像這種：「哇，妳的皮膚好漂亮，閃閃動人！」。

"Now, I have visibly fairer skin"

「現在我的肌膚很明顯更美了。」

Skin color forms part of what gives us access and prestige in society.

在社會上，皮膚的顏色影響著我們的出入與地位。

All these negative associations that society has already imposed on dark skin.

這些負面的關係都已被社會加諸於黑皮膚上。

"You can't be happy, you can't find a man."

「你不會快樂的，你不可能找到好男人的。」

Right? You don't fit into society beauty ideals.

對吧？ 你不符合社會漂亮的定義。

So the advertising is only reinforcing and exacerbating a sustained message.

所以這類的廣告只會加深和惡化這種刻板印象。

Thanks to globalization, it's a message that's reaching more people every year.

因全球化的緣故，這個訊息每年都會傳達給越來越多人。

The worldwide cosmetics market was worth about 293.5 billion dollars last year and it is expected to grow.

去年，世界各地的保養品市場市值大約為兩千九百三十五億美元，未來將持續上漲。

That growth is fueled by a rising middle class especially in the Asia-Pacific region, which has the biggest share of the cosmetics market.

上漲原因是來自於亞太地區的中產階級，亞太地區有著最大的保養品市場份額。

But these products and the messages of these ads are destructive because they rely on a concept called "colorism", which sociologist Margaret Hunter defines as the process of discrimination that privileges light-skinned people of color over their dark-skinned counterparts.

這些廣告的產品和訊息是有害的，因為這些廣告都依靠一個概念：「膚色」，社會學家 Margaret Hunter 將此定義為歧視的過程，與皮膚較黑的人相比，皮膚較白的人有更多的特權。

One study showed that lighter skinned black women in North Carolina received shorter prison sentences than their darker peers.

一項研究顯示，皮膚較白的黑人女性在北卡羅來納州，被判決的刑期會與皮膚較黑的黑人女性來得短。

Another study found that white interviewers deemed light-skinned blacks and Hispanics more intelligent than dark-skinned people who had identical educational achievements.

另一項研究顯示，皮膚白的面試官認為皮膚較白的黑人女性和拉丁美裔人都比黑皮膚的人來得聰明，但其實他們三者學歷都相當。

They also reinforce centuries-old ideas about race and hygiene.

他們也加深了長久以來對於人種和衛生的刻板印象。

Check out these old soap ads.

看看這則舊肥皂廣告。

This was part of a larger project of presenting white civilization, European civilization as superior and here, the association is that blackness is a form of uncleanliness that can be wiped away.

這個設計呈現的是白人文明比較好，而這之間的關係就是黑色是一種不潔淨的形式，而這是可以被抹除的。

But it's also, in many ways, simply a very blatantly racist ad.

在很多方面看來，這就僅僅是一則公然的種族歧視廣告。

During the civil rights era, the Black Power movement sought to counter this idea with messages like "Black is beautiful".

在民權時代，黑人權利運動利用一些詞語來反擊上述想法，例如：「黑就是美。」

But that message hasn't undone the damage wrought by centuries of colorism.

但這些詞語並沒有辦法抹去好幾世紀以來，人們對於膚色的歧視。

Why do you want that skin color?

妳為什麼想要這種膚色？

Because it looks lighter than this kind.

因為它看起來比我的還要白。

Cause this looks alike like that one.

因為這個跟那個很像。

I just don't like the way brown looks.

我就是不太喜歡咖啡色。

Cause the way brown looks really nasty for some reasons, but I don't know what reason, that's all.

因為某些原因它看起來有點髒髒的，但我不知道為什麼，就這樣。

These products are also dangerous because they can physically damage the skin.

這些商品也十分危險，因為他們在生理上是會傷害皮膚的。

I've seen very intense cystic acne.

我曾看過很急性的囊腫性座瘡。

I've seen irreversible skin thinning from using high-strength hydroquinone.

也曾看過病患皮膚變得越來越薄，就因為他們使用了強力的對苯二酚。

I've seen ochronosis, which is a paradoxical darkening of the skin.

我也曾經看過褐黃病，也就是皮膚以不合理的方式變黑。

Aside from creams and soaps, there's a wide variety of ways people are lightening their skin.

除了乳液和香皂以外，人們還用了很多其他的方式美白皮膚。

Like, getting chemical peels, using glutathione injections or pills or even applying cleaning bleach to their face and body.

例如化學換膚、注射谷胱甘太或是吃藥，甚至是漂白他們的臉部和身體。

Hydroquinone is a highly toxic chemical used in photo processing, rubber manufacturing and hair dyes.

對苯二酚是一種具高毒性的化學，通常是用來處理相片、製造橡膠和染髮上的。

But it is also one of the most commonly used ingredients for skin whitening.

但這也是美白產品裡最常見的成份。

It's regulated in the U.S. and banned in certain countries abroad.

在美國該化學物屬管制藥品，而且在某些特定國家更是禁止使用的。

But consumers get their hands on high concentrations of it through under-the-table sources.

但消費者還是有辦法透過不合法的方式，拿到高濃度的對苯二酚。

In the U.S. light-skinned beauty standards still exists in more subtle messages like, "who is considered the most beautiful?"

美國的淺膚色審美標準中仍以微妙的形式存在，像是：「誰是最美的？」。

And some celebrities of color appearing to have lighter skin over time.

有些明星的膚色好像隨著時間變得越來越白。

You are looking to be white, what do you say to that?

你想要變得白一點，你對此有什麼看法？

I would say that as an adult you decide to do things.

我認為身為一個成人你可以自己決定要做什麼。

It's like, do you guys condemn people who tan their skin?

就好像，你們會譴責那些將皮膚曬成褐色的人嗎？

Do they do it because they hate themselves?

他們這麼做是因為他們討厭自己嗎？

No, it's a choice as an adult.

不是，這是一個成人下的決定。

While wanting lighter skin is not a crime nor is it necessarily bad.

想要擁有更白的皮膚並不是罪過，也不一定是不好的。

It's important to be conscious of this choice and why it's different from skin tanning or putting on lipstick?

下這個決定前應該要三思，這跟把皮膚曬黑或擦上口紅又有什麼不同？

Because ultimately, from applying creams and getting regular treatments to avoiding skin tanning all together, skin whitening is a way of life.

因為最終，不管是使用乳液做一些常規治療來防止皮膚變黑，皮膚美白就只是一種生活的方式。

Attitudes are starting to change with inclusive makeup lines and emojis, media campaigns celebrating dark skin beauty and more celebrities talking about the issue.

對於某些事的態度已經開始有所轉變了，包含化妝品和表情符號，媒體宣傳活動開始讚揚黑皮膚的美，也有更多的名人開始注重這項議題。

"I still feel like that's what we're fighting, healing from the past"

「我認為我們還在奮鬥，從過去慢慢痊癒。」

But many people are still unaware of their preferences for light skin because it's so deeply ingrained in society.

但有很多人還是沒察覺他們比較喜歡白皮膚，因為這樣的觀念已在社會中根深柢固。

And despite the criticism and safety issues of these products, the projected growth in sales means the world still has a long way to go until the practice of skin whitening becomes obsolete.

儘管這些產品有一些爭議和安全疑慮，從預計不斷上漲的銷售額看來，我們這未來還有一段很長的路要走，直到美白商品過時。