An equally alarming result from the study indicated a low awareness of the potential risk of skin cancer among South Asian Americans:
* Only 46 percent of the study population believes that individuals with darker skin tones are at risk for cancer;
* Only 26 percent reported regularly protecting themselves from sun exposure;
* Only 64 percent believe that sun exposure is associated with skin cancer.
Shah blames pop culture for most of the misunderstanding, especially for the biases Indian Americans have towards lighter skinned people.
"Many Bollywood actresses and Miss India winners have noticeably lighter complexions," she notes.
