What is colorism? Study highlights discrimination based on skin color among Hispanics

Dark-skinned Hispanics have said they experience more discrimination than lighter-skinned counterparts.

Hispanics with darker skin report more discrimination and less access to opportunities than those with lighter complexions, according to a new Pew Research Center study.

Pew's National Survey of Latinos -- a bilingual, national survey of 3,375 Hispanic U.S. adults conducted in March -- highlights colorism, which experts and researchers have said is one of many ways people with lighter skin continue to enjoy unfair advantages.

Though colorism and racism often are connected, they're not the same thing, experts said. Racism is prejudice against people of a certain racial or ethnic group, while colorism affects the degree to which people experience discrimination. Those discriminating against others may even be in the same racial or ethnic group.

"They're both of the same [race or ethnicity], but their skin color differs, and people may have different perceptions of them as a result of skin tone," said Trina Jones, a professor of law at Duke University.