Originally published on December 19, 2017
By the time I was in the 4th grade I was already getting my hair blown out. I got my first relaxer in the 6th grade. I probably would havebegged for it - but I’m Dominican and my mother is a hair stylist, so I didn’t have to. Unfortunately, Dominicans - and a lot of other cultures affected by COLONIZATION - are very unaccepting of their naturally textured hair and they are obsessed with straightening. I know things are in the process of slowly changing (thank God) but for decades that's how it's been. All young girls idolize straight hair. It’s all they see on Television, magazines, and a very high majority of all the women around them straighten their hair. To make the long story short, straight hair is a huge part of growing up for Dominican girls and it's a huge part of your beauty regimen as you age. For example, a few months ago I had a job interview and I went to my mom's house after. She went on to tell me that if we were in the Dominican Republic I wouldn’t dare attend an interview with my hair that way(aka CURLY AF). She laughed and said they might not even let me in.