You have a black girl’s hair
Lauren, Fairpoint, NY. I was required to do this for a MSW course on ethnic diversity. As a white, Italian-American woman, it was very difficult...
My hair is not a weave!
Dana, USA. People always assume that if a black women has long hair, it’s not real.
Not all Scandinavians have blond hair.
Michelle, Norfolk, VA. When I tell people my father is from Denmark most people in America always ask me why my hair is not blond....
Saw an ugly world too early
Diana Ryan Millbury, MA My last name notwithstanding, I am 100% Puerto Rican through and through. That is an ethnicity, not a race but too...
White father, Black mother, BEAUTIFUL GIRLS!
Jessica Danielle Jensen Tampa, FL I am the product of two people who only saw “who” there were, not “what” they were. Because of their...
I’m Dutch-Indonesian. Why do you ask?
Jessica Stagg Heber, UT They’re eyes widened. “How..?” someone asked awkwardly. I laughed. It was a reaction that I was so used to whenever someone...
She is just a dumb blonde
Rachel Salt Lake City, UT Blonde hair and blue eyes must mean no brains, right? Despite having a college education, being an avid reader, having...
“We don’t do ethnic hair here”
Sahra Hassan Minneapolis, MN This was said to me by a hair stylist the minute I walked into a salon. Ironically, my hair was cover...
I am not a black honky.
Sarita Houston, TX As a child in the south, I was picked on for several reasons: I have a dark complexion, I have decent hair,...
People see white- but I’m Mexican!
Mikah Broken Arrow, OK A lot of people are surprised when I tell them I’m Mexican… I’m light-skinned with dark hair and it disappoints me...
I’m not their nanny, I’m Mom
Michele Ypsilanti, MI My darling boys are Chinese and Black but look more racially non-specific; even while I lived in northern CA, what people think...
Ambiguous Brown Girl with Big Hair
Caty Salas Oakland, CA Being a guessing game gets old. PC-ness has cut down on questions like “What are you?”, “What color are you?”, and...
No touching her hair, always mine
Maggie Whitman Boston, MA My African-American friend freaks out whenever anyone asks to touch or play with her hair, but she is always coming up...
Your hair’s pretty. What are you?
Jessie V. West Sacramento, CA. As a little girl I was always told “you have such pretty hair” and then with that i was asked...
