Staying untamed, accepting my curly hair

Not to brag or anything, but I had curly hair before it was cool. All jokes aside, there’s a level of truth to that. I was born in 2004 with a full head of 3A-3B curls.

You can see them a bit in the picture, if you look. Thus, I grew up in the early 2000s and 2010s, when curly hair and glasses were hallmarks of every makeover’s “before” picture. If you don’t believe me, look at the makeover scene in “The Princess Diaries.

” For years, I saw nobody with curly hair that was depicted as pretty, admirable, strong or all three in the media. Additionally, the real-life treatment I received for having curly hair was mostly negative. I was born to a wavy-haired mother and a bald father who struggled with my curls.

Outside of that, words like “unkempt,” “messy” and even “sloppy” were tossed at me by other family members and strangers alike. Race played a major part, too. Some of my white and lighter-skinned classmates also had curls, but they were looser than mine.

I wasn’t like them, and my peers and teachers certainly made sure I knew it — their hair was acceptable, but mine was not. Essentially, my curls were treated like a character flaw, rather than a part of me. Because of all that, my greatest wish growing up was for straight hair, and it remained that way for years.

I didn’t put much effort into my curls, hoping that if I mistreated and hated them enough, I would wake up one day to find that my wish had come true. Additionally, people treated me differently when I straightened my hair. They respected me more and treated me like I was as pretty, intelligent and interesting as everyone else.

Whenever I straighten my hair now, I notice the same pattern, but it doesn’t make me hate my natural hair like it used to. So, what’s changed over the years? The answer is simple: I saw other people accepting their curls, and I decided it was high time to start accepting mine That’s right. If you’ve been on the internet in the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that people with textured hair have realized that we deserve our place in the media — and in the world.

Now more than ever, there are forums and entire accounts dedicated to all types of natural curl patterns. On them, you’ll find advice, product recommendations and a plethora of different methods to try. Because of the increased conversation surrounding it, curly hair has made its way onto runways, red carpets and talk shows.

It’s looking like it’s here to stay. For me personally, my curls have also come to signify a deep connection to my Puerto Rican roots. They were passed down to me from my ancestors, and over the years, I’ve become honored to have them.

All of this is why, pardon my language, I’ll be damned if I let anyone make me feel ashamed of them ever again. Truth is, the hatred of curly and textured hair is rooted in racist and misogynistic beauty standards that expect conformity and promote the demonization of features associated with racial minorities. It’s ridiculous that these standards have stuck around in 2024, if you ask me.

But they have, despite all of our efforts. As college students about to enter the professional world, we’re all quite focused on how others perceive us. As I said, I’ve known for a long time that I’m respected more when I have straight hair, and I’m sure I’m not the only curly-haired college student who feels that way.

However, no matter what we choose to do with our curls, we need to know that they’re nothing to be ashamed of. If someone has a problem with your curly hair, something is wrong with them and their attitudes, not with you. So, when you can, have the courage to be untamed.

Show your curls all the love you can. It might just inspire someone else to love their own — and even if not, it will definitely inspire you. Curly hair wasn’t considered “cool” for a long time, but the truth is, it was always cool, and it will always be.

Let’s keep making sure that the world knows it. MORE COLUMNS Two weeks ago, I burst into my 20th century poetry class 20 minutes late, the most egregiously late I have ever been to a class..