Caribbean Woman Research Paper

Being a Caribbean woman, I am mixed with multiple different descents that I’m not even aware of. I was born with naturally curly hair, which was not as “trendy” and adorned as it is today. While growing up, it was hard fitting in with the other girls that had silky, straight, non-frizzy hair. Throughout middle school, students would tease me for how big and curly my hair was. Being bullied for something I couldn't control led me to make decisions I wish I had never made. I was one of the few people with naturally curly hair in my classes. Due to that, I was very restrained and tended to stay to myself until I’ve gotten comfortable, which was rare. There was a kid in my mentor class that consistently teased me for my hair daily. The minute I would walk into class, he would laugh and make a provoking comment such as, “You’re the only one with that kind of hair, it’s ugly.” I am a type of person that is full of joy and energy, but once he’d make comments, I’d be torn apart. In other classes, students would say, “ I can’t see the board, Shaniah’s big hair is in the way,” and teachers would move me from …show more content…
Most days are curly and other days I straighten my hair. When people first started making fun of me for having naturally curly hair, I decided to make a change and straighten it. The next day, I walked into class with a bit more confidence and hoped for the teasing to end. The worst part of this entire experience would be that when one person would make a comment, everyone would laugh. Not one person would show empathy for me. “Why is your hair so puffy, isn’t it supposed to be straight,” a group of students in my mentor class would say whenever I straightened my hair. My hair texture was different from an average African American’s so when I straightened my hair it would look different from theirs. I assumed this was why they would bully me for my hair all the time; because it was