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How is touching another person hair considered racist?

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Putting race aside, your hair is a part of you. Do you go around asking to touch other parts of people's bodies? Why is hair the exception?
 
Do you generally walk up to women and ask to touch their breasts? Their face? Do you walk up to them and sniff them? No, why?
The issue is obviously not walking up to randos and doing this.

I've often had people touch my hair (or ask to) after a haircut. It's people I know, not strangers. It's no big deal.
 
Yes.


That's completely fucked up (not asking) but I don't know why you would just assume racism? I imagine if I were a racist I wouldn't want anything to do with your hair.

Well you know, if White people hadn't treated us like cattle for 400+ years they might get the benefit of the doubt. Why should we trust your intentions?
 
Just to add, as someone who's had his hair chemically straightened before, I was much less sensitive about people touching it (not just socially, but physically) when it was straight. I don't know how to describe it, but the sensation of someone touching your hair when it's curly is different; you can really feel every bit of the contact in a way that's sort of intimate and uncomfortable, whereas when someone would touch my straightened hair I felt like more they were touching the top of a hat on my head.

So, you know, aside from the racial undertones you might want to be cognizant of the fact that it might feel much more intimate/ticklish for the person you're doing it to than it would be if someone did it to you.
 
Yes.


That's completely fucked up (not asking) but I don't know why you would just assume racism? I imagine if I were a racist I wouldn't want anything to do with your hair.

I dunno man, racists are pretty fucking weird. I see every now and then where people make the assumption that racists do everything in their power to avoid whoever they're racist against, but that's not always true. Some might fetishize you, just think you're inferior to them, or some other crap.
 
Would a mod be nice enough to shut this down? A lot of people are not comprehending the situation and comparing tit grabbing and such. Someone asked to touch my hair, I want to know if its ok to do so back. This is getting twisted to shit.
 
There was a time in middle school were this guy (kinda my friend not really) started growing an afro and all the white girls in my class would run up to him and touch it and shit. Being unpopular, I did ponder the idea of growing an afro just for cute white girls to touch my hair back then. The 7th grade girls were not running up to touch a shadow fade I'll tell you that much. Nowadays I just stick with a temple fade with a part.
 
Is no one reading the OP? I'm not walking up to anyone and doing anything. IT'S HAPPENING TO ME and I want to know if its ok to do so back?

And yet, you are asking why it is taboo/racist to do the opposite way (back at the Black girl) and we are telling you why it is in situations where there is no mutual interest in touching someone's hair.

In your particular situation, I would guess that it would be fine to touch each other's hair, since she initiated the contact.

Again, YMMV.
 
This thread made me randomly decide to check why hair is curly or straight. Apparently it's the shape of the follicles. A round follicle produces straight hair, a skinnier follicle produces curlier hair.
 
Would a mod be nice enough to shut this down? A lot of people are not comprehending the situation and comparing tit grabbing and such. Someone asked to touch my hair, I want to know if its ok to do so back. This is getting twisted to shit.
You asked if it was considered racist. You opened that can of worms in the thread title alone.
 
If she asks to touch your hair, you can ask back. It's kinda weird, but there is room on this earth for weirdos.

If you are just asking black people if you can play with their "exotic" hair it's pretty evident why that is racist. Even if that isn't why you are doing it, sadly a bunch of terrible shit happened and you should probably just be polite and not do it.

Granted, some people have moved the goal posts when convenient in an effort to excuse their own racist shit. People will bend over backwards to say that any gesture coming from politeness or positivity cannot be racist. Those people are bullshit artists though.

See also: expecting an Asian to be good at math or know martial arts.
 
If you and this person agree that you can touch each other's hair, why wouldn't it be.

Because I see a lot of people mention that its wrong to do so. I shouldn't feel weird about it, but if you look at the responses in this thread....people talking about grabbing tits. Ridiculous. Just needs to be shut down.
 
Would a mod be nice enough to shut this down? A lot of people are not comprehending the situation and comparing tit grabbing and such. Someone asked to touch my hair, I want to know if its ok to do so back. This is getting twisted to shit.

If someone asked to touch your hair, YES it is ok to ask back. Jesus christ.
 
Because I see a lot of people mention that its wrong to do so. I shouldn't feel weird about it, but if you look at the responses in this thread....people talking about grabbing tits. Ridiculous. Just needs to be shut down.

To be fair your responses was not that clear,
 
Gaf, a woman just asked if she can touch my dick, but I heard it was sexist; Should I let her? Oh yeah, she said I could touch her back too.
 
I've seen a ridiculous amount of comments on the internet about touching hair being racist. Back story, I have a co worker who loves hair and always asks people if she can touch their hair. I wanted to do so back, but did not for fear of it being racist. Through time I've been taught to feel as though its wrong to do so, but if someone asks to touch your hair can I not ask to do so back?(she has beautiful hair btw.)

Because it's almost entirely centered on black people's. It's less racist than a creepy fucking invasion of privacy.

But it is still racist. Don't do it and don't ask to do it.
 
I'm not a doll. Is it normal for people to just walk up to strangers and touch other body parts?

Your situation is different. Both of you touching each other's hair would be weird but not racist.
 
Yes. White people get asked this too, and it's annoying. My mom has very long blond hair(to her knees) people touch her hair daily, usually without asking. She takes this way better than I would.

Do I even need to tell you what happened when Tangled released.
 
Again, removing race, someone's hair isn't a prop in your life movie.

I sure as shit wouldn't go up to a random stranger and ask if I could fuzzy their hair.

I would be just as annoyed if some random stranger came up to me and asked if they could rub my bald head for luck. Well, maybe not. I had someone ask if they could rub my head recently during hockey playoffs and it was acceptable to me because they were cheering for the same team I am.
 
When I was in Japan for a year, one of my earliest memories of being there was my first week in school (I was an exchange student). I was hanging out in the rec area after school one day and a group of girls from my class kind of snuck up to say hello. I had spiky-ish hair (it was 2003, which was the style at the time.. I think lol) blonde hair - I'm caucasian - and one of the girls asked if she could touch my hair. I said yeah and she patted my head a little and giggled and ran off back the group and they left. I never knew what to make of that.
 
Now, I get that some want to touch, but please ask a close friend or significant other. I'll accept young kids, but adults? No.

I get why Caucasian are amazed that our hair head to the skies, but think of as pregnant woman's belly. It's cute and cool but don't go up to them and rub their bellies if you don't know them like that.
 
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