• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

How is touching another person hair considered racist?

Status
Not open for further replies.
ItIsOkBro said:
is anyone trying to touch a white person's hair
Click to expand...

If you've got curly hair, yes.

Happened to me several times especially when I was younger (my hair is very curly and doesn't fall down when I let it grow) - e.g. one time in a lecture a girl sitting behind me randomly started patting my head without even asking first, wtf.

Having said that, I assume black people have it a hundred times worse so I won't act like being white with curly hair is super hard.
 
Samara said:
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.
Click to expand...

But that's how it starts!
 
disappeared said:
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.
Click to expand...


I also had spiky hair in the late 90's. This happened to me a lot.
 
TatorTots said:
Sorry if I do not want to offend someone or do anything that comes across to make me look like a piece of shit.
Click to expand...

Then ask the person in question. Don't make a "i just don't know" thread about it and drag race into it for Friday night chuckles.
 
Yeoman said:
I don't understand what you mean by "meant to be". Braided hair is just a hairstyle used by many people.
Click to expand...
This is not a hairstyle used by many people.
Code: 
[IMG]http://thirstyroots.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/23-poetic-justice-box-braids.jpg[/IMG]

or this

Code: 
[IMG]http://hairstylesidea.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/braid-hairstyles-natural-hair-nice.jpg[/IMG]
 
disappeared said:
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.
Click to expand...

grIEIJK.gif
 
disappeared said:
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.
Click to expand...

https://youtu.be/xWT6xz6LYGA?t=82
 
disappeared said:
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.
Click to expand...
It's nothing. They just wanted to see How It is.

I wouldn't want that though. A stranger asking me to feel my hair? No. Someone i know? Sure. Why not. I don't feel like someone is invading my privacy because my hair is not anything private to begin with. It's there for everyone to see.

Now, strangers? I don't want to talk to strangers, even less being touched.
 
She asks me every single time if she can touch my hair and today began to braid it. My natural response was to reach out and touch her hair, but I understand some people do not want to feel like a pet and etc. Those ideals I've heard is preventing me from just being comfortable because I do not want to make someone feel odd. Just looking for advice. I am not someone that walks up and starts grabbing breasts and such.
 
I remember I was in ChikFilA and some white lady just swooped her hand through my hair and then after the deed was done she said ''oooh its so pretty Can I touch it"? Then her Man or whatever looked at me like I did something wrong.
Im looking back at him like wtf.... also yo bitch choose me.

I have a curly afro but I always look kind pissed off all the time. People so damn bold now they think they can just do anything. Not a single negative repercussion went through her head when she felt my hair up.
 
Darryl M R said:
This is not a hairstyle used by many people.
Click to expand...
Well you used the Kardashians for example, being of Near Eastern heritage their ancestors have had braided hair for thousands of years:
assyrianofficials.jpg

Statuette_Goddess_Louvre_AO20127.jpg

It was very common for various warrior castes all around the Mediterranean.
 
Dealt with it since I was a kid; people always want to touch my hair. I've gotten to a place where as long as they ask first, I'm like whatever. I do take offense to the people who touch my hair without asking - which happens as well. It's happened twice within the past month in fact.
 
Next OP: Why is coloring your skin for a costume considered racist?

I really like this character why can't I make myself look like them?
 
TatorTots said:
She asks me every single time if she can touch my hair and today began to braid it. My natural response was to reach out and touch her hair, but I understand some people do not want to feel like a pet and etc. Those ideals I've heard is preventing me from just being comfortable because I do not want to make someone feel odd. Just looking for advice. I am not someone that walks up and starts grabbing breasts and such.
Click to expand...

This sounds like flirting to be honest. If you have some kind of relationship touching each other's hair is not considered racist or wrong. It's generally when some stranger or loose acquaintance does it out of nowhere.
 
Acrylic7 said:
I remember I was in ChikFilA and some white lady just swooped her hand through my hair and then after the deed was done she said ''oooh its so pretty Can I touch it"? Then her Man or whatever looked at me like I did something wrong.
Im looking back at him like wtf.... also yo bitch choose me.

I have a curly afro but I always look kind pissed off all the time. People so damn bold now they think they can just do anything. Not a single negative repercussion went through her head when she felt my hair up.
Click to expand...

The girl I work with asks to play with my hair. I am white. She is black. I have never walked up to anyone and began to play with their hair. That is super disrespectful.
 
Be black and have natural hair. Then watch as people completely forget that you're human and think they can touch your hair whenever they want. Its completely disrespectful and dehumanizing and seems to happen disproportionately to people who have darker skin and curly hair.
 
Yeoman said:
Well you used the Kardashians for example, being of Near Eastern heritage their ancestors have had braided hair for thousands of years:

It was very common for various warrior castes all around the Mediterranean.
Click to expand...
Remind me what caste the current day Kardashian falls in? Ah they don't fall in one. Because we are referring to modern day Kardashians.

So them wearing braids and cornrows as a fashion statement after Black women were insulted for wearing them for decade doesn't change that Black hairstyles are mostly respected desired on non-Black skin. Hairstyles that were popularized and used to protect natural coarse hair, also referred to as Black hair.
 
watershed said:
Be black and have natural hair. Then watch as people completely forget that you're human and think they can touch your hair whenever they want. Its completely disrespectful and dehumanizing and seems to happen disproportionately to people who have darker skin and curly hair.
Click to expand...

This is my problem. She plays with my hair and she has natural hair and it looks amazing. Of course I want to touch it. My hair is trash.
 
OP, people have explained to you in what context it would be considered racist and why. Asking to touch a co-worker's hair after they ask to touch yours is not racist, just weird.
 
Darryl M R said:
Remind me what caste the current day Kardashian falls in? Ah they don't fall in one. Because we are referring to modern day Kardashians.
Click to expand...
You stated that braids were meant for a specific group of people. I'm pointing out that they have been worn by many people for a long time.
There's nothing wrong with modern day Kardashians embracing their Near Eastern heritage.

So them wearing braids and cornrows as a fashion statement after Black women were insulted for wearing them for decade doesn't change that Black hairstyles are mostly respected desired on non-Black skin.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with this. No one should feel forced to conform to an appearance decreed by another. I think natural hair is beautiful.
 
I'm black and have had my hair touched a handful of times over my life (mostly when in K-12 though). I personally don't feel it's automatically racist, but just inappropriate especially if you don't ask first. And obviously it depends on the context, why someone is asking, etc. If someone sees your hair as freaky or weird and treats it like they would some sort of novelty exhibit, then that's not cool. But if someone who maybe hasn't seen a lot of hair like that where they come from is genuinely curious about it, then I don't view it as their curiosity coming from a malevolent place.

If approached the right way - and the person is fine with it - I personally don't find it any more disrespectful than watching to touch any other (non-sexual) body part on someone. Just don't get uppity if someone tells you no.
 
As a kid, I was always having my hair touch and played with by the other kids. I have long straight brown hair and all the other kids were black. It wasn't until recently l was finally able to play with my black friend's hair without it being weird or awkward.
 
wandering said:
It's not that the touching in and of itself is racist, it's that there's a lot of sociohistorical baggage particularly when it comes to the way black people's hair has been treated in the West. It's not that different from the "Where are you from?" deal. The act itself is not necessarily inherently racist, the social context around it complicates it.
Click to expand...
This is the answer most are looking for. No need to wiki or research anything. You are welcome to delve deeper.
 
Yeoman said:
You stated that braids were meant for a specific group of people. I'm pointing out that they have been worn by many people for a long time.
There's nothing wrong with modern day Kardashians embracing their Near Eastern heritage.


I don't disagree with this. No one should feel forced to conform to an appearance decreed by another. I think natural hair is beautiful.
Click to expand...
You posting ancient artifacts seem like it would support that those ancient olive colored individuals with coarse hair would have hairstyles that would protect their hair, especially if they were within the warrior caste. Or does that region and time period not include these type of individuals.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Lena Dunham wrote another memoir…
2 3
113
908
DeafTourette replied
Another Universal Basic Income Experiment Fails
2
90
1K
INC replied
Would you consider this
24
442
ReasonBeing replied
How much do you love tacos?
2
75
536
Tunned replied
How much do you love tacos?
2
97
Rentahamster replied
Top Bottom