Braids are so much more than just a hairstyle – they are a symbol of cultural traditions, family and appreciation. An interview with Emily Gonzalez gave a personalized insight into the meaning and power of braids. This is a story of love in the purest and most unselfish form.  

 

“When we did have that one-on-one time, it was very special for me. You can feel the love and the care.” 

 

Braiding hair is a bonding experience where mothers can show their love and affection. Emily discussed how her mom would braid her hair for school, church and family events. Having your hair braided was an extremely personal experience. As stated by Emily, many parents in Mexican culture aren’t very good at expressing their emotions and feelings. Emily described how it is symbolic for mothers in her culture to limit their show of affection. Braids act as a way for mothers and daughters to bond. The one-on-one time between mothers and daughters while getting your hair braided felt like an expression of love. This silent expression of love becomes a symbol of braids and acts as a reminder of the various ways that parents can show their love. Woven into these braids are emblems of affection, support and warmth. Each interlaced strand of hair further exemplifies the devotion of motherly love.  

 

You can feel the love and the care as your mother intricately braids your hair. The process of braiding hair is gentle and delicate. Emily recalls the feeling of relaxation and being cared for was accompanied by having her mother brush and braid her hair.  

 

“I love my mom. She means so much to me.” 

 

A beautiful memory she recalled was her mom braiding her hair for picture day at school, specifically a French braid into a ponytail. She would add little bows to these braids. The amount of detail and time put into these braids shows how deeply Emily’s mother cares for her. Most of our time and energy is put into what we care most about.  

 

Emily described the stories her mother would tell her. Stories of traditional dances with beautiful dresses and braids with ribbons. She would tell Emily of how she used to dress up for these dances – with the adornment of similar little bows in her hair. An extremely beautiful, cultural and generational connection exists within these braids. A connection between those who came before that wore similar braids.  

 

“When I feel homesick, I always play Mexican music or ask my roommate to French braid my hair.”  

 

Braids can help one embrace and appreciate their culture, especially when they feel disconnected. Living in Mount Pleasant, Michigan doesn’t offer many cultural connections and the feeling of missing your family, and culture, arises. When feeling homesick, Emily plays Mexican music or asks her roommate to French braid her hair. The braids are a symbolic representation of her culture. A way to feel at home. A way to show appreciation for both her culture and her parents. Parents uprooting their whole lives to give their children better opportunities is an amazing and unselfish act of love.  

 

The impact this has on the children is a feeling of needing to repay their parents. Emily described feeling that she has to live up to the opportunities given to her and find some way to repay them for this. But the gift of love is best repaid with just that – love. Emily wearing her hair in braids is an expression of her love for her culture and her parents.  

 

“Now I love it. I love my skin color. I love what I look like. I love my big nose. I appreciate my culture now.”  

 

Being surrounded by a different culture while growing up can be extremely difficult. Emily recalls the difficulty of being surrounded by white people throughout childhood and adolescence. It’s easy to become embarrassed of your culture – of traditional hairstyles and clothing. Looking different is exactly what we’re taught not to do. The emphasis placed on fitting in, of being just like everyone else, becomes so deeply ingrained that we feel self-conscious of the most beautiful aspects of ourselves. Emily recalled feeling “too Mexican” when she had her hair braided. Fortunately, these feelings don’t last forever. Emily tells an amazing story of gaining cultural appreciation as she grew older, of learning to embrace her Mexican heritage. Learning to embrace having her hair braided as a symbol of not only her culture but also of her parents’ unwavering love and everything they have done for her.  

 

“I recognized how my parents grew up and all the opportunities they didn’t have and that I do. And how I have to value it and can’t take it for granted.”  

 

Revisiting Mexico gave Emily a new perspective and recognition of her culture and family. Emily described the place she grew up as the tiniest little town, kind of in the middle of nowhere. The town was beautiful – with mountains in the background and cacti. Everyone had cows and horses. The plumbing situation was very different from that in America, with the water only being turned on every two or so days. They would have to put water in big tins to save it for the rest of the week.  

 

Being there last winter was different because her cousins were also there. Now that they’re all older, they can connect in different ways and bond over shared family experiences and the generations that came before them. Together, they learned to appreciate America and the opportunities they have there. And how they could never take those opportunities for granted – because that’s the whole reason their parents came to America. Emily expressed how her appreciation for these opportunities will always be in the back of her mind, working as a motivating factor.