Every woman’s face or body has a different story to tell. We may be bombarded by the mainstream media’s message of what beautiful is supposed to be, but we know that beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Here, an Asian American woman proves it.
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Features
STORY: Janice Jann
PHOTOS: Melly Lee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Joyce Luck and assistant Natalie Herrera for JLS
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Cambodian-Chinese American Violetta Tang’s wild mane of hair is so perfect for her effervescent personality that it’s hard to believe there was a time in her life when she would spend an hour every morning and pay hundreds of dollars to get her hair stick straight. “In middle school I started to feel weird that my hair wasn’t as straight as my other Asian friends, so I started blow drying it a lot to get it straightened,” she says. “I didn’t really know how to handle my hair.” When Violetta started wearing her hair curly in college, she was surprised to hear a lot more compliments on her locks. “I guess I just kind of stood out,” she says.
It hasn’t been all positive feedback though. “I once got this job as a hostess at an Asian restaurant and I wore my hair curly and down. My manager asked me to tie it up and wear it as a bun,” remembers the 24-year-old. “All the other hostesses had stick straight hair and they got to wear their hair down. I don’t think I fit the Asian image of what they were looking for.”
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