A couple of weeks ago, I read a New York Times article that was all about how Asian-American women are bleaching their hair blonde. I immediately read it since the headline intrigued me so much. At first glance, I thought that it was going to be a thought-provoking article about how this is horrible and is just a perpetuation of an ongoing stereotype that everyone should be bleach blonde Barbies.

However, this article did no such thing. It talked about how this was just a way for Asian-Americans to become more westernized and how it’s actually a rebellion against the Asian-American ‘good girl’ stereotype.

As a female Asian-American, I think this is ridiculous. I understand if this hair color change is for an actual confidence boost or just because people want a change in their appearance, but I think that this is just another way for Asians to become westernized when they don’t need to be. If we believe that we don’t look "right," then how is anyone else supposed to believe that we aren’t different than them, and treat us accordingly?

Personally, I would never bleach my hair just because I would be afraid to spend hundreds of dollars and never be able to get my original coloring back. I think that my hair color is unique to Asians, and I’m not afraid to be labeled as an Asian.

Now, I’m not saying that I’m perfect and that I only wear clothes and act like my culture would want me to, because that would be a total lie. I often wear only brand name clothes and go shopping at popular stores like every other teenager I know. However, I can admit to that, and I don’t believe that these bleach-blonde Asians are necessarily doing the same thing.

I think they are hiding behind their hair and using the new hair color as a way to disguise their background. However, I am just an 18-year-old college student, so I’m not sure anyone’s going to take my word over the New York Times, but it doesn’t hurt for me to try.