Why Female Representation Matters

As a mixed kid I struggled a lot with trying to fit in with other kids in my classes. In elementary, I was one of the only ethnic kids in my class. I remember I had a project in second grade where we had to make dolls dressed in the traditional clothes of our culture. Because my dad is Iranian and my mom is hispanic, she decided to help me create a small hijab and salwar kameez to fit my doll, and then we put a small Puerto Rican flag on the front to represent both cultures. I was so proud of the pretty colors my doll was wearing and was so excited to show the class what my mom had created. The next day, the embarrassment I felt, is something I never wish on any kid. I walked up to the front and showed of my doll and explained what it meant to me, and one of the kids started saying my doll looked like it was wearing blankets and that it was probably bald since I had a "cape" on its head. Another kid started laughing and when the teacher tried to pacify the kids, the laughter only got worse. I was only 7, I didn't really understand why their comments hurt my feelings but I knew the laughter was bad. I cried a little and decided that now because the other kids thought my doll was bad, then that must mean my doll and my culture it was representing was bad. I felt embarrassed of myself, and mad at my mom for making that doll. All the other kids had German dolls or dolls representing their European heritage, they all looked so similar. All except for mine. They all had similar colors and themes and outfits, but mine was the jumbled up mixture of clothes and colors that didn't make sense.

As I got older, I learned to accept my culture and I try to embrace it as much as I can. But I never really had anyone in the media who was "like me". Being a mixed kid who's not hispanic enough for the hispanic kids, or not South Asian enough for the South Asian kids, and is sometimes white passing but isn't white enough for white kids is a confusing spot to be in. I had a hard time with finding friends who were like me, or who could relate to similar struggles as me. It's hard to try to embrace the culture you don't even feel you deserve to belong to. Everyday, I wish to be the type of woman other mixed kids like me can look at and feel like they have someone just like them, doing great things.

Do you remember any moment in time growing up where you saw a woman, or doll, or movie character that looked like you? The first time I ever felt like someone looked like me was when my mom let me watch Bratz for the first time. The girls had tanner skin, brown eyes, brown hair, and reminded me of a lot of my Latina aunts. Seeing those dolls made me feel like I was pretty too. And then when I grew up I saw celebrities like Audrey Plaza and Victoria Justice who were also half Puerto Rican, and were successful and pretty, and it made me feel even better about myself. I even remember turning on SNL one night and seeing Nasim Pedrad and looking her up on google and finding out she was Persian. She was so gorgeous and so talented, and when I saw that she was born in the same city as my dad I was so excited. Each and every time a moment like that has happened to me, I can't explain the joy I feel.

This is exactly why I feel that Female Representation, especially for women of color is so important. It gives little girls like me hope. It makes little girls feel like they can be pretty, successful, funny, smart, and apart of their culture all at once. You don't have to give up on your ethnic features, your food, your language, to be great in this world. If anything, it makes you even more wonderful!