Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences By PHILLIP MILANO
Question
Why do a lot of Hispanic women pluck their eyebrows and then draw them on with an eyebrow pencil? And why do they draw a hard lip outline and paste their hair flat with gel? These appear harsh to me, but they must appear sexy to you and Hispanic men?
Ellen, 48, white, Broomfield, Colo.
Replies
You answered your own question. Because that is what they think looks good. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Shelly, 49, white, New Alexandria, Pa.
I am a Hispanic female, however I do not pluck all my eyebrows and then draw them in with a pencil. That is a choice that different females make, Hispanic or not. I do on occasion draw a hard lip outline simply because I like how I look. I always “paste” my hair flat with gel, though, whenever I wear it up in a ponytail because I like to look neat and presentable and not like I just woke up . . . and didn’t want to brush my hair. Believe it or not, it is hard work, especially since I have a lot of hair and it is way past my waist.
Sandy, 20, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Expert says
Say hola to the chola.
Chola girls, that is. They are primarily Latina teens (not all of them now, folks, just a small portion) in larger urban areas who have adopted a certain style, said Lorena Chinchilla, editor of Lindisima.com, a Web site for Latinas in the U.S. that focuses on fashion and beauty.
And what is that style?
Hmmm. To quote lyrics from Lean like a Chola, West Coast radio personality Carmen’s parody of the 2007 Chicano rap single Lean Like a Cholo:
never mess with a chick, with lip liner no lipstick
wanna look good I’ll tell you how
first gotta paint on your eyebrows
spray your hair with Aqua Net
get a tattoo to rep your set
What we have here is a look that came of age in the ’90s, preferred by “chola” girls who hung out with “cholos” (not always gang-bangers, but working-class, tough Latinos nonetheless), according to Chinchilla. It’s a way they distinguish themselves, she said.
“It started out being associated with street gangs, but now it’s more acceptable. You don’t have to belong to a gang. It’s just a way to stand out, to say ‘I’m proud of being Latina.’ ”
As a matter of fact, it is more acceptable and mainstream. It was a look favored by pop singer Gwen Stefani (of Italian, Irish and Scottish descent, no less), complete with distinguishing high ponytail, hair gel, dark eyebrows, heavy lip-liner, etc.
While the makeup and clothing style – sometimes a tight top and bare midriff, with low-rise jeans, big earrings, Catholic-saint necklaces, expensive sneakers – can be harsh to some, it’s not about how others feel about it, Chinchilla said.
“Part of it is that cholas are just trying to belong to a group, so they are not necessarily saying [with their look] ‘Don’t mess with me’ – although some of them do mean it.”