Fatma

A lot of my family members usually overlook the possibility of me having body image issues, because I’m fairly slim. It makes me feel invisible, because in fact I’ve always hated how “underdeveloped” I am in certain places, and I’ve always had a weird relationship with my hair. And not just the hair on my head, but my extremely dark, body hair.

Recently, though I’ve began trying to accept these parts of myself. At least my alien body can be beneficial in making my outfits fit like Soulja Boy’s clothes in 2007 (basically a huge tent). And the underdeveloped-ness isn’t that bad because I’m saving money on “real” bras by only being able to fill out children’s cropped vests. I’ve also learned to care for my curly hair, and I can definitely see the results. Plus, I’m beginning to see how my bushy eyebrows can look really cool.

At school, I’ve noticed that a lot of white girls with fake tans get praise, whilst Mediterranean and South Asian girls are ignored. It was really frustrating me, but then I realized that, in a world where we are taught to dislike our features, working on being and accepting myself is a great way to peacefully annoy society. Goal: Be completely unapologetic for being myself. ♦