As a Cambodian-American, Rosie Chuong grew up seeing discrimination thrust upon these with darker pores and skin, broader options, and curly hair textures throughout the Cambodian group. This expertise blended with the shortage of illustration she noticed within the media pushed her to create API Curls, a web based group for Asian and Pacific Islander folks from throughout the globe to share suggestions and focus on the ups and downs of caring for and embracing their naturally curly hair. “We deserve a lot greater than to be an afterthought in demographics on different platforms,” says Choung. “I simply needed to be courageous sufficient to take the lead in constructing it.”
Choung describes API Curls as a “multicultural hair motion” geared toward dispelling detrimental notations of curly hair within the Asian and Pacific Islander group. This message is obvious as you scroll by means of API Curls’ Instagram web page, which is crammed with tales of hair journeys, curly hair tutorials, and even discussions of matters like anti-Blackness within the Asian group because it pertains to textured hair.
Choung’s journey to embrace her curly hair took over 10 years: She says her hair texture grew to become curly after she started her freshman 12 months of school. Throughout that point she would obtain conflicting messages surrounding her sudden hair texture change.
“All people round me who wasn’t Asian was telling me how a lot they cherished my hair and the way far more unique it made me look,” she says. “But throughout the Asian group, the dialog round my curls was that it was an anomaly, an odd prevalence, and one thing that wanted to be fastened by straightening out.”
However by means of her personal journey, she has since come to see that there’s energy in the neighborhood. “What I’ve uncovered since beginning my curly hair journey is that I am not an anomaly and there is a rising group. Social media is altering this dialog tremendously.”
With API Curls reaching its two-year mark, Choung hopes her platform can increase to accomplice with magnificence manufacturers to assist broaden entry to curly hair merchandise globally, together with serving to to diversify the ambassadors chosen to advertise their merchandise.
“I envision API Curls [growing to become] a go-to for our group members, particularly those that are simply beginning on their very own hair journeys, the place folks can organically join with one another just because there’s lastly a spot that makes this attainable.”
Add Comment