“Good Hair Bad Hair”: Changing Hair Prejudice in the Dominican Republic through Children's Literature
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Abstract
The “Good Hair Bad Hair” discourse, which devalues Afro-Dominican hair, rooted in anti-Haitian and anti-Black histories, has shifted over the past two decades. This study of seven children’s works of literature, (or ‘stories,’ for เรื่อง) through documentary research, shows how they construct a more inclusive Dominican imaginary that resists hair-based prejudice. Three themes emerge: (1) Afro-Dominican hair identity—textures, care, and styles; (2) prejudice within family and society; and (3) bias transformation through self-acceptance, respect for diversity, and affirmation of African heritage.
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