Q: What do schools in the States consider “distracting hairstyles”?
A: As I mentioned, this is not a common type of rule, and typically only found in a small number of private schools. I do not have any first hand experience with this particular rule, but my assumption is that it refers to very tall hairstyles like mohawks, spikes, etc. In areas with high gang crime, I have heard that having patterns shaved into your hair is not allowed. This is because the school wants to prevent students from having a gang symbol visible at school.
Recently, there have been issues with private schools developing questionable polices, and black girls have disproportionately suffered the brunt of the issue. For example, girls are being expelled from school for wearing their hair in the way it naturally grows. There have been several incidents where girls with “afro” hair styles were asked to cut off, or chemically alter their natural hair.
Some black boys and girls choose to wear their hair in thin braids, because it protects their hair, which can be fragile or brittle. This is called a “protective style”, and some private schools have recently tried to ban these hairstyles as well. This is obviously a racist policy, and when the policies are brought to light, the public uproar is tremendous, and usually forces the school to change their policies.
(和訳)
Q: 米国の学校は”distracting hairstyle”についてどう考えているの？
A: 前にも話したけど、これは一般的なルールではなくて、私立のごくわずかな学校にあるだけよ。このルールについて直接経験はないけど、私の想像では、モヒカンやツンツンに髪を立てて、上に伸ばしている髪型じゃないかしら。暴力団犯罪がある地域では髪に模様を刈り込むことを禁じているという聞いたことがあるわ。生徒たちが暴力団のシンボルを見せることをさせないためね。
最近では、疑わしい校則を作った私立校の問題があって、黒人の女の子たちがその問題の矛先が向いて苦しんでいるの。例えば、髪を自然に伸ばしていて退学になった女の子がいたわ。女の子が「アフロヘア」の髪を切るように言われたり、薬品で自然な髪にするように言われたという出来事が何件かあったわ。
黒人の男の子や女の子の中には髪を編み込んでいる子がいるの。傷みやすい髪を守るためにね。これをprotective styleというんだけど、いくつかの私立校がこの髪型も禁止しようとしたの。これは明らかに人種差別的な校則で、この校則が明るみに出ると、一般の人たちが大きな声をあげ、学校に規則を変えさせるわ。
