Technically speaking, body acceptance has not been around for that long. Considering that human civilization has been dated to 6,000 years ago and yet racism, ableism, colorism, and many other stereotypes continue to isolate and insult natural human bodies is very terrible. In class, we learned how to define the different types of bodies and all our different perspectives. In Alcoff’s “Towards a phenomenology of racial embodiment”, the author states that in this era, the newly emerging sciences understood knowledge primarily as a practice of ordering and classifying on the basis of essential differences. We all have many differences but at the same time many similar traits; facial features, body hair, bones, organs, and I want to add common sense but alas I can not. It’s kind of ironic how common sense isn’t common at all. 

I switched elementary schools in first grade and entered a new environment filled with cliques. I was accepted in my old elementary school but not in the new one; I distinctly remember being the outcast. I would eat lunch alone and I was never fully a part of any friend groups. I just had fun floating around. At the new elementary school, a white boy made fun of the fact that I have a lot of hair on my arms. So I wore a long-sleeve jacket the next day. And the next. And then the day after that. And now suddenly, it’s the end of eighth grade and I’m still not comfortable with my arms. 

The whole situation about hairy arms was heightened when I was in line in school one day in May and the teacher asked if I was hot because I was wearing my jacket inside. I said, “No I’m fine”. But she asked again so I shook my head. And then she made a comment about me to another student and teacher, shaking her head in disapproval, whispering that it was weird that I didn’t take my jacket off. 

I become afraid that the next person would bully so I didn’t give them the chance. I wore a jacket every single day, I made sure to stock up on sweaters, and all my dresses had to be long-sleeved. My favorite jacket at that time was a blue Aeropostale with pink letters, a classic. 

All that changed in high school. My high school was very diverse and many students had hair on their arms. It was not only me. Then I learned that everyone had some length of hair on their arms. Vellus hair grows everywhere except the lips, the back of the ear, the palm of the hand, the sole of the foot, some external genital areas, the navel, and scar tissue. Vellus hairs regulate your body temperature and help sweat evaporate from your body (Healthline.com). 

Finally, the realization dawned on me. If that boy from my elementary school had common sense, maybe he wouldn’t have made fun of the new kid and made everybody laugh at her because her vellus hair was a contrasting color to her skin color. So then I lived happily ever after wearing my short sleeve tops, crop tops, and *gasp* even sleeveless tops.