varied in terms of race Puerto Rico is debating a measure to outlaw discrimination based on hair color

SAN JUAN: A plan to specifically prohibit discrimination against hairstyles like cornrows and Afros has sparked a contentious discussion among lawmakers in the ethnically diverse island of Puerto Rico.

municipal government representatives contend that because such discrimination is already prohibited by federal and municipal regulations, there is no need for the legislation. However, Afro Caribbean people on the island still experience prejudice and need special protection when it comes to public services, employment, housing, and education, according to Puerto Rican campaigners testifying at a hearing on Tuesday.
“At twenty-three, I’m sick and tired of this issue,” said instructor Julia Llanos Bultron, a cornrow wearer. “I’m very disappointed with a system that pushes us to change the hair with which we’re born.”
According to Llanos, she was given a position last year at a school in the northeastern town of Fajardo, but only if she chopped off her hair since they didn’t allow locks. She said no.
At a packed public hearing in the Capitol building by the sea in San Juan, additional speakers related similar occurrences and noted the historical and cultural value of the haircuts in issue.
According to the US Census, almost 230,000 persons identify as Black alone, while more than 1.6 million people in the 3.2 million-person US territory identify as belonging to two or more racial groups.
The mother of two Afro-haired kids, Lorraine Leon Ramirez, said that her youngest son was not allowed to attend two separate schools until he had cropped his hair.
“It was one of the worst experiences we’ve had as a family,” she said.
“The main query is: Is it justifiable for our kids to grow up with rules that make them less of who they are? No, is the response,” she said. “It’s time to break these stigmas.”
Even after the state approved legislation outlawing discrimination based on race in hair, which went into effect in September, a city in Texas has been dealing with a similar problem.
The family of a Black high school student in Belvieu, Texas, claims that the new statute has been broken by the youngster’s suspension since August. According to the school, Darryl George’s hair breaches the dress code since it falls below his eyebrows and ear lobes.
Government representatives in Puerto Rico have said that the island’s laws, constitution, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act provide protection against discrimination. However, in 2016, a US Court of Appeals rejected a discrimination claim, concluding that an Alabama employer’s no-dreadlock policy did not violate Title VII. This decision created a precedent.
Sen. Ana Irma Rivera Lassen of Puerto Rico, a co-author of the measure, said at the session on Tuesday that she was confused by the government’s stance. “What is the problem with adding explicit protection?” she said.
University student Alanis Ruiz Guevara of Puerto Rico supported her, stating that she has been advocating for the bill’s establishment since certain hairstyles, such as locks, braids, and Bantu knots, are not protected by certain regulations.
Prominent novelist of Puerto Rico Mayra Santos-Febres is among those advocating for the law.
“All of this legal work is so important because it creates a protocol that is needed now,” she said. “We need tools to defend ourselves from systemic racism.”
It is anticipated that the measure will be debated more in the following weeks.
Texas and a minimum of twenty-three other states on the US mainland have enacted a variant of the CROWN Act, an acronym for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” It outlaws discrimination based on hairstyle in public accommodations, housing, work, and education. A federal version was adopted by the US House of Representatives in 2022, but the Senate rejected it.
Additionally, a few Caribbean government representatives have been advocating for a relaxation of hair regulations in government buildings, companies, and schools.