Rizos on the Road

Rizos on the Road is the symbolic definition of what it means to embrace your curls with cultura and spice. As curly hair chicas, we must understand we are different, but unique because we all have a different story to share about our curl journey. With that said, I know you have all been on this boat of questions being asked by people.

1. Where are you from?
2. Can I touch your hair?
3. Does your family have curly hair? or did you perm your hair?
4. Why do you look so different compare to your siblings?
5. Do you know Spanish?

Most of the time we don't mind answering the questions because we like to share our story, but there are times at least for me when I started to feel like I was being categorize by my features. My journey of embracing my hair was a struggle at a young age for the simple fact that young girls said, "what's wrong with your hair?" As a matter fact, at a young age, I learned to master wearing headbands and doing really tight ponytails to avoid my curls from being noticeable. I would also brush my hair out several times at night thinking it would be more straight the next day. And as I got older, I came really close to chemically straightening my hair, but thank God I didn't. Instead, I learned to straighten my hair with a plancha (an iron) because I idolized women in telenovelas and magazines con pelo lacio.

I am not sure what the hell I was thinking, but now that I have a 6 year old niece with curly hair, I want to make sure Evanie embraces her curly hair from the get-go. So, I took her to the Rizos on the Road Los Angeles event hosted by Rocio Mora (Risas Rizos) and Ada Rojas ( All things Ada) presented by Kia Latino. Taking my niece to Rizos on the Road gave her an opportunity to see a community of strong curly hair chicas, but most of all to witness the curly hair movement culture. Although she might of been too young to understand the speakers panel, she understood that she was also too a curly girl and she was all smiles. On the other hand, I was amazed with the empowerment of women who came together near and far to speak about their curl hair struggles and share their personal stories. My niece
and I found a new sisterhood of Curly Hair Latinas!

On that note, remember everyone has a different curl journey,
but in the end, our curls make the best of us!

(Before)