Jamacian ladies could you enlighten me please?

[all_1_length]

I had a discussion with my sister the other day, not a deep one just a few a words about her opinion on hair. I was watching someone's youtube video about her hair care regimen when my sister came in and asked me what I was doing. I told her "Nothing I'm just watching this video." (sorry I don't remember the youtuber's name) Well anyway she looks at the woman on the screen and she remarks "She looks foreign." and I was like erplexed .The woman in question looked black to me but she was Jamacian (I think). So then I said "No I don't think she looks foreign." So then my sister proceeds to listen to the video about her haircare regimen and she then says to me "Well their hair is different anyway." I didn't ask her what she meant by that because I was like erplexed again .

At first I thought she had picked up some hair myth about Jamaican hair since she isn't into hair care or visits any hair care forums. Then I remembered some other youtube videos that I had seen where the women were Jamaican and had lovely 3c-ish hair. Now the woman in the video I was watching when my sister came over was relaxed so you couldn't see her natural hair type but from a few of the other videos I have been watching there were quite a few 3's out there that are from Jamaica.

So my question to you is do you notice or have you been aware of other textures of people that are from Jamacia that are other than 4abc. Is this something commonly acknowledged or do you have a heightened awareness about other hair types since coming to this board? In my case it's the latter since I didn't know there was such hair diversity in the black community before coming here. I'm not just attributing 3abc hair only to Jamaican women, this is just a thought.

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

I dunno about this. I know my Mom (Antiguan), and myself have hair in the 3's. My sister on the other hand has hair in the 4's, as does my father (Jamaican), my Dh (St. Kitts) has 4a hair, as does one of my boys. My other son has 3c curls.

The Jamaican Motto is “Out of Many, One People"...there's too much to boil it down to one hair type. I have a friend (Jamaican) whose whole family is super light skinned...and they have the toughest 4z hair you've ever seen in your life.

 

[Sosa]

I had a discussion with my sister the other day, not a deep one just a few a words about her opinion on hair. I was watching someone's youtube video about her hair care regimen when my sister came in and asked me what I was doing. I told her "Nothing I'm just watching this video." (sorry I don't remember the youtuber's name) Well anyway she looks at the woman on the screen and she remarks "She looks foreign." and I was like erplexed .The woman in question looked black to me but she was Jamacian (I think). So then I said "No I don't think she looks foreign." So then my sister proceeds to listen to the video about her haircare regimen and she then says to me "Well their hair is different anyway." I didn't ask her what she meant by that because I was like erplexed again .

At first I thought she had picked up some hair myth about Jamaican hair since she isn't into hair care or visits any hair care forums. Then I remembered some other youtube videos that I had seen where the women were Jamaican and had lovely 3c-ish hair. Now the woman in the video I was watching when my sister came over was relaxed so you couldn't see her natural hair type but from a few of the other videos I have been watching there were quite a few 3's out there that are from Jamaica.

So my question to you is do you notice or have you been aware of other textures of people that are from Jamacia that are other than 4abc. Is this something commonly acknowledged or do you have a heightened awareness about other hair types since coming to this board? In my case it's the latter since I didn't know there was such hair diversity in the black community before coming here. I'm not just attributing 3abc hair only to Jamaican women, this is just a thought.

Yes.

 

[Whimsy]

There are a lot of indian and asian mixed folks in jamaica so maybe she's referring to those.
My mom's side of the fam is Jamaican, and she has 3c hair, my gram has 3b i'd guess. My uncle has barely any curl to his hair at all somehow, maybe 2a/2b? but my other aunts have 4aish-4zish hair.

I don't think it's a jamaican thing tho. But I have heard people make comments like, "oh you're jamaican..." as in "that's why your hair has grown to X length"

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

There are a lot of indian and asian mixed folks in jamaica so maybe she's referring to those.
My mom's side of the fam is Jamaican, and she has 3c hair, my gram has 3b i'd guess. My uncle has barely any curl to his hair at all somehow, maybe 2a/2b? but my other aunts have 4aish-4zish hair.

I don't think it's a jamaican thing tho. But I have heard people make comments like, "oh you're jamaican..." as in "that's why your hair has grown to X length"

No...not even a little bit. Or maybe the don't know many Jamaicans... All we have to do is take a 2 minute tour of White Plains Rd to see enough half bald, weave abusing Jamaican women.

She must be thinking of Trini's or Hatians

 

[candy626]

I grew up around many Jamaicans and other Caribbean/west Indian people in NY and I would say they are just as varied as African Americans in hair texture. Most Caribbean people though, like African Americans, are type 4.

But I have met a handful of type 2s and fair amount type 3 mixes. I didn't know too many Jamaican or west Indian women with hair beyond bsl though. Only a few. Same with black Americans.

 

[lamaria211]

Just like AA hair texture range from the 2s to the 4s so does Italians, Puerto Ricans and Jamaicans every race has mixed textures.

 

[bklynbornNbred]

candy626 I would never say most Caribbeans are type 4. The diversity of Caribbeans is the same as diversity of any other ethnic subgroup. The range of hair (& looks for that matter) will depend on the time of day and place of the observer. Attend a family reunion on my side and you will see the rainbow of hair types and health.

 

[candy626]

candy626 I would never say most Caribbeans are type 4. The diversity of Caribbeans is the same as diversity of any other ethnic subgroup. The range of hair (& looks for that matter) will depend on the time of day and place of the observer. Attend a family reunion on my side and you will see the rainbow of hair types and health.

bklynbornNbred

There is diversity amongst people from the islands but like most blacks, people from the islands are usually Type 4. I grew up with many people from the islands and very few had hair that did not fall in the 3b-4b category, outside of people from Guyana or Trinidad. The same as most African Americans I knew. Of course things can very by family but I would say generally people from the islands are between 3b-4b, with the majority being Type 4.

 

[candy626]

Just like AA hair texture range from the 2s to the 4s so does Italians, Puerto Ricans and Jamaicans every race has mixed textures.

Italians too? I haven't met many Italians who were beyond Type 3a to be honest. I grew up around many of them also...

 

[all_1_length]

The reason why I asked is because of the American/European stereotype of black hair that a lot of us AA women grew up with. I wanted to know if the myths/stereotypes were the same amongst Jamaican (other) women or if Jamaicans acknowledged their diversity unlike how many AA women don't even know about their own heritage/diversity in our own community.

 

[bajandoc86]

ummm.....

Right. So Jamaica's Motto is 'Out of Many, One People'. They are black/asian/indian/persian/white etc. Thus, there are a WIDE range of hair types and lengths. It's nothing unusual.

 

[JBunnie]

I am not Jamaican but my family is from the Caribbean. My Mother's family is from Dominica and My Father's family if from Barbuda. My mother has incredibly silky, wide and medium sized spirals, like within the 3 range. Her hair is a lot like the hair of the Caribs, the original inhabitants of Dominica. Both of her sister's hair, her mother's hair and her paternal Grandmother's hair were similar to hers. My father has tightly coiled, coarse curls. But my cousin's hair textures vary, I have a few cousins with silky hair like my mother but their curls are very tight like in the 4 range. Others have tightly coiled spirals but the texture is coarse like my father's hair. Everyone in my family marries other Caribbean people but Caribbean countries have long histories of many races occupying the islands and it reflects in their hair. Jamaica in particular has a lot of people from China who live there, so I'm pretty sure that, combined with hair texture from the Caribs contribute to the texture of their hair. I think people are used to seeing curls in the 4 range being tight and their hair being coarse, hence why when they see Black people with tighter curls but silky hair they think something is up.


MrsJaiDiva, HEY!!!! It's rare I ever hear anyone say their family members are from Antigua or Barbuda so i just had to say hi! ::WAVES::

 

[Anakinsmomma]

Italians too? I haven't met many Italians who were beyond Type 3a to be honest. I grew up around many of them also...

My coworker has 4a hair... Or he would if he let it grow more than an inch.

Eta: he's Sicilian and Jewish

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

The reason why I asked is because of the American/European stereotype of black hair that a lot of us AA women grew up with. I wanted to know if the myths/stereotypes were the same amongst Jamaican (other) women or if Jamaicans acknowledged their diversity unlike how many AA women don't even know about their own heritage/diversity in our own community.

In my experience, caribbeans don't focus on hair type. They focus on skin color, education, and career....or at least everyone in my circles does. All the good hair in the world won't stop you from being mocked if you don't have an education and a great job. And being light skinned, or having Indian in your family is way more valuable than having hair in the 3's...cause you can always weave it up.

 

[keenyme]

No...not even a little bit. Or maybe the don't know many Jamaicans... All we have to do is take a 2 minute tour of White Plains Rd to see enough half bald, weave abusing Jamaican women.

She must be thinking of Trini's or Hatians

this is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! lol. they roam white plains rd w/ the most trifling weaves and wigs.

balck jamaican ppl's hair varies just as much as any other group from the african diaspora. i get jamaican ppl asking if, and sometimes insisting that one of my parents are coolie, or at least dougla on a daily basis. once someone acused me of being a trini or guyanese person pretending to be jamaican erplexed

i will say though, that hair around apl isn't all that uncommon among the jamacan women i know. it's usually the bsl and beyond that gets your race called into question. that's why i was like the first time i eve heard someone refer to sl hair as long lol.

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

this is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! lol. they roam white plains rd w/ the most trifling weaves and wigs.

balck jamaican ppl's hair varies just as much as any other group from the african diaspora. i get jamaican ppl asking if, and sometimes insisting that one of my parents are coolie, or at least dougla on a daily basis. once someone acused me of being a trini or guyanese person pretending to be jamaican erplexed

Tell em! Lawd you have never seen a weave so triflin in all your LIFE! And the Colors!! Laaaaad!!

 

[candy626]

My coworker has 4a hair... Or he would if he let it grow more than an inch.

Eta: he's Sicilian and Jewish

ohhhhh, lol. Now I have met some Jewish people with some pretty kinky hair. Some of them use relaxers to loosen their hair up the same way we do.

But I guess your right, things can vary. Most Italians I know though have straight or wavy hair from what I could tell. But who knows..

 

[keenyme]

The reason why I asked is because of the American/European stereotype of black hair that a lot of us AA women grew up with. I wanted to know if the myths/stereotypes were the same amongst Jamaican (other) women or if Jamaicans acknowledged their diversity unlike how many AA women don't even know about their own heritage/diversity in our own community.

i think most jamaicans attribute diversity in our hair to the some kind of racial mixture, just like everyone else. i find jamaicans are much more willing to accept my hair advice and say they just dont want to put in the effort, as opposed to others who automatically dismiss my advice b/c i'm caribbean, or have "good hair", though.

 

[SimJam]

ummm.....

Right. So Jamaica's Motto is 'Out of Many, One People'. They are black/asian/indian/persian/white etc. Thus, there are a WIDE range of hair types and lengths. It's nothing unusual.

exactly ... we are very very mixed up with the majority of the population being of african decent ..... and hair types run the gamut from 1 - 4.

However I would hazard a guess to say that the typical Jamaican has type 4 hair

 

[Philippians413]

Italians too? I haven't met many Italians who were beyond Type 3a to be honest. I grew up around many of them also...

The guy from Cop and 1/2 (loved this movie when I was younger lol) is Italian and has type 4 hair...or at least that's what it looks like to me. I've seen many Italian's with hair like this.

 

[ravenhairedcharm]

I think within the African diaspora, every hair type can be found..erplexed

 

[candy626]

Philippians413 LOLOL, wow.

Hmmm...perhaps there are some with hair like. Most of the people I went to school with in NY were Italian, Irish, or Jewish. I guess the Italians that did have hair like that must have hid it well. Thats funny..

 

[Cocoeuro]

I am half Jamaican, my mom is from Jamaica, and my mom's, brother's, and my hair texture are like no other that I've ever seen. It's jet black and wavy. Not kinky enough to be a type 4 and not curly enough to be 3. I gave up on hair typing

 

[cutiebe2]

I am Jamaican and our hair has normal variations among the black people. Like everyone else said there are tons of different people on the island so its not one type.

In terms of the Caribbean, there only interesting type I have found is in Haiti there is a type of hair called "cheve??" or something. Someone Haiti come in and explain it please but it basically describes very dark people with soft, straight-ish hair. I saw a few women like this in the village in Northern Haiti and growing up I knew one haitian girl in my class her whole family was like this. They dont looked mixed in anyway expect their hair. Either they are pure African and this trait is from their ancestors or they are marroon descendants and its from mixing with Tainos (native caribbeans).

After that all hair is hair we have seen before...

 

[Miss*Tress]

In terms of the Caribbean, there only interesting type I have found is in Haiti there is a type of hair called "cheve??" or something. Someone Haiti come in and explain it please but it basically describes very dark people with soft, straight-ish hair. I saw a few women like this in the village in Northern Haiti and growing up I knew one haitian girl in my class her whole family was like this. They dont looked mixed in anyway expect their hair. Either they are pure African and this trait is from their ancestors or they are marroon descendants and its from mixing with Tainos (native caribbeans).

After that all hair is hair we have seen before...

Isn't cheve Creole for hair (cheveux)?

 

[leiah]

I don't doubt that there is a lot of diversity, but every Jamaican I know has type 4 hair and that's what I think of as typically Jamaican.

 

[Embyra]

My family is Jamaican and I only saw COILY type4 hair once I joined the board
That's prob why I'm obsessed with looking at it Lool
I never saw the type 4 "neith" coils before joining this board
I thought every black person had hair like me yes I said it lol

I don't think hair pattern is based on your country though your going to see variations all the time it comes with our diversity

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[MrsMe]

I am Jamaican and our hair has normal variations among the black people. Like everyone else said there are tons of different people on the island so its not one type.

In terms of the Caribbean, there only interesting type I have found is in Haiti there is a type of hair called "cheve??" or something. Someone Haiti come in and explain it please but it basically describes very dark people with soft, straight-ish hair. I saw a few women like this in the village in Northern Haiti and growing up I knew one haitian girl in my class her whole family was like this. They dont looked mixed in anyway expect their hair. Either they are pure African and this trait is from their ancestors or they are marroon descendants and its from mixing with Tainos (native caribbeans).

After that all hair is hair we have seen before...

"Cheve" means hair in Haitian Creole. I think the term you were looking for is "Marabou" given your description. I didn't know that term until FH mentioned it. As you stated, a girl called marabou has a dark complexion, with soft, lightly curly hair. Sometimes they have hazel or light brown eyes as well. I couldn't understand what he meant until I saw a picture of one of his high school friends.
Did I get it all Lucie and Tamrin?

Sent from my iPad using LHCF...if only it would stop correcting what I write.

 

[MaraWithLove]

Italians too? I haven't met many Italians who were beyond Type 3a to be honest. I grew up around many of them also...

I've known an Italian to have 3b and 3c curls, an ex. He chopped all those pretty curls off though. erplexed

To comment on the thread, I think all groups of people have variation in hair type, but it can be easily unnoticed until you come to LHCF and get a little schooling. Lol, at least that's how my eyes were opened to it.