I don’t have memories of my mom telling me to act ladylike, but I do have such memories of my grandmother (my abuela). I often went to visit my abuela during Summer breaks in Puerto Rico when I was too young to be on my own the whole Summer. She is a traditional 1950s housewife. She only lets Estée Lauder products touch her body. She lived on an island near the beach her whole life and doesn’t know how to swim. All three of her daughters had curly hair and she forced them to get it chemically straightened, which ruined their curl pattern. She’s practically bald now from having this done to herself. Once when I lamented, after seeing a photo of Continue reading “Gender & Communication: My Model Behavior” →