Hair Braids in Latino Culture: History or Appropriation?

Latin woman braids the hair of a younger companion against the backdrop of a Caribbean beach.
Image imagined with AI by Luz Media editorial staff

Hairstyles have always been about more than just aesthetics. They’re a symbol of ethnicity, religion, social status, resistance, and more. Through them, ethnic and cultural groups have been able to reclaim their identities in the past and the present. Hair braids are one of those empowering hairstyles that have stood the test of time.

The art of hair braids isn’t specific to one culture or people because it has existed everywhere in many forms, including Ancient America. Mummies hundreds or thousands of years old have been found wearing braids, such as the Pre-Columbian Mummy “Juanita” of Peru.


That said, every culture and people have made hair braids their own, birthing all kinds of styles and traditions around them. Given the growth of the conversation around cultural appropriation and braids, we explore the history of hair braids, particularly as they relate to Latino culture.

Like so many other Latino cultural topics, it’s deeply nuanced.

The History of Hair Braids in Latin America

It’s no secret that Latino history is largely ignored in the U.S. This contributes to an environment where research on Latinos and Latino culture isn’t abundantly available. One of the challenges of attempting to examine the origin of braids within Latin America is the lack of credible research on the subject. While more is needed, there’s enough available to be able to offer a historical overview and understand at least some of the layers of meaning behind hair braiding for Latinas.
The history of hair braids in Latin America is diverse, and a variety of indigenous cultures have contributed to the art form. Hair braids date as far back as the Mayan and Aztec civilizations, which practiced intricate hair braiding to indicate what community or tribe they belonged to. This is why braids are such a popular hairstyle in Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Central America, even today.

Andean cultures, like the Incas in Peru and Chile, also have a long history of hair braiding. Indigenous communities like the Quechua and Aymara are also known for their hair braids, which often communicate a person’s identity, connection to ancestors, strength, and vitality. Braids are even used to celebrate or mark life events and milestones.

Within Latino culture, this hairstyle has also been shaped by African people and their hair-braiding art. Because of the transatlantic slave trade, African culture merged with Latino hair-braiding traditions. Enslaved Africans brought their techniques and heritage, which spread because they used their hair as a means of communication.

For example, in 16th-century Colombia, intricate braids represented coded messages to spread information about the slaves’ surroundings, escape routes, and the locations of Spanish troops. African slaves also used braids to carry seeds, grains, and small trinkets. When they escaped, these belongings helped them survive and build communities wherever they went. To this day, hair braiding is a central part of the Afro-Colombian identity.

This is just some of the history of hair braiding in Latin America to give an idea of how ingrained it is into the culture. The integration of African and European ethnic groups has resulted in a wide range of hair textures, from straight to tightly coiled curls. Braiding has been a long-standing practice of hair care, but also of connection to our ancestors and roots.

Is It Cultural Appropriation to Wear Hair Braids?

This is a question most often asked by and for white people, but it’s also something Latinas ask themselves, especially those who are racially white or have lighter skin and can be white-passing. This has a lot to do with the fact that hair braids are primarily associated with Black culture, and they are indeed a central part of Black expression.

However, it’s also true that hair braiding is an integral part of Latino culture and has been for centuries. So, to determine whether wearing braids is appropriation, we have to consider the definition. Cultural appropriation consists of taking something from a culture that’s not your own and engaging with it in an exploitative or disrespectful way.

In the Latino and Afro-Latino communities, hair braiding shouldn’t be classified as cultural appropriation because it’s part of the heritage. It’s a practice that has been passed down through generations as a form of expression, hair care, and cultural pride. In the context of white people, the question is a bit more difficult to answer because it depends on the intention of the wearer and the type of braid as well.

For example, French braids, fishtail braids, and 3-strand braids are usually appropriate for everyone. They don’t hold the same cultural significance for Black or Latino people as box braids, braids with ribbons, beaded braids, side braids, crown braids, and many others, which are steeped in history and tradition.

When it comes to intention, wearing braids as a form of appreciation or a way of connecting to other cultures can be acceptable. For example, people who travel to the Caribbean often come back with braided hair because locals share this part of their culture. It’s also a way for them to make a living, so tourists directly contribute to their livelihoods.

Permanently adopting hair braids, especially the more traditional and culturally significant styles, might be cultural appropriation. Not having a connection to the symbolism and identity that certain styles represent, but wearing them anyway may be disrespectful. It may also be exploitative if there’s something to gain from adopting these hairstyles without regard for or acknowledgment of the communities they belong to.

Hair Braids as a Symbol of Latino Pride

Ultimately, wearing hair braids as Latinas is a great way to honor ancestors and traditions. There’s no rule for Latinas when it comes to wearing most styles of braids. It’s a matter of identifying the reason why they are being worn and how that relates to their identity, community, sense of self, and their politics.

Even if the decision is made not to wear hair braids, learning about them and sharing the knowledge can help bring the community closer together. A big part of bonding with one another is finding connections through sharing the different aspects of our culture, even if we don’t always partake in them.

Recognizing where hair braids come from and their influences, whether they’re African or Indigenous, is an effective way to help create awareness about our diverse experiences and relate more closely to the Latino community. Especially when that community is often overlooked and intentionally kept out of important historical narratives.

bop the bigot video game logo

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

a woman giving the side eye to a man

Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

Keep ReadingShow less
woman surrounded by colorful illustrations
Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”