Was grandparents' choice to have girls' hair cut off racist?
Dear Amy: My (white) parents have never approved of my wife, who was born in Mexico. They also seem not to care for our daughters -- their two grandchildren.
A while back they asked to take these granddaughters for the weekend. The girls were 4 and 6 at the time.
Our daughters have always had long, dark hair -- down to their waists -- that my wife loves to put into ponytails or braids. When we went to pick up the girls after the weekend with my parents, we found that my mother had decided the girls' hair was "too much work," and took the kids to the local barber.
Their long hair was gone, replaced with very short -- almost military-style -- cuts above their ears.
My wife was heartbroken, but said little.
My mother told me that I was wrong to protest the haircuts, and that they had done the girls a favor.
My father laughed at me for being angry and told me the girls "finally looked normal."
My family seems entirely racist to me. I feel they are a danger to their granddaughters (who they do not seem to care for or about).
Is estrangement merited?
-- Disgusted Dad
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