▁elements — be ▁they ▁cultural ▁or ▁physical — are ▁de valu ed ▁as ▁indices ▁of ▁low ▁social ▁status , ▁while ▁European ▁elements ▁are ▁posit ively ▁valor ized ▁as ▁attributes ▁en abling ▁individual ▁up ward ▁mob ility ". ▁This ▁value ▁system ▁is ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁the ▁system atic ▁rac ism ▁that ▁was , ▁and ▁still ▁is , ▁often ▁hidden ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁eye ▁in ▁Western ▁society . ▁R ac ism ▁' works ' ▁by ▁encourag ing ▁the ▁de valu ation ▁of ▁self - identity ▁by ▁the ▁vict ims ▁themselves , ▁and ▁that ▁re - centering ▁of ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁pride ▁is ▁a ▁pr ere quis ite ▁for ▁a ▁politics ▁of ▁resistance ▁and ▁reconst ruction . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁system , ▁" h air ▁functions ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁' eth nic ▁sign ifier ' ▁because , ▁compared ▁with ▁bod ily ▁shape ▁or ▁fa cial ▁features , ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁changed ▁more ▁easily ▁by ▁cultural ▁practices ▁such ▁as ▁straight ening ." ▁R ac ism ▁originally ▁"' polit ic ized ' ▁[ af ro - text ured ] ▁hair ▁by ▁bur den ing ▁it ▁with ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁negative ▁social ▁and ▁psych ological ▁' mean ings '" — c ategor izing ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁problem . ▁Eth nic ▁difference ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁easily ▁manip ulated , ▁like ▁hair , ▁was ▁alter ed ▁in ▁order ▁for ▁eth nic ▁minor ities ▁to ▁assim il ate ▁into ▁a ▁dominant , ▁Euro cent ric ▁society . ▁Natural ▁ha irst yles , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Af ro ▁and ▁dread lock s