Pierced Ears

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08/06/2009 15:55

Subject: Re:Pierced Ears

Anonymous

I am going to try and explain WHY historically many people (and perhaps mostly white people of a certain background) in the United States consider piercing a baby's ears "lower-class" but, in doing so, I am not stating my opinion just a relating a historical perspective.

The United States, as we all know, was formed in large part by waves of immigrants that came here seeking religious or political freedoms, economic opportunities, or a "better life." This continues to this day. Many of those waves of immigration in the late 1800s and early 1900s were the poorest, or peasant class, from their respective homelands. Many of these homelands were places where ear piercing is "cultural" regardless of class or socio-economic levels. However, to many people already inhabiting the US, from cultures that did not practice this, it was associated with the ethnicity and class of these immigrants as that was the only reference available (people didn't travel for pleasure so much back then). Therefore, the ear peircing of babies was considered "ethnic" and "low-class" as the people who did so were mostly poor immigrants. That perception has persisted until today in many white familes who can trace their ancestors back beyond those immigrant waves. To others it simply became the "common wisdom" that only the lower classes pierced baby girls' ears. Within this same context, in those days, most middle and upper class families in had servants. Most of those servants were recent immigrants and many of those servants pierced their baby girls' ears. In those days servant class = lower class.

Now, as to why many AAs also pierce their baby girls ears, it is likely somewhat the same in that, in many African cultures, piercings are common amongst some populations, although not just females. Africans who were kidnapped and transported for the slave trade may have brought these cultural norms with them. After Emancipation, it may also have been seen as a way to differentiate themselves from the whites who were slave owners or it may just have been a look that certain parents thought was attractive or pretty. It also may be that, due to our terrible history of slavery and segregation, many AAs were relegated to lower socio-economic rungs because of the lack of education and professional opportunities. They ended up living amonst other "poor" populations such as recent immigrants and adopted some of their neighbors habits and cultural norms such as piercing the ears of baby girls.

So, there you have an explanation at least of WHY some Americans consider piercing the ears of babies as "low-class." I would also hazzard here that, as populations that continue to immigrate here in large waves are also coming from lower socio-economic rungs, looking for better opportunities and, are also from societies were piercing is the norm, the attitude persists.

Lastly, of course you have those who protest due to the pain involved and/or the altering of the natural look of a baby. That's a different argument entirely.