Why Arnell Armon Almost Stopped Making Hair Videos | Skin Deep | Refinery29

On this episode of Skin Deep, we focus on the journey of influencer Arnell Armon. Having a mixed heritage background, her life has been an experience of trying to better embrace and understand her place in the world. Watch this week's Skin Deep to delve into how this young woman identifies!

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Skin Deep is a docu-style beauty series, where influencers immerse themselves in different cultural epicenters of Los Angeles in order to uncover beauty traditions from around the world. Beauty is deeply personal and, at times, passed on through generations and cultures.

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TALENT

[refinery]

How do you celebrate your heritage everyday? Let us know in the comments!

[arnellarmon]

Some of these comments are the exact reason why this video was created so to those being negative thank you for helping prove my point. For those who are mixed who deal with negative people like those in the comments I hope this video helps you out! ❤️

[MinnieMousey]

she never said Mexican was a race in this video. she was mostly talking about the cultural aspect of being Mexican. culture and race are inherently connected to each other, like for example "Black" isn't just a "race", it's also a culture, that's why she says she Mexican and black. y'all are so annoying with your fake woke selves

[nala]

Would also love to see a video about embracing darker skin and kinky curly hair!

And maybe mixed people with darker skin because people always think that mixed people are only light skin with loose curly hair

[MinnieMousey]

what?! I had no idea Arnell was part Mexican! omg. and her mother looks fully Mexican, like she legit looks like my Mexican grandmother. i'm shook

[destineeray]

Just reading these comments and feeling all the negativity breaks my heart. She has to deal with this everyday of her life and I admire her so much more for being able to block it out and be herself. Much love ❤️

[actuallysana]

Arnell, please continue to do natural hair videos. I don’t have your texture hair but I still love to watch them. ❤️

[wikipediating]

Saying that mexican isnt a race is beside the point mexican culture is completely different from black culture and growing up with both can be confusing because people are constantly trying to put mixed people into boxes and making them “choose a side”. In this video shes just showing how proud she is of her heritage and how shes trying to embrace both cultures. Just because shes lightskin and mixed (and therefore privileged) it doesnt give yall the right to belittle her struggles.

[shawnprice]

It is sad that some broken human wanted to pull you to their sunken place. You are all God wants you to be and embrace every hue and nuance to your story!!! You are more than enough!

[lee-nenx]

thank you arnell for bringing more light to our afro-latin comunity

[HelloKitty]

Arnell is literally the cutest I’m so proud of you girl!!!

[nicelookash]

To be comfortable in your own skin is a huge accomplishment, which a lot of people don’t understand. This video was amazing, thank you for showing young girls and women the importance of accepting who you are and embracing it

[Chazzzisawesome]

Im so glad you guys touched on this because my sister is mixed race and our black father has always put a lot of pressure on her to only identify as black. HOWEVER she has a whole mother of another ethnicity that she loves. It has caused her to identify as black around black people and as white around white people, she has been having to do this since she was a CHILD and it has caused her social anxiety. As a kid she has never understood why she couldn't be apart of her mothers heritage and a child should not have that dilemma with their OWN mother. The one drop rule was created so white people did not have to be responsible for the biracial children they produced during slaverly, it was also meant to keep white lineages "pure". The fact that black people live by this so heavily is so stupid. Yes to the naked eye Arnell will be considered black but she IS biracial with Mexican family members that LOVE & ACCEPT her. Is she suppose to disown her whole Mexican family to appease the one drop rule that was created by white people to keep black people as slaves? no.

[Tamiyahk]

Arnell, I personally love your natural hair videos and the excitement you bring in them, continue to do them please. You are so creative and no one can take that away from you. I’m rooting for you all the way💜

[amberelizabeth]

Arnell is so incredibly beautiful! I hope she embraces both sides of her heritage because they’ve come together to create something beautiful.

[kristinay]

I watched this today and my heart sunk. I just discovered your page and have been watching your sister for a while and I never know that you had a page until my husband said to me have o seen your page and then I started to watch it. I fell in love with you. I love to watch you videos and learn the things that you teach. You are funny and charming in you have given me the confidence to start showing my natural hair and embrace the softness and curls that I have. I wish people were not so mean and disrespectful to you please don’t stop being you and sharing with those of us that love to watch and learn and laugh with you.

[natadath]

Wow! 40 years later my daughter has to deal with the same crap and comments I dealt with being mixed. Just for the record my children grew up with my Mexican side of the family since my Black side of the family wasn’t interested in having a relationship ‘because we were half Mexican’ so she only knows Hispanic culture. Most of the negative comments on here are too ignorant to respond to, so I will close this out by saying I think the video was very beautiful and the Mariachis made me cry because it made me miss my grandpa and brought back so many beautiful memories with my family 😍

[mikk]

This is so important. I live in Sweden and have similar but not the same experience. I have tanned skin and both my parents have nordic heritage.
I grew up with constant questioning of my heritage which gave me the feeling of not belonging in the country I grew up in. I know now that nordic people actually had tanned skin and those with light skin have European heritage.

[quathottie]

the natural hair community loves you!!! i have type 4a hair and i LOVE your natural hair videos. don’t let the haters keep you from shining babe! i love you so much.

[MsAshleyWoods]

It was sooo amazing seeing Arnell open up & still being herself, I loveee her natural hair videos (even though I’m bald now 😭) I’d still watch them ❤️