Om specializes in styling curly, natural hair — something that Puerto Rican women often go to great lengths to straighten with strong chemicals and hair dryers. Ahniella Gomez, 44, with her ...

Lawmakers are urging Puerto Rican officials to pass a bill that would establish clear public policy opposing racial discrimination linked to specific protective natural hairstyles such as afros ...

Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Pierluisi signed Senate Bill 1282 ordering all establishments to adjust their regulations to highlight this public policy, but efforts to implement the bill have been in ...

Puerto Rico legislators are holding a public hearing on a bill that seeks to prohibit discrimination against certain hairstyles in the racially diverse U.S. territory, sparking a heated debate.

Om specializes in styling curly, natural hair — something that Puerto Rican women often go to great lengths to straighten with strong chemicals and hair dryers. / Erika P. Rodriguez for NPR ...

Early on Saturday morning, business at Laura Om's salon on Calle Loiza in San Juan, Puerto Rico is booming. Hurricane Maria, in a roundabout way, has something to do with that. Om specializes in ...

When Hurricane Maria cut off access to electricity and water on the Caribbean island and U.S. territory, some women started to change how they styled their hair.