Revision- “Tattoos are just another way of expressing yourself and who you are and what you're all about”

       Growing up, my family who strongly disapproves of tattoos, taught my cousins and I that tattoos were gang affiliated and the ink lead up to all sorts of diseases. Coming from a catholic family, the idea of  tattoos scaring your body is immoral and is seen as a rebellious act. It's like how Gloria Anazaldua argues in "How To Tame A Wild Tongue", "There are more subtle ways that we internalize identification", we were lead to believe that their are other ways to express yourself, beliefs, and emotions without doing anything too drastic like getting a tattoo. My aunt Bertha is the strictest of my family, and took advantage of any moment to remind us that tattoos were for criminals and people with low morals. Her assumptions towards them varied depending the type of tattoo, the size, and where it was placed. If a person were to have a tattoo anywhere visible, my aunt described it unprofessional and pointless. Little did she know her daughter would grow without these judgments in mind, and is able to see beyond a person's exterior.

      My cousin introduced her boyfriend Matthew to us recently, and let's just say he did not make the best first impression because of the ink that covered his arms.

Before I asked him about his tattoos and the meaning behind them, I assumed that they were merely to show respect for his religion. On his upper arm, Matthew has a tattoo of an angel and clouds representing heaven where his loved ones are now. Written in black ink, the names Sergio and Elisa along with "R.I.P" reside next to the angel. Matthew explained that a couple years ago he lost two important people in his life. Although he did not want to go into full detail about it, it was very easy to understand that his grandmother and his best friend's passing left a huge impact in his life. His tattoos serve as a memorial for the experiences he had shared with the them. Because of his loss, Matthew began to show more interest in idea of fate along with life in general. This caused him to add on to his arm, behind the first one , a pair of praying hands with a rosary wrapped around them.
      Although she believes that Matthew's tattoos can be a negative influence toward us, the religious connotation to them convinced my aunt that tattoos are not always gang related or useless. Matthew has taught my cousins and I that a tattoo should have a deep meaning that you can associate with and embrace because at the end of the day your opinion of it will be the only one that matters. His acceptance to the family happened slowly, or is probably still in progress.
      Looking forward to getting more tattoos in the future, Matthew shared, "With my life experiences, more life expressions through tattoos I will have." With a new insight of positives of tattoos rather than the negatives, knowing that Matthew has a future ahead him, and will soon be receiving his master's degree, the fact of him getting more tattoos is now acceptable with my family. We have all came to the realization that tattoos should not determine someone's character but are simply hints to who that person is.