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Julia Alvarez's Three Teenage Girls

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Julia Alvarez and his three teenage sisters discover the “key” to assimilating into their new country. Their stereotypical understanding of what it means to be an American is defined by one’s appearance. Comparing themselves to the women featured in the Miss America contest, makes the Alvarez girls long for the “American look”. It narrows down to a caucasian, hourglass shaped figure with long seamless straight hair. “Although we wanted to look like we belonged here, the four sisters, our looks didn 't seem to fit in.” Their dark olive skin tone, curly hair, unshaven legs and noses did not mirror the women on television. Therefore, they viewed themselves as unattractive and inferior to the beauty pageant contestants. There was a limited

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