“Be yourself.” “Live your dreams.” “Follow your heart.” As Americans, we are daily bombarded with sayings and clichés reminding us to pursue that good old American dream of success and individuation. Self-expression is invaluable to our culture and society – that is, until you offend older higher-ups in the workplace with your appearance.
Tattoos (along with vibrantly colored hair and piercings) are becoming more and more commonplace among our generation, and yet we still see a high level of discrimination against them in a professional setting. According to research conducted by Statistic Brain in December 2013, a whopping 14 percent of Americans have at least one tattoo. If we go by the estimated 2013 US Census population, that means approximately 44,258,037 people in this country are inked up – and the number rises every day.
It is presumptuous and, frankly, immature to subscribe to the belief that those with visible tattoos will not uphold a completely professional and watertight work ethic when they have a job. One of my good friends has a half-sleeve (a tattoo that goes down her arm to her elbow) and she worked as a sales associate at Nordstrom Rack. A doctor at my old pediatrician office has a huge tiger wrapped around his arm. I never heard a parent complain that he couldn’t treat their child because of the way he looked. Shockingly, it would seem that appearances take the back seat when you can actually do your job well.
The simple truth is that Bob Dylan was spot on when he sang, “The times, they are a-changing.” Society is evolving in the way it perceives pretty much everything, and with Generation Y graduating college and entering the workforce, statistically we will see more and more young professionals who do not fit the typical straight-laced, button-down workers we have grown so used to seeing ourselves.
Tattoos can also be a simple form of rebellion against the way the world is at this point. We’ve been left by older generations in crippling debt in a society where a college degree means slightly more than a napkin on which “Please hire me” is written, and then we’re told to clean ourselves up to perform to their standards. When you aren’t sure if your job will need you the next week, you take control through other avenues – altering your appearance, for example. It’s kind of empowering to have art that is specifically yours and that no one can take away from you on your body forever. And you’ll make a pretty intimidating lawyer with two full sleeves, don’t you think?
Beth Lindly is a junior majoring in journalism. Her column runs biweekly.
