Flat head

September 19, 2010

The other day, I had a few friends over. My Chinese friend, Tong told my ABC (American Born Chinese) friend, Michael that he had the head shape of a white person. Michael’s head is round, and Tong thought it was unusual for a Chinese person to have a round head. Most Chinese people’s heads are flat in the back.

Michael said that other Chinese people had told him that before. I was of the impression that Chinese mothers lay their children on their backs often when they are babies, causing their soft, developing heads to flatten in the back. Western mothers might rotate their children more. Tong is of the impression that its just genes. Chinese people have flat heads. Period.

Jessica, another ABC, told us that when her mom grew up in China it was desirable to have the back of your head be flat. When her mom’s friends were babies, their mothers would put boards on the sides of their heads while they slept, keeping their heads in place, and forcing them to sleep on their backs, thus flattening the backs of their heads.