Written by JJ Singh Kapur Early on in Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, I couldn’t help but sympathize with the protagonist Ifemelu: a Nigerian woman living in America. Adichie often highlights the struggles Ifemelu faces to blend in with the crowd. Wherever Ifemelu goes, she always seems to stick out like a sore thumb. Even among her African counterparts in a predominantly white Princeton, New Jersey, Ifemelu has had trouble finding a friend-base. For instance, she initially justifies the lack of braiding salons in Princeton, noting that “the few black locals she had seen were so light-skinned and lank-haired she could not imagine them wearing braids.” (page 3). Life Ifemelu, I have also experienced problems trying to understand my complex identity. I am a first generation American: my father is from Singapore and my mother is from India. I am also a Sikh. In the United States, what my social studies teacher calls the melting pot of cultures, I never felt like I exactly blend in with the crowd. In my elementary school days during lunchtime at school, while all my friends talked about baseball and ate hot dogs, and I talked about cricket and ate chicken curry, I became known as a FOB: Fresh Off the Boat, even though I can’t swim. At the family dinner table while everyone chatted away in their native language Punjabi, while I could only speak English—in what they thought was the most Americanized accent possible—my family called me an ABC: American Born Confused. And at Indian parties while everyone would dance the traditional bhangra (a lively dance originating in the northern province of India known as Punjab) and I would rather breakdance, everyone ran out of three letter acronyms to call me so they went with a fruit, I became the coconut...brown on the outside, and white on inside. Honestly the one day of the year I felt that I fit in was Halloween, because everyone just assumed I was a genie and left me alone.
Today we live in a fit-in society, where everything from what we wear to what we believe is shaped to fit in with the norm. We, without-much-thought, sacrifice our unique differences in order to conform with the crowd, in order to be normal. Everyday, I am reminded that we must all recognize the danger of fitting in, and the importance of embracing our complex identities.
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Written by JJ Singh Kapur On September 11th 2001, I was two years old. That evening my family watched as the horrific tragedy unfolded. My parents recall that at one point on that terrible day, an image appeared on our TV screen, and my two-year-old self was amazed to see what appeared to be my father on the nightly news. I tugged on my father’s sleeve, pointed at the screen, and shouted, “Papa! Papa!” The image on the screen was not my father. It was Osama Bin Ladin. My father tells me that this was a moment of profound fear. He was afraid that Americans would, as I had innocently done, see my father’s beard and turban and think—terrorist. Chai + Americanah = Paradise I now realize that on September 11th, 2001, I fell victim to what author Chimananda Ngozi Adichie calls in her Ted Talk “The Danger of a Single Story,” a simplified narrative where all Sikhs and Muslims are national villains. In Americanaha, Adichie makes a powerful point: stereotypes can lead to misunderstandings that affect our cultures and ethnicities. Adichie is a Nigerian author who has had to deal with these stereotypes on an intimate level. The protagonist in Americanah is Ifemelu, an avid blogger who identifies herself as a non-American black. The reader is introduced to three distinct masks Ifemelu wears in America: Ifemelu as a Princeton University student who is currently seeking employment, Ifemelu in her African hair salon, and Ifemeulu as an anonymous blogger on race issues. Because readers are exposed to three unique versions of the protagonist, Adichie sends a clear message: we can never rely on a single story. Chai + Americanah = Paradise Sikh temples across the U.S. have been vandalized after 9/11. But I was not the only one affected by the single story; my Sikh community soon experienced the negative effects of stereotyping. In the months after 9/11, vandals spray-painted the words “Towelheads” on our Sikh Temple. Two Sikh-owned gas stations in our community were held at gunpoint. And many Sikh boys who were bullied at school were forced to renounce tenets of our Sikh Faith by removing the sacred turban and cutting their unshorn hair. There have been times when I too have been tempted to disband from my Sikh identity, but my father encourages me to strengthen my roots, because he says that “as Sikhs we are rare ones, and if we don’t stand up for our beliefs, we will go extinct.” These words inspire me everyday to deconstruct the danger of a single story—they are a constant call to action. Sikh temples across the U.S. have been vandalized after 9/11. But I was not the only one affected by the single story; my Sikh community soon experienced the negative effects of stereotyping. In the months after 9/11, vandals spray-painted the words “Towelheads” on our Sikh Temple. Two Sikh-owned gas stations in our community were held at gunpoint. And many Sikh boys who were bullied at school were forced to renounce tenets of our Sikh Faith by removing the sacred turban and cutting their unshorn hair. There have been times when I too have been tempted to disband from my Sikh identity, but my father encourages me to strengthen my roots, because he says that “as Sikhs we are rare ones, and if we don’t stand up for our beliefs, we will go extinct.” These words inspire me everyday to deconstruct the danger of a single story—they are a constant call to action. Like Ifemelu, I too "like my hair the way God made it." As I read about Ifemelu - brave, vibrant, stubborn Ifemelu - my father's words once again echoed in my mind. I couldn't help but think that Ifemelu, in many ways, mirrors my personality. For instance, while Ifemelu was getting her hair styled at an African hair salon, a hari-dresser criticized Ifemelu, "She touched Ifemeulu's hair. 'Why you don't have relaxer?' I like my hair the way God made it (page 15).'" At this moment, I immediately felt the urge to applaud. I know realize that I am not alone. We are all rare in our own ways. Some of us, like Ifemelu, speak numerous languages. Some of us marry the same gender. But we lose these rarities that make us who we are the day we try to fit in, the minute we try to be someone else, and the second we shed our identities in order to feel accepted.
Written by Kalen Truong “Imagine you’re a secret agent assigned to track someone. How will you do it? Hide in a doorway across the street from his house and wait for him to emerge?” - Eyes and Spies
As we enter in a new era of technologically advances, we no longer think of spies like this. We no longer see FBI agents sitting next to their targets at dinner and eavesdropping on them. There are now different ways to eavesdrop or spy on people : Cameras, phone manufacturers, Internet providers, etc. They could leak your information if they wanted to. However, most of us do not know this! We could be living our ordinary lives, scrolling down our Facebook timeline, and data would be recorded from us without our knowing. What we don’t realize is that what we put on the internet is not private information. It could be retraced from years, years ago and brought up today to ruin and haunt one’s life. In Eyes of Spies, Tanya Lloyd Kyi explains multiple ways on how you’re tracked and why you should know. When you think of the word “privacy”, what do you imagine? Being alone, having the door closed to your guardians? Being free from “public” attention? But what is public? Outside? The mall? Well, the mall in fact, is not public. It is privately owned for the use of business, to sell and buy products. There are security guards and surveillance cameras that monitor the area to see if anyone is disrupting the smooth flow of commerce. Not only are we monitored in malls but mostly everywhere we go! GPS (Global Positioning System), mostly known for guiding people to their pinpoint location, is always watching you from way above, no matter where you’re at on Earth. Some may know that but did you know you can be watched from the cameras on your laptops or phone? In 2010, a case study was done about Invasion of privacy in school. The school district gave out more than 2,000 new laptops to students to use at school or at home. However, the webcams on these laptops could be accessed by school administration. Fifteen-year-old Blake Robbins was accused of taking drugs at home, and when he saw the pictures, he sued the school on invasion of privacy. This kind of spying not only happens by schools, but hackers do as well. Putting a sticky note over your webcams would be the safest choice to avoid unwanted visitors. Another way that people are tracked commonly is on the internet. When people shop online, businesses keep and store this data to help make their business better, and to make recommendations to make the customer buy more products. It really gets strange when a similar product you bought on Amazon appears on Facebook. A personal encounter was when I was searching for clothes online and it appeared on another website as an ad. Most of us today do not know who or what is watching us and where. Is privacy a myth or is there very little of it? The bottom line is to be cautious. I use an app called Signal, which is basically like messenger where you can talk to people but the conversations are encrypted and more hard to be hacked and leaked to. I recommend this app and can be downloaded for free. Every state has their own law and regulation on abortion. In Iowa, anyone under the age of 18 seeking an abortion has to have a parent or grandparent know about your decision 48 hours prior to the scheduled abortion. Let’s think about this; even if they do not need to consent to this decision, this gives them a window to stop the individual from getting the abortion. In some states, one parent has to give consent, both parents have to give consent, or simply no consent or permission is required. Even though Iowa has a “lenient” law on it, it still does not necessarily allow the individual to choose what to do with their body. Although many states allow these requirements to be overruled by a judge, it does not account for those who do not have access to a judge or even want to associate with a judge. Someone under 18 should not be held back from making a decision that will ultimately affect their life. Also, there are obvious differences between generations. Different beliefs often prevent individuals from going through with abortions.
About 56 million abortions are performed each year. When it is done medically and professionally, it is a safe procedure. There are two options, an in-clinic abortion and the abortion pill. The in-clinic abortion encompasses different techniques depending on how far along the pregnancy is. The procedure uses suction to empty out the uterus and typically takes about 5-10 minutes. People choose this option because it is done at a health center by medical professionals unlike the abortion pill. The abortion pill comes in two steps, the first pill being mifepristone, which blocks a hormone necessary for pregnancy. This pill is taken at the health clinic. The second pill, misoprostol, taken about a day or two at home empties the uterus. People usually choose this option because of its ability to be taken at a more comfortable place. These two abortion options are generally 93 to 99+ percent successful depending on how far the pregnancy is. An unsafe abortion is defined as the termination of a pregnancy by people lacking the necessary skills and equipment. 68,000 women die each year as a result of unsafe abortion and 2 to 7 million suffer chronic complications. If we continue to cut fundings on programs that provide safe abortions, then we are promoting these deaths. Why are we forcing people to risk their lives when there is a simple 5 minute procedure available? Our perceptions of killing an unborn child cause another life to be at risk. This is why states shouldn’t have separate varying laws on abortion. Everyone should have the same equal access to abortion. Written by Esther Hwang As she stepped onto the tiny green campus, Sharon Quinsaat explored her potential role in this unique space. This space, Grinnell College, is a social justice-oriented college in rural Iowa. And Quinsaat, a sociologist from the Philippines with a background in migration, transnationalism, and social movements, had a lot to offer Grinnell.
When Quinsaat told her colleagues she was looking forward to teaching a section called “Sociology of Asian America,” a history professor standing nearby joked that she would quickly run out of material to teach. There just isn’t that much to be said for Asian American history, he said. This joke did not amuse Quinsaat. But the history professor’s laughter kept ringing in her ears. That laugh was important. It sent a spark to Quinsaat, and she knew in that moment that she would lead a charge for Asian American studies at Grinnell. With a larger mission for inclusive education across the country, Quinsaat would empower her students through her classes and prove that Asian American studies is more than worthwhile, it is essential. Now let me tell you how that “Sociology of Asian America” class went… When course registration opened, “Sociology of Asian America” filled up instantly. Our college is tiny, with tiny classes to match. Each of our classes usually caps at 30 students. So there we were, 30 of us elbow to elbow in a seminar room meant for 15, all of us with different identities and reasons for enrolling in the course. Some of us were second generation Asian Americans with a thirst for self-discovery through history. Some of us were South Asians wanting to hear about Asians who weren’t just from China, Japan, or Korea. Some of us were international students from Asia wondering why they felt so different from their Asian American peers. Some of us came from hometowns that were filled with Southeast Asian refugees and wanted to learn how they got there. And some of us enrolled simply because it was something new and exciting for Grinnell. And it was new and exciting. Each reading was a treasure, a realization that, wow, Asian Americans are everywhere! How have we never noticed or listened to them? By teaching this class, Quinsaat gave visibility to those erased and voice to those otherwise unheard: Afro-Amerasians who struggle with conflicting messages from African American and Asian communities, Chinese American men who found themselves emasculated when they migrated to America, Asian American women who were chastised by their communities when they married white men, Vietnamese nail shop owners and their triangular relationship with Latino workers, Pakistanis who found rebellious release through punk music, Asian movie stars who had to succumb to imposed stereotypes in order to make a living, the struggle of Asians trying to climb into executive positions in America. Each reading was a journey to a scattered Asian diaspora in America, and each class discussion an intimate conversation about the meaning of those communities through a transnational perspective. History was hands-down my least favorite subject in high school. None of my teachers taught me history the way I learned it with Quinsaat, as a beautiful narrative of the historical processes that bring us to the intricacies of society today. This class was everything that my social studies courses in high school couldn’t be for me, because this class actually included me. At the end of the semester, our class held a campus-wide presentation of our final projects, and the professors who attended were blown away. They had not seen such thoughtful and accurate projects done by 19- and 20- year olds in decades. And they certainly hadn’t heard about the studies and histories of Asian Americans of which, by the end of the semester, we were experts. And now we look back on the hard-fought victory of Sharon Quinsaat, professor and activist extraordinaire. Sharon Quinsaat succeeded in her mission. She single-handedly empowered her students by giving representation to the underrepresented. At the end of the semester, no one could deny that Asian American studies was much richer than we all thought. Who’s laughing now? Written by Esther Hwang, Kristy Nguyen, & Sirena Backham "As a college student, it can be difficult to find Asian American courses. They didn't exist in Grinnell College until Fall 2016, when a recent alum came to teach a 2-credit short course called "Asian American Activism." I was extremely lucky to find out that the very next semester, Sharon Quinsaat, Ph.D. was going to teach the first semester-long course specific to Asian Americans. The class was called "Sociology of Asian America" and it was everything I was missing in my college education. It was history, but a history that included the experiences of my parents--immigrants from Korea--and me--a second-generation Asian American.
Reading after reading, each student in that class was blown away by the sheer novelty of approaching Sociology from the lens of the Asian American experience. We studied topics like the history of Asian American activism, experiences of Pakistani Americans after 9/11, the surge of ethnoburbs and the deterioration of Chinatowns, political participation of Asian Americans, hip hop culture among Southeast Asians, and sexuality among Asian Americans. Professor Quinsaat wanted our final projects to excite our creative sides. To paraphrase her words, every authoritarian regime that has ever existed starts by attacking the arts. Art and creativity is liberation, and that is why we must create it. Our group wasn't the most artsy, but we made a pretty great video, a study on the sexual socialization of Asian American students at Grinnell College. In the same way that "Sociology of Asian America" allowed us to understand society in a new light, we hope that our video about Asian American Sexuality can give a broader understanding of sexuality for Asians and non-Asians alike." -Esther Hwang This video was sent in by Esther Hwang, who is writing another blog post for us! Thanks Esther! Growing up and learning about sex: K: I wasn't like introduced to the subject of sex through my parents, mostly just media. You know the action or superhero movies where there's that "scene." I didn't really press to learn about it and I guess I really learned about what sex was during "the video" in fourth grade. S: When I was younger, I never received any talk or education about sex from parents or from school. I guess I just assumed that sex is a heterosexual thing. I knew of the idea of sex was, but not what it actually consists of. It was just a thing grown-ups did. What kind of messages did you receive about sex and sexuality from your parents? K: Growing up, my parents didn't really talk about sex at all. The only time it was really mentioned was when they implied that sex before marriage was immoral. It was a really taboo subject in my family and I thought that it was normal because my parents' marriage wasn't that great so its not like I was exposed to any environment hinting towards sex or sexuality. My parents bought me Barbie dolls, stuffed animals, and provided me with princess and Disney movies. They taught me to be neat and organized because I was a girl. For my brother, they bought him Nerf guns, games like Call of Duty, and action figures. They told him to be neat and organized as well, but not because he was a boy. S: Not even just sex and sexuality, but relationships in general were never spoken of to me. Because of that, it made sex a taboo topic in my house. It was assumed that i was to pursue a heterosexual relationship and live a life with a husband and kids. I assumed that sex was something supposed to not be a part of my interests. What kind of messages did you receive about sexuality from your peers? K: In seventh grade, I remember that some people started to think I was lesbian because I didn't really talk to guys at school, but that was only because I never really had guy friends and I didn't know how to start making them. Other than that, I didn't really receive any other messages or signals from other peers assuming my sexuality. I guess it never really bothered them because even as I kid, I never told any of my friends who I had a crush on. S: From my peers, it was a cool thing to be in a relationship. It was something that signified that you were grown, and being grown is cool. It was always a hot topic of who likes who, but it always made me uncomfortable- I never viewed it as something fun because of what I took from relationships at my home life. Whiteness and sex: K: Well, most of the people I know that are open about their sexual life or anything regarding sex are white. I feel like sometimes when a white person talks about that part of their life often then they aren't seen as like easy or slutty, but more like sexy and hot, but if a person of color was to do it then they'd be seen as like wild or as an object almost. I think that the media does portray white people as more ideal for sex and more sexually attractive. Like I just think that its really normalized. S: I think that white people are always allowed to express their sexuality because it comes along with their privilege not to be judged by their sexuality. In media, the main leads are usually white, and we may associate that "hot, white lead" into being what we see as sexy and attractive. I feel like white people are more open to express their sexuality, but if a POC were to do the same, they are labeled as exotic. The standards of "sexy" are held differently. Current perspectives of sex: K: I don't really have an opinion on sex. As long as its consensual and if each party fully knows the good and bad consequences and exactly what's going to happen. I just think that sex is a really grey area especially for people of color especially because they aren't ever really exposed to that topic within their family life which should change. S: As I've understood more about sex, I understand how to tackle the "taboos" of sex and how to be comfortable talking about sex. Consent is a big part of being comfortable with talking about sex, and I now understand that sexuality is not something to be shamed for. Written by Sirena Backham & Kristy Nguyen The idea that the model minority myth poses is that if a certain minority group is able to achieve socioeconomic success, other minorities should be able to reach the standard of what the model minority achieves. After World War II, the white mainstream began promoting stories of Asian American success, using words like "deserving" and "hardworking" to describe to rise of Asian Americans. This was a tactic to criticize African Americans and minimize the potential impact of the civil rights movement. As this puts pressure on the API community to succeed, this also silences the needs and wants of the Black community. The model minority group also represents API in the wrong manner by only looking at a few ethnic groups as representing the whole API community. Korean, Chinese, and Japanese people have made it into managerial ranks but white people have failed to mention the Hmong, Laotian, Cambodian, and Filipino Americans that only stay in low-wage jobs. There are also Asians who are not included in representations of the API community, usually South Asians. Because of the generalization and stereotype of there being only one culturally Asian group, East Asians, there is erasure of the Asian groups who may not fit into the model minority stereotype, and therefore are not given validity of being truly “Asian”. There has been research that white people see API men as unfit for management because of the stereotypes that API men are passive and weak. Asian Americans are perceived as the minority group that doesn’t complain, attract negative attention, or cause problems. Preconceived notions like these tend to weaken the voice of Asian Americans,and would make them uncomfortable pointing out stereotypes, insults, and assaults. The myth picks at a certain group in the API community and uses this to compare to API people to other groups, specifically other minority groups. It argues that racism can be overcome by hard work and strong family values. It minimizes the role that racism plays in the persistent struggles of other racial/ethnic minority groups. During WWII, The media created the idea that the Japanese were rising up after being held in incarceration camps and it allowed white people to ask, "Why weren't black people making it, but Asians are?" This compares the experiences of the Japanese to the experiences of Black people.
As an Asian American, I've always heard: "Wow, you're so good at math! 'Cause you're Asian!" "Of course you'd be good at ______, you're Asian." "They're a dumb Asian." "They're one of the wild Asians." "That Asian kid never talks, they're so quiet." Why do these statements have to be associated with race? Why is a person being good at math justified with race? What significance is held with associating Asians being academically advanced to others? Without knowing it, I was playing right into the stereotypes that followed me. Why was I generally quiet much of my time through elementary and middle school? I was a kid that followed my example. If I saw people like me not talking, I wouldn't talk. Why were Asian students so silenced in their classrooms? This myth that follows us says that the racism we face does not matter in how well we will do in life, therefore why would the racism others face matter in how other groups do in life? The model minority myth only follows a selective ethnic group that seems to be "doing well." It ignores the other ethnic groups and their well-being. The success and progress of popularized Asian countries plays into the model minority myth, and this leads into why the API community should be encouraged to become vocal in social movements like Black Lives Matter. Issues that the API community encounter give us reasoning to be accomplices. Asians have been used as part of a divide and conquer strategy to uphold white supremacy. API communities are targeted differently than black people. API struggle for freedom and liberation have been deeply influenced by Black American struggles that preceded ours. Our liberation depends on the liberation of Black people. The API community remain complicit in the terrible toll the African American population has faced. When we stay quiet, we lack empathy and embrace the model minority which values Black Americans as underclass. “All lives matter” erases the urgency of the crisis being faced by the black community in particular. We create emphasis on black lives because they are the lives in danger- of course all lives matter. But, not all lives are targeted because of their race. Letters for Black Lives is a new open, decentralized, crowdsourced collaboration of resources on anti-blackness meant to be a starting point for Asian children to discuss these issues with older relatives. Letters for Black lives is meant to amplify the message of BLM because of the impact this movement has on all minorities. We need to unite because the system that is unfair towards Blacks is the same system that pushes the model minority myth on the API community, while ignoring API who are struggling. Link: https://lettersforblacklives.com/ Written by Sirena Backham & Kristy Nguyen The LGBTQ+ community is seen as very inclusive and equal, but white privilege and the patriarchy also affect the LGBTQ+ community. The term LGBTQ+ is often represented by the “G”, gay white men. Trans people are especially excluded from the LGBTQ community. Having only one group speak out for an entire community is destructive because it creates stereotypes about everyone in that community. Gay white men have become dominant in the community because they face the most privilege. Donald Trump brags about how he has a large population of LGBTQ+ supporters. However, when you look closer, you'll notice that his "large population of LGBTQ+ supporters" are actually a large population of gay white men. Compared to a black trans woman, a gay white man has the privilege, socially and financially. Gay women are often fetishized and sexualized, or seen as a challenge for men to “convert”, with sayings like “she’s never been with a man, she doesn’t know what she wants”, especially if the person does not fit the stereotype of looking like a gay person. It degrades gay women for not being able to make their own decisions/ knowing what they want. Bi people are not often taken seriously in the community because of the ability to pass as straight, or considered straight and experimenting. The erasure of bi people contribute to the domination of white gay men, are often praised for being seen as feminine and flamboyant, and for being associated with drag queens. Gay white men dominate the media and are usually the representatives in all media sources. SOURCES:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/11/article-0-1C3335EE00000578-185_634x898.jpg http://cdn.newsbusters.org/styles/blog_body-100/s3/images/campbell.jpg http://www.mambaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Conservative-Christians-ouraged-by-Google-gay-dads-ad.jpg |
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