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.
2 Comments
8/1/2022 05:57:02 am
2022 en iyi takipçi satın alma imkanından yararlanmak isteyen herkesi adresimize bekliyoruz. Böylece profesyonel bir takipçi hizmeti almak mümkün olacaktır.
Reply
8/1/2022 08:40:19 am
Hızlı takipçi satın al seçeneği ile birlikte hesaplarınızı geliştirmek artık çok kolay. Profesyonel hizmetlerimiz ve paketlerimiz adresimiz üzerinde sizleri bekliyor.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorSirena Backham Archives
August 2017
Categories |