Ciao!

I love desk.

I also love the letter you wrote, Amanda. I think it summed up my feelings exactly. I'm not so gifted in the art of language, so I will not attempt to put my feelings into text, but instead will agree whole-heartedly with the letter Amanda has written. I, too, have learned a great deal about myself, my writing ability, and my learning preferences all thanks to Priya. This class has been amazing and due to the discussion and student participation and involvement will be hard to beat in the future. I would only like to thank Priya for allowing us the opportunity to discover and write about our own passions found within the class. At first, I wasn’t too keen on thinking up an original thesis and then following through with a paper. However, I have learned that some of my best work and participation has been in this class thanks to the free reign provided by Priya. I would also like to thank my colleagues and classmates for creating a safe space in the classroom to talk and express feelings and ideas freely. I never once felt like I was judged by something I said and therefore felt more confident and willing to share insights and opinions.

I will truly miss our unique class and the interesting class experiences we make. Would love to see a reunion in our future, but hopefully it will be during May Term and not next Fall (for purely selfish reasons, I’ll be abroad in Ireland in the Fall).

May the road you’re on always lead to a good pub!

(I think I just made that up…if not, let me know so I can credit the witty person!)

Classifieds

OED for #1 Dictionary...

Looking for advertisers, solicitors, marketers. No experience necessary. Engl 217 must have been taken to be considered for the position. Will be compensated with Indian cuisine and dinner party invitations. Contact Priya Jha.

Thank you.

I liked it. It was great.

Preface:
So today in class, I complained that I had not yet had the chance to write an inspiring end-of-class blog. And now I feel indebted to write one. If I ever thought ahead, I would have posted this blog two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the idea only occurred to me in the wee hours of the morning, yesterday. (No, I guess that was actually today.) In any case, Professor Jha, consider this my two-week late two weeks notice.



Dear Professor Jha and all those to whom it may concern,

I write this letter to inform you that I will be leaving your class; however, before I do there are a few things you should know.

When I signed up for this class, my impression of the UR English Department was less than lovely. In fact I was not even sure that I wanted to take another English class here. Luckily, Professor Jha was there to turn me around. Not only do I actually enjoy English again, but I would even consider an English major or minor. (But no promises!)

The class not only showed me that the English department was more than satisfactory, but it also proved that the students here – this should not offend any of you because you are all the opposite – are not all clammed up dullards. A few of the classes I took in the fall gave me the impression that the students at UR do not like to participate or talk or really do anything in class, but stare at the teacher. Again, I was lucky enough to be proved wrong.

In addition, I learned stuff. I know that sounds rather obvious as I am in school and this was a class. But, on top of learning that I should ALWAYS USE THE OED, I have learned more in this class than any other class I have taken. Not only did I get a better grasp on writing essays, but I learned about aspects of Asian-American culture that I was not previously aware of. I found out about the history of Hawaii, India, China and Japan that I never knew. This class gave me the chance to meet all of you and get to know you a little and it gave me a chance to become better acquainted with my own family and their history. (Jaydene, I adore your scrap book! I think I’ll make one too!)

Now that the year is coming to a close, I am finding that there is not nearly enough time or words to express how utterly remarkable this class has been. I am overflowing with blog ideas (in fact as I went to save this in word, I found that it was BLOG 6, which is odd because I haven’t written six blogs. There were also three blog 3s. Basically, I got very confused and panicked and proceeded to look up exactly how many blogs I had actually posted.) I really wanted to compare one of the books to East of Eden, which I have been reading since January. I thought that maybe I could compare Lee’s role as servant to the role of white people in My Year of Meats. Unfortunately, I have run out of time although I am sure that Professor Jha would not hesitate to encourage some light summer writing.

In any case, as much as it grieves me, I must bid ENGL 217 farewell.
Thank you all for my favorite academic experience (and a few non-academic ones too!) of the year!

Sincerely,

Amanda Kim Nonomura

Concluding... the blog and the semester.

When I first signed up for this course, I was not quite sure what it would offer me. I was aware that I was taking another English course and more than likely I would be doing tons of writing, but I never thought that I would take from Eng. 217 what I have. Finding out that the course title was Asian American Women I was kind of excited, 1. because I knew absolutely nothing about Asian American Authors and 2. because my boyfriend's mother is Korean and moved to the United States about 30 years ago. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to learn more about Asian American women in general and my future mother-in-law's culture as well.
I decided to write my final project on the Assimilation of Asian women into the United States with the increase in military brides. I took my boyfriend's mother's story and turned my paper into a narrative of her life. I was amazed by how many women from Asian countries chose to marry US soldiers and move to the USA during the 1970s until the 1990s. Mi Hi Hong came to the United States from Seoul, Korea. She went from being apart of a weathly family to living in a trailor park in Arizona. She had a huge culture shock. In order to 'fit in' better after her US arrival, Mi Hi's mother-in-law encouraged her to change her name to Mia in order for her assimilation to be easier. My own family had to change our last name when arriving to the United States at Eliis Island, but it boggles my mind that a mother-in-law would encourage a name change rather than a courty's immigration office. Throughout our class readings and talking to Mia, I see how accurate the authors we read were. Every story had a meaning and a purpose and I have seen so many relations to Mia in almost every single book. I have found the most relations were in Suki Kim's novel with Suzy's father force feeding Grace because Mia often forces me and all of her children to eat more because she says that she does not want us to disrespect her.
I am aware that there are quite a few people that can relate to the novels in a much more personal way with being Asian and coming from Hawaii, but I have grown a great appreciation for Mia and her culture as well as the other cultures we discussed throughout this past semester! Thank you Priya!!!

Curtain Call... will the members of ENG 217 please take a bow? (or at least pat yourself on the back a little)

Alright all jokes aside, I would now like to close out the semester with a true ode to our class.
Wow. I think that three letter word sums up a good amount of our semester. The transformation of our class as a whole and as individuals in this short semester is almost ridiculous. I know I cannot speak for everyone but coming into class January 9th clutching a sweaty add/drop slip in my trembling freshman hand I did not have the slightest idea of what I was getting myself into. Priya’s first lecture about what class would entitle, what would be expected of us, and what she aimed for us to leave with calmed any of my would-be fears (sorry Professor, you just hadn’t honed your intimidation skills that day) and only made me subtly speed walk my way to the front of class hoping for a signature. A week later, after falling head over heals into Dogeaters,
I knew that my passion for writing was beginning to reform, something I had thought I lost about a semester and a half into my junior year of high school after a certain 20 page research paper drained me of any fire, fervor, and commitment I had to the English language. On that first day, Priya had mentioned that one of her biggest concerns for each and every one of us was that we improved as writers throughout the course of the semester. Bingo! I am proud to say that (even if Professor Jha thinks otherwise) I feel I have improved ten-fold as a writer and that passion I once thought I had lost had only been smothered for a few years. It’s the end of the semester and with several essays, a number of blogs, and a few novels tucked under my belt I feel accomplished and a little enlightened. If I were any sort of Lit. or Creative Writing major I would already be signed up for Professor Jha’s fall course (especially since there is the added promise of food involved!) but even though this course almost twisted my arm into changing majors I will continue on my pre-med track and be content with what I will be taking away from this course. I know I am not the only person who walked out of that class today a better writer and a better student. Our final presentations and the class discussion surrounding them showed the strength, skills, and knowledge we have all gained during the course of this semester. Wow. I had to throw it in there again, I mean come on, don’t you think we deserve it? I do.

That dear old ENG 217 (my- somewhat stolen- ode to our class)

Oh, that dear old ENG 217
Thy students near and far
Will discuss thy entities and praise all thy literature
Where Priya talked with flare
And dealt grades so sharp and swift
The dear old ENG 217 we love so well.

Oh, that good old ENG 217,
For whose essays we researched long
Endless pages turning by
With each novel, new knowledge
In class the words would fly
That good old ENG 217 we love so well.

Oh, that damn old ENG 217,
The semesters of bad English to come can never mar
The memories of thee for some reason we love so well
Where the bonds of classhood are so dear
That we leave lecture with a tear
That damn old ENG 217 we don’t know why we love so well!

My Presentation in blog form

Since our time together has come to an untimely end, and Q and I do not get to give you our presentation, I thought that I would put it on the blog! Great idea, right? That’s what I thought.
So here it is. Q and I were teamed together by fate (and fate’s name is Priya) due to our shared desire to study film for our final project. I would like to say that I chose film because I believe in the power of that medium, in the beauty of the marriage between the visual world and the spoken word. But in the interest of full disclosure, the real reason I wanted to do film was because watching a movie is much faster than reading a book. But this teaming up with Q to study film brought about the greatest night of the semester—our night out with Priya Jha. Q and I made plans to travel down to Irvine to watch The Namesake, the film adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel (Interpreter of Maladies) directed by Mira Nair (Mississippi Massala). When we informed Priya of our plans, she knew that the opportunity to see an important movie with two of the University of Redlands’ brightest stars was just too good to pass up, so she decided to join us. Thus, three intrepid travelers set off on a Monday night, ready for high adventure.
For those of you who have been fortunate enough to spend any time with Priya, you have no doubt found out that she can speak intelligently on ANY SUBJECT. It became a game just to try to find some topic that she couldn’t converse fluidly on. Needless to say, she stumped us. It turns out that she is a terrific traveling companion because with her around, you never run out of things to say. But on to the movie…
It was alright. I can’t say that I would have even given it a second thought if not for this class. I have since read the book, which is excellent, and realized that the main problem with the movie is just that it is a very ambitious task to try to adapt this particular story into movie form. So much of what makes the story great is what is going on in the characters heads, and the problem with this, as with all film adaptation is that it has its internal logic abridged. You become a viewer, an observer, of these characters, but you cannot inhabit them the way you can with the book. This is not necessarily to be blamed on the filmmakers; I think it just goes with the territory.
Remember how earlier I said that I wanted to do film because it would save me from reading? Well, the joke was on me because after watching The Namesake, I realized that I was going to have to read The Namesake. And as if that wasn’t bad enough already, there is a work by a Russian author, Nikolai Gogol’s “The Overcoat,” that plays heavily into the story of The Namesake, so I had to read that as well. Only “The Overcoat” is an allegory, and I had no idea what it meant, so I read a collection of critical essays on it to gain further insight. After reading all of these books, Q and I realized that all of the meat of our topic was coming from the books, so, in the end, we decided to shun the movie because the movie was just the Cliffs Notes version of the book that we actually read. So to summarize, our attempt to get out of this project easily by just watching movies turned into reading three different books and working on a final project that just drips with literary analysis (which is not what I had in mind). But what is done is done, and I think Q and I ended having a decent time working on it anyway.
So as for the movie, it’s okay. You could see it if you are really into that kind of thing; the actress who plays grown-up Moushumi was way hot, so there’s that.
I’ll leave you with the review of the movie that the people sitting in front of us gave us at the conclusion of the movie (I liked it so much I wrote it down): “I enjoyed it visually, but the movie just kept on going.”
Oh and Priya- you thought 2:15 was something, check this one out!

If This Whole Writing Thing Doesn’t Pan Out, It’s Good to Know That There’s a Job Waiting For Me As a Pimp

I was going through my files of the blogs I wrote back when I was still to shy to post them. I enjoyed this one and thought that it deserved to see the light of day. And since I’ve been knee-deep in Lahiri for the past two weeks (I did my final project on The Namesake, read all about it in the adjacent blog), I thought I might as well get it all out. Without further ado, I give to you-
The case for Shoba

I thought that Shoba was getting an unnecessarily bad rap in class on Thursday (this was written months ago), and since Soleil not only wrote about Shukumar as the victim but also called Shoba an “evil bitch” in class, I wanted to take up for Shoba (also, she sounds pretty hot and she’s newly single so it wouldn’t hurt for me to get on her good side). So I’ve decided to create a sort of personal ad for Shoba, highlighting all her good and attractive qualities, and proving that she is not a hateful, evil person; in fact, she is just the opposite.
Do you like women? Well then, have I got just the one for you. She is hard-working (she brings home her “leather satchel, plump with files,” to work on them from home) (1). She has a very active lifestyle (“She’d come from the gym”), and is in her twenties (by which I mean she is “thirty-three”) (1). She’s simultaneously an enthusiastic lover (“eager to collapse into his arms”) and an efficient reminder of dates (“You have a dentist appointment next Friday, by the way”) (2). She pushes others to be their best (“he hadn’t wanted to go to the conference, but she had insisted; it was important to make contacts, and he would be entering the job market next year”) (3). She offers her professional proofreading help (“she would do the same for his dissertation, she promised, when it was ready”) (4). She’s thoughtful when it comes to other people’s coffee needs (“Shumukar would finally pull himself out of bed and head downstairs to the coffeepot, pouring out the extra bit that Shoba left for him”), and she knew how to cure serious conditions: fishy-smelling hands (“rubbed a lemon half along his fingertips to get rid of the garlic smell, a trick he’d learned from Shoba”) and darkness (“We can light candles”) (5). She plans ahead, (“She had bought [spare toothbrushes] once when they were on sale , in the event that visitor decided, at the last minute, to spend the night”), and is never unprepared (“She was the type to prepare for surprises, good and bad”) (6). She is physically built for motherhood (“with hips that her obstetrician assured her were for childbearing”) (7). She’s not afraid to buy things that aren’t from a major retail store (…the mortal and pestle she’d bought in a bizarre in Calcutta), and she likes fun surprises (Shoba had thrown him a surprise birthday party…) (9). She’s easy to fall for (by the end of the meal [from our first date] I had a funny feeling that I might marry you…”) (12). She’s faithful (She’d been faithful…) (16). She’s a good listener (“She simply listened…) (19).
Basically her resume crushes Shukumar’s. She’s just going through a rough patch right now. If she were to become involved with someone who is not as damaged as Shukumar is, then perhaps that someone could pull out the best of her that has sort of gone into hiding. The rest of you can hate her, that’s fine. But I could do a lot worse than a woman like Shoba.

Fertility Goddesses.

I found a major theme in the book "My Year of Meats" to be infertility. The OED defines infertile as: "not fertile; unfruitful, unproductive, barren, sterile." The two women in this book both deal with infertility, but in opposite cycles, it seems. Akiko goes from healthy and able to bear children, to infertile, and then back to being healthy, with a baby growing inside her. Jane however, goes from infertile to being pregnant and then her baby dies because her cervix is damaged and she is unable to bear children. Fertility is very important to both women and cultures. As women in any culture, we are expected to produce offspring, and continue the family line. We are the life-givers. We are glorified because we can reproduce. Glorified, but we hold no real power. To be infertile seems to take women a step down on the ladder of importance within society; we lose the little power we had.

Interestingly enough, in Akiko and John's case, Akiko's inability to conceive made her sex appeal decrease. John wouldn't even bother having sex until she started menstruating. However, in American culture, when having sex is equated with making a baby, most men are turned off or scared away. Perhaps this is due to the image of an American woman straying away from the typical housewife who stays home to raise the children. Perhaps it is simply because unmarried men want sex with no repercussions, while many married men want to reproduce.

Jane divorced her first husband, Emil, because they found out that she was infertile, and they had desperately wanted children. It seems the didn't marry for love, they married to reproduce. Because Jane wasn't able to, they went their separate ways. That is odd to me. I would never marry someone because I think we would have fabulous children. The first thing in a marriage should be love. I think it is fitting that when Jane finds love, she is somehow able to conceive, but when she pushes her lover, Sloan, away, she loses her baby.

Akiko has the same kind of experience. When she is infertile, it is when she is married to John, who she does not love. It's almost as though she values her gift of being able to bear children, and doesn't want to share it with her husband, so she removes the possibility of becoming pregnant. When she finally makes the decision to leave him is when she becomes pregnant.

If I were infertile, I would adopt, perhaps because it has been bred into me to want children, to want to be a caregiver. Then again, perhaps I would want children no matter what kind of society I was brought up in. I feel like discovering infertility would create some feelings of worthlessness. What good is it to be a woman if you cannot produce offspring? (I mean that as a rhetorical question.) That is our unique property, our key to womanhood.

Random note- A friend of mine once told me, (he was probably high), that I "exude fertility." He then proceeded to ask if I would bear his 8 children, which just made me laugh like none other, but I was oddly pleased by such an unusual compliment.

I Dream of Lydie

I realize that we finished up with School for Hawaiian Girls a while ago, but i can’t get it out of my head. Maybe it is because there are so many songs in it, and I always have a song stuck in my head. There is even background music in my dreams.
Of all the songs in McMillen’s novel, “Danny Boy” has stuck with me the most. For some reason, that song keeps popping up in my life – and not just in the way that a popular song plays on the radio every hour. My little brother sang it in elementary school in choir. It was playing on the stereo when my dad told me that my grand pa was dead. And now it shows up again in a book for class. Next thing you know, I will hear about a concert featuring an unknown starlette who’s favorite song is “Danny Boy.” But, I digress.
Just as she haunted Bernie and Sam, Lydia haunts me. (Actually, it is probably this unfinished blog that is haunting me, but for this poor little blog’s sake, we will say it is Lydia.) I can not help but wonder what might have happened to her if she had somehow survived Daniel’s attack. I imagine that both Bernie and Sam dreamed of such things as well. The following is an alternate chapter I would either place at the very end or right before the chapter where Charlie tears down the old school.


1982 Kohala
Bernie

The pretty young girl takes a bow as the audience applauds her performance.
They are all crammed into the main hall in the School for Hawaiian Girls for the annual talent show/fundraiser. It was my idea of course, but Lydia took credit for it. Even after the debacle with the baby she remains the favorite. Even after she was dishonored by that haole Daniel. She nearly died, you know.
“Next, ladies and gentlemen,” Sarah Christian says to the microphone, “We have our very own Lydia Moku!”
She says it with a smile on her face, but we all know she hates Lydie.
“Lydia will be performing ‘Danny Boy,’ self accompanied.”
How can she keep that smile pasted on when she despises Lydie so? On the other hand, I suppose it makes sense. Smiling and favoring her to cover up the dishonor Daniel brought upon her family by raping Lydie. I guess she thinks that if she is nice, her family’s sins will be forgiven. Then again, if she was at all smart, she would know that smiling doesn’t work. Every Hawai’in family in Kohala knows that.
“But come you back…”
Sam is figeting with the gold watch on his wrist. He probably stole it.
“…when summer’s in the me-a-dow.”
He gazes up at Lydie from the front row, trying to catch her eye. Unfortunately for him, the only person who she is looking at is Charlie Moku. How she still loves him, I’ll never know.
“Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow.”
I don’t imagine that he will ever get over her. Then again, neither will most of the men in Kohala.
“Tis there I’ll be in sunshine or in sha-a-dow.”
I squeeze my eyes together and hear her clear voice ring around the hall. They will always love her. They will always love Lydie. Even the ones that are supposed to hate her.
“Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.”
I feel the light weight of a bug on my arm and open my eyes. The hall is empty. I walk across the rotting floor to the piano. One of the ivory keys is missing. I place my finger on one of the dusty keys and press down. The note rings around the hall discordantly as I leave quickly to catch the last boat away from Kohala.

Single Asian Female

"Single Asian Female" by Ethan Lee

Anyone else hate the shirt that says, "For every animal you don't eat, I'll eat three"?

Since reading "My Year of Meats," I have only had a bite or two of animal. I haven't yet made a conscious choice to be vegetarian, or to continue my life as a carnivore. This is odd for me because usually when I make a significant change in my life, I know exactly what I'm doing and why. In this case, I'm not sure where my aversion of meat is coming from. Obviously, the book we read in class- but what specifically? The hormones in meat? The inhumanities of the slaughterhouse? Most likely, the answer is simply that I was forced to acknowledge the information I have tried so hard to ignore in the past. I am guilty of contributing to our "massive cultural trend" of ignorance, because I very much enjoy the taste of meat, but I also happen to be an animal lover. If I ignore the truths about the production of meat, I can still eat their flesh and not feel too guilty. But this book brought me face to face with all the unsavory facts. Every time I go to the Commons, I look at the options, most of which are meaty and I know are tasty, but as soon as I think about putting the food into my mouth and chewing it, I decide to just go with a vegetarian option. No images of bloody animals run through my mind, or thoughts of hormones- I just can't seem to eat it. I suppose my subconscious is making my choice for me. However, I am not sure I want to give up steak, or roast chicken forever, and at the same time, I can't seem to break out of my deviation from my normal diet. Today, I was really craving meat. Craving it. But I was disappointed in myself at the thought of going back to my old ways, ignoring what I now know about the cattle industry, and giving in to my stomach's demands. So I went with the plain old beans and cheese burrito. I would love to find out my blood type and apply it to the blog below, to make the best decision for my body. I wonder if I've been exceptionally tired lately because my body is missing nutrients it has been used to digesting and using, or if it's just a result of the week before finals. In any case, I want to make healthy decisions for myself before I consider taking a stand on meat consumption. The only solid decision I have made so far is that from now on, if I do take up meat-eating again, I will make a point to only buy organic meat at grocery stores and attempt to find restaurants that have the same standards. If I stay vegetarian, I'll make sure to eat enough protein and get all the nutrients I need from other food products. Thank you, to Priya, for forcing me to read this book, because now I cannot hide from the truth any longer. Actually, I want to learn more about the topic, maybe to give me more reasons to shun meat. Anyone have any other books I should read if I want to hate America's cattle industry even more? I'd love some suggestions.

Here are a couple poems from “Making Waves” and “Making More Waves” two anthologies of writings published by the Asian Women United of California. Asian Women United of California is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1976 to promote social, economic, and general welfare of Asian American women. These books are good examples of Asian American women finally starting to get their voice out to the public to be heard.

The first poem is by Brenda Paik Sunoo. She is a third-generation Korean American, a human rights advocate, lecturer, and journalist. The poem is commenting on being cut off from ancestral homes and family members in Korea during the war.

We the Exiled

I can understand
why
it’s hard
to soften the visions of war
especially when warm tears
have fallen
upon families’ bodies
soaked in red
in pools of running blood

I can understand
How relighting the memories
of promises broken
burn to ash
the million hearts
that once beat in tune

and that we, the exiled
were forced to leave
to make families our strangers
and strangers our friends

but when will we understand
what
it was and
what
remains
that sets the stage aflame
where people kill each other
ruthlessly,
in spite of
their identical name . . .

The next poem is written by Brenda Kwon. When the book was published she was a doctoral candidate in English at UCLA, writing her dissertation on Korean American writers from Hawaii.

Inheritance

I inherit her solitude; there are moments
When I, cutting
green beans into slivers, find
I have been chewing on my tongue---
something I have seen her do
when alone. It is
the taste of loss and memory,
and I wonder which stories
she has yet to keep from me.
The picture I have is her face long before us; she
does not smile though
it’s her eyes that will tell you
how she felt that day
after she pulled back her hair
put on her best blouse
the matching scarf, her fingers
knotting the ends. But for now she would stop.
her tongue at rest
in her mouth as she
anticipated the flash. You see,
she knew she was not alone.
There are words locked in
and beneath her tongue,
words I may never hear
nor understand. As I chew
my own tongue I want
it to taste to me
of words she has never said
secrets she had kept too well.
It isn’t until I hear the sound
of my own breathing
that I understand
what she has given me.

The last poem is written by Priscilla Lee. In the anthology she describes herself as follows: “ an Aries-Firehorse of the type they used to drown in China, and I was raised by my unemployed Buddhist fortuneteller Grandma.”

Fortune

Every year on the cusp between old and new,
my grandmother kneels in front of the fireplace
with her Tun Shu and bookmarks,
tosses five quarters onto cold brick.
She watches the order
in which they fall, scratches my name
with her brittle fingernail into the book’s margin
when she has matched
their sequence to a fortune.

She is monitoring my progress.
This year was a good year, next will be better,
she always tells me after studying the characters.
The warrior who has won the battle
stands at a dark crossroad,
and his horse is hungry.
The carp attempts to leap
the high wall, its scales
a blistering glare
above water. The fisherman
catches the prize pelican
with an oyster trapped in its long beak.
The kirin, half tiger, half dragon, enters
the forbidden city.

Year after year, she wants my fortunes to be set,
offers assurances to drag me toward the coming year, but
how can I be as certain as my grandmother
that my life is good? The warrior has won a battle,
but does he complete his journey
if he has no horse, no food? Is the carp’s leap
a feat of transcendence
or defiance? Which am I ---
the fisherman, the oyster, or the pelican?
And the kirin, the long-awaited prince,
to what political state is he born, and
what does it mean to be born a prince and a woman?

The fortunes are ambiguities, a balancing
of possibility and limitation,
but my grandmother reminds me
that doubt can lead me away from the bright road.
Not even the gods can predict
how we will perceive our own lives.

Thank you and Goodbye

Now that the semester is coming to an end I thought I would take this opportunity to say thank you and goodbye to everyone.
Thank you to everyone that has made me thinks throughout our discussions. It was very helpful to have so many different thoughts on the same concept I was pondering. Everyone’s thoughtful questions and answers really gave me different aspects and ideas for me to formulate. I have really opened my mind about the reading due to everyone’s feedback. One example that truly impacted my life was the differences between memory and history. It’s so intertwined that it can get very opinionated and stuck in stone for so many different people. Through our discussion of it, the concept of ownership really came to me. You cannot own history but the memories you own create the history we read and live everyday. We all have different lifestyles through the same time period but yet we can all come to the unity of pinpointing aspects that made an impact on the masses and create that into our history.
I also wanted to say goodbye. To everyone that is seniors this year, I wish the best you in your future. Everyone in this class has the ambition to succeed in whatever you set your minds to. For those that are still going to be attending Redlands, I hope to have another class with you during my last year here, you all are amazing students and hope you can help my critical thinking in year to come.
Pryia, thank you for the way your class is designed. The ability to walk into the classroom and have it open to whatever ideas pop in our head truly helps. We all know the ways that we were raised and the type of students we are, but when we get to hear others every class it

Sharing

A presentation on Tuesday inspired me to share my recipes with the class. For a recap the presentation was about how other cultures share food to keep their culture alive. Being a wife, that goes to school full time and work 40+ hours a week; I decided to share two recipes one for people that enjoy meat and another for the vegetarians and Vegans. These recipes are quick and easy, but taste delicious!
The first recipe is Chicken and Red Potatoes (severs 4);
Ingredients for the marinade:
2 cups Vegetable oil
1 tsp. Ground Marjoram
1 tsp. Dried Thyme leaves
1 tsp. Dried Oregano leaves
1 large Lemon
In a bowl pour vegetable oil. Add marjoram, thyme, and oregano. Stir all together. Cut lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the bowl and place the left over lemon to the side. Stir once again. Pour bowl into a zip lock bag and add the lemon halves into the bag.
Chicken:
4 boneless chicken breast
Place the chicken into the zip lock bag the marinade is in. Close the bag and move the marinade around so all the chicken is covered. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let sit for at least 1 hour (the longer the better!!)
After the chicken has absorbed the marinade:
Place on your boiler sheet and place in the broiler for 30 minutes (time may vary depending on oven). Turn once half way through time.
Ingredients for the Red Potatoes:
4 large red potatoes
Butter
Sour Cream
Garlic Salt
Bring a large pot of water to biol. Place the washed red potatoes into the boiling water. Done when a fork can easily go through it.
Once tender; cut the potatoes and add butter, sour cream, and garlic salt.
Serve immediately&⁡nd enjoy!
For the second recipe I decided to indulge in the Vegan world once more! Being a former Vegan (I was Vegan for 4 years and a Vegetarian for 5) I thought I would pass a stir fry that to this day is still one of my favorites!
Ingredients:
1 package of Instant Rice
1 pound of Favorite Vegetables of your choice
1 package of original tofu (if desired you can use flavored)
1 bottle of soy sauce
Olive oil
Prep:
Wash all vegetables. Cut the tofu into half inch cubes.
Cooking:
In the microwave cook the rice (directions on the back of the box). In a large pan add a splash of olive oil. Place vegetables in the pan (finished when tender). Add the tofu right before vegetables a finished to give time to absorb the taste. Add the cooked rice in the pan. Stir together. Add desirable amount of soy sauce.
I hope that these become a favorite to you. They are relatively healthy (the potatoes have a lot of fat) and are very tasty.

"A legacy of bad blood and bad skin..."

An older blog that I never posted on the topic of Dogeaters. It is mainly analysing the quote below:

"Isabel disagrees, vehemently. 'Disgusting! An army man. Those uniforms…He’s ugly, besides. One of the ugliest men in Manila. How can you do this to me?' she asks her daughter. 'Between the two of you, I see nothing but more ugly children.' She shudders. 'Dwaves! Hydrocephalics! Harelips! A legacy of bad blood and bad skin…' (Hagedorn, 24)

Isabel Alacran, mother of Baby, states this when she finds out that Baby is asked to marry Pepe Carreon, who has a mild case of eczema. Baby, on the other hand, has a chronic case eczema and seborrhea. Therefore, the mother is stating that her children will have many deformities and shunned by society. However, dwarfism, hydrocephalus, and cleft lips (known as harelips) are not caused from skin conditions. Thus, the mother has already accepted her daughter’s condition as being life threatening.

Also, Isabel asks her daughter: “How can you do this to me?” She views Baby’s proposal as a disrespectful action to intentionally hurt her. This statement also reflects her instability and fear of society’s judgment on her. She does not want to be an outcast because of her daughter. Instead, she believes that her ‘legacy’ is tainted because of her daughter.

Isabel believes that “bad blood and bad skin” will be produced from this marriage. She seems to react illogically and have a very negative perception of her daughter. Isabel seems to make a large emphasis on the importance of skin and blood. Therefore, this suggests that the Filipino culture is traditionally not accepting of those with disorders or health conditions; although the condition may be minor, it is seen as major and deadly.

Another objection that Isabel has is that Pepe is one of the ugliest men in Manila. Thus, she is indicating that it is not only his skin condition that worries her, but instead his appearance. Therefore, this reflects Filipino culture and its importance of appearance. This can be seen in the cultures obsession with Western actors.

Back in time...

I found this entry that I wrote a while back about Dogeaters that I never posted. I figured that it is better late then never.

In her novel, Dogeaters, Jessica Hagedorn structurally creates an insecure environment, in which the characters have to continually question whether their statements are correct. This self doubting environment then provokes the readers to wonder about negative pressures concerning the Philippine culture.

There is a prominence of the word “Di Ba” within the novel. According to the Tagalog Dictionary, “Di” translates as ‘no’; while “Ba” acts as a question mark, often asked within a yes or no question. Therefore, this term is an expression questioning whether the speaker’s statement is accurate. Thus, a constant need of approval is created. This can be a cultural outcry from the pressures on the Filipino society. For example throughout the novel, gossip seems to be one of the only ways to discover true events. The term “di ba” seems to reflect this craving for knowledge; it seems to interrogate the reader as an outside source. Also, this quest for approval seems to create a self doubt on the speaker’s confidence.

Translated as “no?,” this statement has a negative connotation. Therefore placed within this context, the speaker is no longer asking whether he/she is wrong, but instead if his/her statement is wrong. Perhaps this negative outlook may have been due to the inferior stereotypes placed on Filipino culture. For example, Western actors and actresses are idolized within this novel. Therefore, they are placed on a pedestal. Their features and clothes are desired. Thus, this forces Filipino features and clothes to be inferior; these are no longer wanted. The negativity placed on the Filipino culture not only impacts the Filipino’s externally (through materialistic objects), but internally (through the way in which they view life and themselves).

Eat Right For Your Blood Type

During our conversation about My Year of Meats, I remember Priya mentioned this diet. I have been very curious about it since then and decided to see what I could find on the internet. I found this chart, that is a bit amusing because it includes a trait list, which forces me not to take this diet too seriously. However, I thought that it would be nice to post up so you guys can see.

On a random side note, this topic reminds me of a study that I learned in Psychology. I remember learning about a study that found that as the rates of eating disorders (such as anorexia and bulimia) increased in the United States, they also increased in Japan. What do you guys think of this? Do you think there may be a deeper significance to this correlation?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following chart gives an overview of the four blood types :


Blood Type : O
The Hunter : strong, self reliant, leader

STRENGTHS
Hardy digestive tract
Strong immune system
Natural defenses against infections
System designed for efficient metabolism and preservation of nutrients


WEAKNESSES
Intolerant to new dietary, environment conditions
Immune system can be overactive and attack itself


MEDICAL RISKS
Blood clotting disorders
Inflammatory diseases eg. arthritis
Low thyroid production
Ulcers
Allergies


DIET PROFILE
High protein : meat eaters meat, fish, vegetables, fruit
Limited : grains, beans, legumes


WEIGHT LOSS KEY
Avoid : wheat, corn, navy beans, kidney beans, lentils, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens
Aids : kelp, seafood, salt, liver, red meat, spinach, kale, broccoli


SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin B
Vitamin K
Calcium
Iodine,
Licorice
Kelp


EXERCISE REGIME
Intense physical exercise, such as :
aerobics
martial arts
contact sports

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blood Type : A
The Cultivator : settled, co-operative, orderly


STRENGTHS
Adapts well to dietary and environmental changes
Immune system preserves and metabolises nutrients more easily


WEAKNESSES
Sensitive digestive tract
Vulnerable immune system, open to microbial invasion


MEDICAL RISKS
Heart disease
Cancer
Anemia
Liver and gallbladder disorders
Type I diabetes


DIET PROFILE
Vegetarian
Vegetables, tofu, seafood, grains, beans, legumes, fruit


WEIGHT LOSS KEY
Avoid : meat, dairy, kidney beans, lima beans, wheat
Aids : vegetable oil, soy foods, vegetables, pineapple


SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin B12
Folic acid
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Hawthorn
Echinancea
Quercitin
Milk Thistle


EXERCISE REGIME
Calming, centering exercises eg. Yoga, tai chi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blood Type : B
The Nomad : balanced, flexible, creative


STRENGTHS
Strong immune system
Versatile adaptation to dietary and environmental changes
Balanced nervous system


WEAKNESSES
No natural weaknesses, but imbalance causes tendency toward autoimmune breakdowns and rare viruses


MEDICAL RISKS
Type I diabetes
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Autoimmune disorders - Lou Gehrig's disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis


DIET PROFILE
Balanced omnivore : meat (no chicken) dairy, grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruit


WEIGHT LOSS KEY
Avoid : corn, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, buckwheat
Aids : greens, eggs, venison, liver, licorice, tea

SUPPLEMENTS
Magnesium
Licorice
Gingko

EXERCISE REGIME
Moderate physical, with mental balance, such as : hiking, cycling, tennis, swimming

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blood Type : AB
The Enigma : rare, charismatic, mysterious

STRENGTHS
Designed for modern conditions
Highly tolerant immune system
Combines benfits of Type A and Type B


WEAKNESSES
Sensitive digestive tract
Tendency for over-tolerant immune system, allowing microbial invasion
Reacts negatively to A-like and B-like conditions


MEDICAL RISKS
Heart disease
Cancer
Anemia


DIET PROFILE
Mixed diet in moderation : Meat, seafood, dairy, tofu, beans, legumes, grains, vegetables, fruit


WEIGHT LOSS KEY
Avoid : red meat, kidney beans, lima beans, seeds, corn, buckwheat
Aids : tofu, seafood, dairy, greens, kelp, pineapple


SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin C, hawthorn, echinacea, valerian, quercitin, milk thistle


EXERCISE REGIME
Calming, centering exercises eg. Yoga, tai chi
Combined with : Moderate physical, with mental balance, such as : hiking, cycling, tennis, swimming

http://www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/reviews/eatright.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

commons food beware!

I have learned alot from this class and this class has truly changed my perspectives on many topics. I thought it would be fun to write a blog that was constructed like My Year of Meats, but was more directed towards the commons.

After reading this novel, I find myself subconciously straying away from beef. However, I notice this more when I see chicken wings on the commons menu. Even though this line may be the most popular, I steer away and find myself at the dessert bar.

So I decided to write a menu that would sound like a recipe that Bon Appetite would serve.

Beef Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion salt
1/2 cup celery salt
1 (10.5 ounce) can of beets
1/2 teaspoon dried potatos
1 cup shredded cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lightly grease a large vat necessary for large portions of desired recipe. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir and cook ground beef till charred or until juices evaporate. Drain. Pour mixture into baking dish with beets and potatos; stir well. Add pince of onion and celery salt. Bake 40 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake 10 minutes more, or until cheese has turned to a crunchy crisp.

Enjoy!~

Annoying little siblings, booty calls, and killing your step-parent in their sleep

This whole semester we have been studying the world through the eyes of Asian-American literature. But what are the different relationships between Asians or Asian-Americans and white Americans or white people in general? Let’s take a look at the three main books that we covered this semester (Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of short stories, and therefore is of a different breed, and My Year of Meats was at the end and we didn’t get as much time to talk about it as the other books, so that’s why I’ve left out these two books) and see what clues they give us as to the nature of these relationships.
The role white Americans played in Dogeaters is as idols. From American movie stars to a German director (Rainer, who I totally envision as Rainer Wolfcastle from The Simpsons), white people only appear as heroes, as people to be looked up to and idolized.
Relationship type- Younger sibling: looks up to older sibling who is more popular and better-looking as a role model, and accepts that they will never quite measure up to the older sibling.
In The Interpreter, Suzy’s two lovers (Damien and Michael) were both white, as was her college roommate Jen. Damien, who can never love an Asian woman, ends up with a white wife (or at least a baby’s momma) and child after being married to Professor Tamiko, and then leaving her and running away with Suzy, both of who were Asian. Michael, Suzy’s current lover, is white and also married (Suzy presumes to a white woman, although she never asks). The white, American men in this book are sexually available yet emotionally unavailable. Suzy can touch them, but she can’t keep them. Jen, Suzy’s college roommate, is the picture of Suzy’s idea of what an American girl should be. Similarly to the guys, Jen can invite Suzy into her world, but Suzy cannot stay there; it is just to visit.
Relationship type- Booty call: useful at 2 a.m., but you’re not going home to meet the family for the holidays.
In School for Hawaiian Girls, white Americans are represented by the Christian family. Sarah is the headmaster of the school, and her father and husband are both Christian (they were not named accidentally) ministers. It is interesting that this book has the harshest view of its white characters. I found all of the Christians (the family not the religion) to be completely irredeemable. Reverend Christian is a brutal, racist man, Sarah Christian has her own flaws such as burning Lydia’s pack to protect her brother, and worst of all, Daniel Christian is a deadbeat and a drunk who rapes (according to Sam, but I don’t know that this is ever verified) and murders Lydia (which is verified by Sarah).
Relationship type- Step-parent: replacing a beloved parent who passed away. He/she will be murdered in his/her sleep.
It is interesting to note that the most flat out not getting along between the races and the relationship most likely to end in patricide is in School for Hawaiian Girls which takes place in Hawaii which is part of the United States, and therefore has closer ties to white American than any of the other cultures. Now Jordan talked about the causes of this in his blog a while back, so I’ll not belabor the point. But I just wanted to point out that the book from the culture that would be expected to be the friendliest with white America, is the one that only features totally unforgivable characters, even though we are all part of the same dysfunctional American family (although this family would not make the cut for “My American Wife”).

Thanks Priya

When I first joined this class, I must admit, I was intimidated by the course syllabus and by Priya herself (lol) . I had no prior knowledge of themes in Asian American Literatures. All I could do was try to relate personally to the handouts and novels. My analysis of what we first read at the beginning was very obvious and superficial, and I thought to myself that I might not be at the level I need to be at in order to be successful in this class. But, after a couple of weeks I finally felt like I found my niche in the class. Meeting with Priya also helped. Priya encouraged me to participate more in class and valued my ideas and interpretations.

Dogeaters was the most challenging book to understand and analyze for me. But, it ended up being the novel I did my first paper on and that I enjoyed the most (I even included it in my final research paper). At first I didn't understand that Dogeaters was about globalization, postcolonialism, etc. But doing my paper on it forced me to understand the novel on a more profound level. I began to see how Dogeaters was relevant to the class and even to me. The class discussions became more and more interesting to me as I began to understand the themes of the class and search for common themes in the rest of the novels we read.

The most important aspect of this class to me is what I learned about feminism. Priya chose essays, such as Mohanty's Defining Genealogies, that triggered my interests in the class further. I had no idea there was such as thing as Third World feminism or any other kind of feminism relevant to Asian-American Literature (or even relevant to me!). The novels we read, such as The Interpreter, and the film we saw, Mississippi Masala, reinforced how stereotypes, feminism, globalization, etc. are all interconnected in some way.

Learning about these themes in Asian-American Literature has helped me to become a less ignorant person. Like my peer before me pointed out, this class is beneficial on a real world personal level. Now I can make informed decisions since I understand what these things are. Also, this class made me aware and understanding of terms I never had heard or understood before such as: hybridity, diasporas, postcolonialism, neocolonialism, and globalization.

Priya warned at the beginning that she was a tough grader, but she also guaranteed that we would come out of her class better writers, and she is right. Priya pointed out mistakes in my writing that two WA professors did not call me on, or any of my other professors for that matter. I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates her thorough feedback on our essays.

The novels Priya chose were fun, informative, and even emotional at times for me. I'm pregnant and Shukumar and Shoba's story struck an emotional chord for me. The feelings I had about this class at the beginning are exactly opposite for me now. The other students were friendly and that also definitely helped me to make the most of this class. As for Priya, she's not intimidating to me anymore. Priya cares about her students and the work they turn in and that's the way it should be. She is a wonderful professor for the English department and the University of Redlands. Just want to say thanks to Priya for helping me get the most of my college experience through this class.

I'll post a "the end" blog too

Throughout the books we have covered this semester, the notion of stereotypes has risen to aid the reader in understanding the characters’ hardships. Stereotyping in many cases takes on a derogatory connotation. To stereotype is to presume that there is a known basis, or, as the Oxford English Dictionary tells it; “A preconceived and oversimplified idea of the characteristics which typify a person, situation, etc.” In “The Interpreter”, Suzy Park was jestingly referred to as Suzy Wong, the epitome of the Asian mystique. This reference was bolstered by the sexuality that arose in the book (her escapades with Michael, and Damien). In “School for Hawaiian Girls”, Lydia was the emblematic Hawaiian girl that did whatever was on her mind, and later paid the price. Her role in the novel encouraged Moani’s pursuit to find her bloodline, and was the basis of Sam’s guilt for the incest that occurred in the twenties. “My Year of Meats” ended this semester without a doubt that stereotyping is a prominent theme in Asian American women’s literature.

John Wayne, the famous western film star was the epitome of American cowboy culture; the ever-prevailing, protagonist with a good heart wearing blue jeans. Ruth Ozeki gave the Japanese director Joichi Ueno his name for a reason and it’s no surprise that John Ueno is an advocate for the American culture and coincidentally, beef (“pork is possible, but beef is best”). He is in search of “wholesome” families for the television show that portray the All-American lifestyle. If he could get a show of John Wayne frying a steak around a campfire after a long day of herding cattle, it would be the season finale. As an outsider of this country, Ueno has stereotyped America as this picture-perfect land of the free and home of the brave.

A great aspect of “My Year of Meats” is the way Ozeki utilizes both the Japanese and American society to represent both sides of the racial and cultural sphere. The Japanese producer’s search of a “wholesome” All-American family emphasizes an outsiders’ idea of what it means to be American, while the Japanese crew’s journey across the U.S. allowed for American’s views of the Japanese to be brought up in the conflicts that arose. The problem that arises with these stereotypes is that they can be obsolete perceptions, and they can further complicate the harmony needed for racial and cultural acceptance.

What I've learned

This semester has been one of much excitement for me. In the beginning of this semester I needed an HL requirement. My options were to take African American Literature or Asian Women’s Literature. I didn’t really know which one I wanted to take so I decided to show up to both classes and see which one I like best and take that one. I had taken a class a couple of years ago about civil rights and we read some really great books. One of them was called No-No Boy by John Okada. The book was really insightful. I learned a little bit about Japanese internment in school but it was never focused upon. We read a little bit about it and moved on. That’s actually not completely true, we watched a movie called Tora! Tora! Tora!

Anyway, back to the civil rights class. My professor for this course was a Japanese woman. She was a small girl when the internment took place and she shared her experience with us when we read No-No Boy. I thought it was really interesting, and I wondered why we had never spent the time in school going over the internment that we had spent going over other historical issues. The same reason that they never had time to discuss other cultures, I’m sure. After taking the course my interest was stimulated and I wanted to learn more about the Asian-American experience, but I never had the space in my schedule.

I went to this class on the first day and I enjoyed Priya’s energy so I decided I would take this course without going to the other one. I’m glad I took the course because I’ve learned a lot this semester. Besides fun terms that I will never use and more than likely forget like Rice Queen (amongst other things) I’ve learned about the experiences of Asian-American women. There are so many different stories to be told from so many different perspectives. The media shows you the super smart and talented Asian student, such as Kevin Gnapoor, Mathlete and Badass M.C. (Mean Girls) or the sexual seductress (pick a film) that every man wants to sleep with. That is when Asian characters are depicted at all. There are many different experiences and struggles within the Asian community, just as in other communities. They are not a monolith.

I also learned the stories of the submissive housewife who was afraid to stand up to her husband and the immigrant, who through the opening of a small family business became a strong, independent business woman. The Asian woman can be an underachiever (in whomever’s mind) who commits suicide because she can not live up to her parent’s standards or an overachiever who becomes an interpreter at a successful law firm. I learned about a porn star, and even a male prostitute, both of whom use sex to gain economic security. I have learned about everything from the traditional way of life to the modern way of life. Every topic has been one that I’ve never thought to discuss before.

Overall I have learned real life material in this course. I have taken Philosophy and all that humdrum, but the best is when you learn information that can be used in everyday life. How has this class changed my perception of Asian-Americans? How will my relationship to Asian-Americans change. I think it’s always beneficial to know what other people have gone through. It may not change the world, but I think it can only help to know where other people are coming from, if for nothing else to better connect with yourself.

In Conclusion

This class has taught me many things which I may have never learned had I not taken this course. Over the course of this class we have covered very diverse topics about Asian American women, immigration, sex, food, and the ideas of home, cultural hybridity, colonialism, diaspora, and feminism. I never imagined this course would be so informative. I have become more and more interested in the experience of the Asian American woman so I decided to talk to some of them to find out what they thought about their experiences in coming to America. I would like to share with the class some of the information I obtained because for me the experience was very enlightening.

I talked to four Asian American, Indonesian to be specific, women who have come to the United States. I will talk about their comments to me one at a time. This experience gave me a great outlook on the Asian American Women and their experiences as Americans. I was happily shocked to find that they all professed pride in being Asian American. Let me share some responses and some of my feelings.

My curiosity was peaked when I found that the first person I spoke to had to win a lottery to come to the United States. Her husband was Chinese and they were both Christian. In Indonesia this is a bad combination. She said they had to leave; she could have stayed but her husband and her children for their safety and well being needed to come to the United States. I was taken aback to hear this, I know that few countries have freedom, but when I heard her story it struck me how often I take for granted the freedoms which I have.

Here is another experience of an Asian American woman whom I talked with. She told me how it feels great to be an Asian American woman, it gives her great pride. She came here for her freedom, “America is a freedom country.” Her culture remains very important to her, and she will pass it on to her children. Her life has changed in only good ways since coming to the United States. One important aspect of Indonesian culture is the importance of elders. She professed having only gains in coming to the United States. But she is proud to have “learned independence.”

Another Asian American woman expressed to me that we work too hard in the United States. She told me how in Indonesia they do fun things and take vacations, “not just work all the time.” And here I thought we were a fun nation whose primary mission was to have fun and go on vacation. She also expressed no negative feelings in coming to or being in the United States.

The last and final lady I will talk about is also Asian American. She told me there are very big differences between our cultures. In Indonesia they are very strict in tradition, for them single women having kids, people living together, and premarital sex are, as she stated “odd for us.” Also, in Indonesia the parents always take care of the kids until they find a job, regardless of how old they are. She told me that the plight of the Indonesian Asian American comes from the population being ninety percent Muslim. If one is not Muslim they cannot get jobs so many of them come to the United States.

This conclusion has been brought to the class by good graces of the Asian American women whom I have the pleasure of working with. In watching them as a unit it is quite easy to become jealous of their kind ways toward each other. They work together, worry for one another, and always respect their elders. Thanks to the class for letting me share this experience, it has let me see that the experiences of Asian American women can be wonderful. I thought I would hear lots of talk about prejudice, or discrimination, but to my surprise I heard none. I am glad I had the opportunity to explore the minds of these wonderful women who let me get a glimpse of what it means to be an Asian American woman.

Ignorance is Bliss

As I read My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki, it became apparent to me just how ignorant our country can be about the health problems with consuming certain types of meat. Ignorant may not even be the correct word choice. Some might even be ignoring the problem. Due to the indecisive word choice, I decided to refer to our dear friend, the Oxford English Dictionary for help.

For the word “ignorant”, the dictionary gave the definition: “Destitute of knowledge, either in general or with respect to a particular fact or subject; unknowing, uninformed, unlearned.” For the word “ignore”, the dictionary gave this slightly different definition: “1. Not to know, to be ignorant of or 2. To refuse to take notice of; not to recognize; to disregard intentionally, leave out of account or consideration, shut ‘one's eyes to’.” What is interesting and stands out from these definitions is that to define the word “ignore” the dictionary uses the word “ignorant”. I completely disagree with the first definition of “ignore” when it says it’s “not to know, to be ignorant of” because to ignore and to be ignorant of are two very different things.

Now, a distinction can be determined between the two similar yet very different words. The words “ignorant” and “ignore” are similar because they often get confused with one another and therefore misused often. From the definitions, to be ignorant is to be without knowledge, while to ignore is to know the problem exists and yet choose to not take notice of it. To ignore implies a sense of knowing followed by a choice to simply overlook or disregard the information, whereas to be ignorant implies one being unaware or uninformed of the information and therefore can’t be held responsible.

The distinction between the words “ignore” and “ignorant” is important when reading My Year of Meats. Due to the graphic and significant nature of the topic uncovered through the book, the reader is forced to take a stand and discover whether he/she has been ignoring or ignorant of the problem. The problem is that of the meat industry and its use of hormones. For so long, the country could have been easily labeled “ignorant” of such problems with our meat, but now no one can feign ignorance. Information is everywhere. We live in a world full of fast-paced communication and the internet where information is plenty. Due to the wide range of available information, most of the country is now actively ignoring this issue. Sadly, it is an issue that should not be ignored. With the increase of hormones in our meat, especially that in beef, there has been an increase in premature onset of puberty which can lead to breast cancer (1). For this reason alone, citizens of the United States should stop ignoring this issue that has already affect us and will continue to affect the younger generations until a ban on hormones is established. The European Union has already restricted the use of hormones in beef and has stopped importing beef from the US and Canada due to our continue use of hormones and steroids. Europe has already stopped ignoring the problem, and instead has decided to take a stand. If the EU can rally together and choose not to pollute their bodies and their children’s bodies with hormones and steroids that contain no nutrient benefits but only risks, then why can’t the US stop ignoring this issue? Are we going to continue to pretend to be ignorant or continue to ignore this growing issue? It is time to become informed and take a stand!

Oxford English Dictionary. Second Edition, 1989. Oxford University Press.

<http://dictionary.oed.com>

(1) Bradford Duplisea “The Real Dope on Beef Hormones.” Canadian Health Coalition. < http://www.healthcoalition.ca/hormones.html>

I just watched Mississippi Masala again

I'm sorry to backtrack such a long way but i just watched the movie Mississippi Masala again and it go me thinking about the way the movie commented on the idea of 'Home', and about my own ideas of the concept of 'Home'. This movie does a great job of demonstrating how home can mean vastly different things to different people based on their life experiences and the environments they find themselves in.
In the movie, the definition of home depended on the lives of the characters. Although all of the characters probably would have each responded with a different definition if asked for the meaning of home, they all thought of similar qualities and requirements for their 'homes'. In the end, I saw that most of the characters agreed that they identified home with where their families were. Meena's dad, Jay, said it best - all be it cheesy - when he wrote to his wife, "home is where the heart is, and my heart is with you."
When I watched the movie closely, it made me consider my own definition of home as well as the definitions of home of some people close to me. I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and although i have traveled, I had lived there all my life until college. When I was selecting my college, everyone around me told me that I belonged in California. Although I have enjoyed my time in California, I have never felt like I was 'Home' when I was at school in California. Right when I arrive back in Texas, however, I feel like I am more relaxed and that I belong. I feel more at home when I am alone in Texas than when my family joins my in California. For me, my definition of home depends more on the comfort I feel when I am in the space in which I have spent most my entire life.
When I got to thinking about my own definition of 'Home', it made me consider the different way in which my girlfriend thinks about home. Her parents split up when she was young, so she spent time in several different locations as she grew up as her parents moved around and periodically swapped her. This mobile lifestyle growing up made it so she hasn't developed the same sense of attachment to any one area that I have developed towards Texas. In fact, she has a propensity to wandering and wanting to settle in a variety of different places. Her definition of 'Home' centers on being comfortable around the people in an area, as opposed to my definition centering on the comfort I gain from being in the place I am most used to.
Obviously, there are any number of ways of thinking about the idea of home. Any given person's definition of home is unique and shaped by their life experiences. Do any of you in the class have a different definition of home? and where does it come from?