Week 9_Kelly Wang_ASA 114

Professor Valverde's chapter on "Social Transformations from Virtual Communities" highlights the beginnings of Vietnamese transnational virtual communities as well as the VNForum's sociopolitical movement: the No-Nike labor rights campaign. The internet and the space and community created by cyberspace is what leads to transnational sociopolitical transformations. Professor Valverde states that "When Viet Nam plunged into the information age, the government restricted websites that presented information deemed dangerous to the Vietnamese state" (p.68). This reminds me much of how knowledge really is power, and those who control knowledge have power over those who are in the dark. You can really see how much the internet and cyberspace has affected the spread of knowledge as well as increased communication, gapping the bridge to build communities from all over the world. You can also see how restricting access to this information can affect communities, with North Korea as an example. Daniel C. Tsang's piece on "Notes on Queer 'N Asian Virtual Sex" touches upon the eroticization of new technology as well as fluid sexuality within virtual reality. Tsang mentions how "As Asians, we resent being treated as objects, or as the "Other," but given the mainstream definition of beauty in this society, Asians, gay or straight, are constantly reminded that we cannot hope to meet such standards" (p. 124) and brings to light the fetishization of Asians today. Tsang also speaks upon API's breaking the silence about taboo sexualities which is key to reconstructing sexual identities.

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