(This is a funny video I found of Filipino Seafarers making a music video. )
The main focus of diaspora deals with yearning for the homeland and the connection to and alienation from the homeland. How does gender and sexuality play a role in diasporic studies then?
Gayatri Gopinath’s article “Nostalgia, Desire, Diaspora: South Asian Sexuality in Motion” shows how queer diasporic individuals try to find a sense of belonging in their homeland. Homosexual individuals feel that they are denied their existence in their new host country but also in their home country. Because “sexuality is either criminalized or disavowed and elided; it seen both as a threat to national integrity and as perpetually outside the boundaries of the nation, home and family” (Gopinath 263). Therefore, queer individuals living in a diasporic community constantly struggle with fitting into society. For instance, in the Indian Day Parade (which celebrates India’s independence day) the Federation of Indian Association (FIA) denied the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association from marching because the FIA could not envision women marching as “Indian queers” or “Indian lesbians”. The FIA who are made up of immigrant businessmen could not accept the idea that homosexual individuals existed in their nation. Gopinath also further gives examples of South Asian texts that describe homosexual experiences to show that “ home for a queer diasporic subject becomes not only that which ‘we cannot want’ but also that which we cannot and could never have” (269). Sadly, home becomes a place of disowning for queer individuals because they neither feel accepted in society back in the homeland or the new host country.
Gayatri Gopinath’s article “Nostalgia, Desire, Diaspora: South Asian Sexuality in Motion” shows how queer diasporic individuals try to find a sense of belonging in their homeland. Homosexual individuals feel that they are denied their existence in their new host country but also in their home country. Because “sexuality is either criminalized or disavowed and elided; it seen both as a threat to national integrity and as perpetually outside the boundaries of the nation, home and family” (Gopinath 263). Therefore, queer individuals living in a diasporic community constantly struggle with fitting into society. For instance, in the Indian Day Parade (which celebrates India’s independence day) the Federation of Indian Association (FIA) denied the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association from marching because the FIA could not envision women marching as “Indian queers” or “Indian lesbians”. The FIA who are made up of immigrant businessmen could not accept the idea that homosexual individuals existed in their nation. Gopinath also further gives examples of South Asian texts that describe homosexual experiences to show that “ home for a queer diasporic subject becomes not only that which ‘we cannot want’ but also that which we cannot and could never have” (269). Sadly, home becomes a place of disowning for queer individuals because they neither feel accepted in society back in the homeland or the new host country.
On the other hand, in his article “In the Shadow of Stonewall: Examining Gay Transnational Politics and the Diasporic Dilemma” Martin F. Manalansan IV focuses on how national culture, history, religion, class and region play an important role in determining gay cultural practices. While we must look at how diasporic queer individuals fit or do not fit into their diasporic community, it is also important to examine how “discourses of queerness are affected by developments locally, nationally, and transnationally,” (Manalansan 207). Manalansan mentions the Stonewall incident several times in his article but does not explain what the Stonewall riots were. According to the Civil Rights. Org The Stonewall riot is regarded as a catalyst for the LGBT movement for civil rights in the United States. This riot inspired LGBT throughout the country to organize gay rights groups. In his article Manalansan gives insight to how Filippino gay men in the diaspora use their own rhetoric to define what it means to come out of the closet.
Gender roles also create conflict in women living in diasporic communities. In Kyeyoung Park’s “10,000 Senora Lees”: The Changing Gender Ideology of Korean-Latina-American Women in the Diaspora.” some women express ambivalence and anxiety over their body type and felt “inferior” compared to the Brazilian and Western concepts of beauty. One immigrant recalls how she felt like she hated the way she looked because she didn’t have western features. She was teased as a child for looking Asian.
Korean immigrants in Brazil and the United States both feel conflicted with their appearance. As Park discusses, “we should explore how gender identities intersect with racialized, classed and cultural experiences” (162)
Steven C. Mckay’s article “Filipino Sea Men: Identity and Masculinity in a Global Labor Niche” explains how the case of Filipino seafarers helps us understand gendered identities in diaspora. He examines why there are over 255,000 Filipino seafarers globally. Today the emergence of Filipino seafarers is due “American colonial policies that modeled Philippine education while also racializing Filipino incorporation into labor markets abroad. Mckay’s article makes us think of how Filipino seafarers “men face a problem of double masculine consciousness: trying to assert themselves as men, but within a context of being both racially marginalized in the labor/market and often labeled effeminate by dominant groups of seafarers.” (McKay 79).
1) In what ways has migration to South America changed the ways Korean women and men define racial ethic identity? (Kyeyoung Park’s “10,000 Senora Lees”)
2) According to Steven C. Mckay’s article “Filipino Sea Men: Identity and Masculinity in a Global Labor Niche” How has the Philippine state influenced in helping construct particular discourses on national identity and masculinity in order to match the needs of the global market?
3) Based on Mansalansan’s article give examples of Filipinno gay immigrants living in the United States and how they resist to the images of mainstream US gay culture.
4) From Gayatri Gopinath’s article “Nostalgia, Desire, Diaspora: South Asian Sexuality in Motion” what does he mean when he says “within patriarchal diasporic logic, the “lesbian” can only exist outside the “home, whereas the “woman” can only exist within it”? Give an example to show how this idea is not true in South Asian texts or pop culture.
2) According to Steven C. Mckay’s article “Filipino Sea Men: Identity and Masculinity in a Global Labor Niche” How has the Philippine state influenced in helping construct particular discourses on national identity and masculinity in order to match the needs of the global market?
3) Based on Mansalansan’s article give examples of Filipinno gay immigrants living in the United States and how they resist to the images of mainstream US gay culture.
4) From Gayatri Gopinath’s article “Nostalgia, Desire, Diaspora: South Asian Sexuality in Motion” what does he mean when he says “within patriarchal diasporic logic, the “lesbian” can only exist outside the “home, whereas the “woman” can only exist within it”? Give an example to show how this idea is not true in South Asian texts or pop culture.
-Amy King
Allen Fan-
ReplyDeleteAs i read the assignment and went over it during discussion during class I can relate this topic as the start of inter-racial dating between Asian culture and the Latin Culture. Which I thought was interesting comparing how different each culture is but also similar at the same time. It really made me thought about how as Asian women would feel if she knew that she could be at a higher status and treated differently at another culture comparing how she already know she will be treated if she were to go with her own race. However, there is still that boundary that separates these relationships because of family reputation and traditions. As well family acceptance from the other side of the family could easily create conflict and miscommunication between each group. Its very interesting to see that there is still a physical attraction between both groups even though it's rare to see Asian and Latin couples together in the world today.
This week on gender and sexuality was quite interesting because it talks about the diasporic Asians. They are diasporic individuals from their homeland and in their homeland. Sexuality is a very taboo topic especially being queer, which is looked down upon and it creates boundaries of nation, home and family. Due to the diaspora of their homeland and culture, they queer Asian Americans have no place to belong in. Also, relating to another reading in this class of Daniel Tsang’s “Notes on Queer “N” Asian Virtual Sex”, he focuses on how the internet allowed more Asian American to expose their sexual identities which ultimately it is easier for them to “come out”. As for the non assimilated Asians, it is harder for them to “come out”. I agree with that because my family is really Americanized and assimilated that we are all accepting if someone in my family exposes their sexual identity as queer. However, with my non-assimilated family, my cousin has hid his sexual identity because it is harder for him to come out and for his family to be understanding because they are more exposed to their culture. ~Karina Lathrop
ReplyDeleteThis week’s articles focus on gender and sexuality. I do feel like queers in an Asian American community must have a harder time finding their sense of belonging in their homeland or adopted country. While reading the article I thought about Korean Americans and Koreans that may happen to be queer in Korean. I heard my stories of Koreans shunning out queers within their community. It is very rare to see a Korean admitted to their queer identity. My friend has been working in Korean for four years now and she spoke to me about how she met a queer Korean American man that has never told his relatives in Korea of his sexuality because they would shun him and disconnect themselves from him. The region really does make a huge impact on ones openness. I feel like he would be more open of his sexuality in American rather than Korea, since he told my friend about his sexuality knowing she was from America. Gender and sexuality ideals are different from one region to another as the article talked about. One can feel like their sexuality I normal and that beauty is in the forms of western women body shape in one region. And if they were put into an completely different region, all their ideas of the norm beauty would change.
ReplyDelete-Wingsze Lam