Week 7 - Diaspora Politics, Homeland Erotics, and the Materializing of Memory by Louisa Schein - Jimmy Tran

Jimmy Tran

Caroline Kieu Linh Valverde

ASA114

23 October 2015

       In “Diaspora Politics, Homeland Erotics, and the Materializing of Memory” by Louisa Schein, she does a good job of talking about Hmong American issues that’s are quite relevant and true in today’s society. It is true that tourists are still very much engaged in the company of local young women which causes great dislike for them. Sex is a big issue for the Hmong community because it is a metaphor for sensuality. Additionally, this causes questions in the diasporic community because it raises issues in sexuality. One interesting point that the article brings up is the term “Miao.” This terms hits a sensitive spot for the Hmong community because it is a derogatory term used by the ethnic Han which is very important because it causes discomfort when individuals are reminded of their home and the harsh conditions that their ancestors been through.

 

How does the term “Miao” offend Hmong Americans today compared to the way it was used back then?

Works Cited

http://www.youthincharge.org/2013/12/the-changing-of-the-hmong-culture-in-the-u-s/

Schein, Louisa, "Diaspora Politics, Homeland Erotics and the Materializing of Memory." 1999. Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique7(3): 697-729.