The Politics of Race: Political Identity and the Struggle for Social Rights / Monkey Dance

Melissa Chow

ASA 04

25th April, 2017

A04

                    In the reading, “The Politics of Race: Political Identity and the Struggle for Social Rights,” Shah observes a Laotian community in Richmond to see how they overcome the many racial disparities that affect their community. In particular, Shah focuses on a youth group of Laotian teenage girls who form the Laotian Organizing Program. It’s important for the younger generation to be able to actively participate within their community so that when they become older, they will be able to continue to have their voices heard in addition to teaching their own children to speak their minds. In this passage, Shah outlines three different issues that create issues for the Laotian community there. First is the warning system that was used after an explosion at a Chevron plant. Not only was a lot of the information spread by the warning system incorrect or late, but older Laotians couldn’t understand many of the warnings because they were only given in English. This particularly struck me because both my grandparents immigrated to America with my parents, and none of them can understand very much English. My hometown is predominantly Asian, so most announcements and notices are done in Chinese as well. If a disaster were to happen nearby and my grandparents couldn’t understand what they should do to stay out of danger, I would be devastated. By the time they came to America, they were already adults, so it was difficult for them to learn English. It would be unfair to expect them to understand complex warnings and instructions in English. The second part of the passage focused on the LOP opposing Proposition 207. In particular, Shah observed the girls figuring out ways to inform their community about the effects of Proposition 207, a law that would force an English-only community. The girls were encouraged to think of the ways this would affect their peers. They planned out ways to spread the word about the negative effects the preposition would have on their community. Lastly was the fight for more resources in education. In all of these cases, the girls were taught that in order for change to happen, or to prevent social injustices against themselves, they needed to speak up and work together. It’s a sad reality that Asian Americans have to protect themselves from these sorts of things, but it’s a reality that we need to face.

                    In the film, Monkey Dance, there are a lot of examples of the Cambodian youth exhibiting everyday resistance. All three youth come from a poor family and as a result, some of their relatives have made choices that have drastically changed their lives. For example, Linda’s older sister killed her boyfriend after he abused her, and her family could not afford to pay for a good defense attorney. As a result, many people in the community expect Linda to go down a similar path. All three try to study and work hard, and I believe it’s a form of everyday resistance against the expectations people have for them. Another example would of course be the monkey dance. The Cambodian immigrants fled from Cambodia as a result of oppression and slavery. As a result, in America, the monkey dance is a symbol of a revival of their culture and keeps it alive. I think it’s a debatable topic about whether or not immigrants should fully assimilate into a culture, or “keep to their roots” but I think the monkey dance is a reminder of the hardships the Cambodian immigrants went through.