Orientalism and Shah article

In the film Orientalism, the way that Middle Easterners are portrayed in the media and popular press distorts their realities and exposes a false "truth". For example, several films and the news showcases Arabs as violent and irrational, which elicits growing hostility towards the Arab community. I personally recall the anti-Arab sentiments that dominated the news, especially after the 9/11 attack and search for Saddam Hussein. At the time, I didn't critically analyze the major role of the media in perpetuating and reinforcing notions about the Arab community. I noticed the direct effects of this through hearing some of my classmates calling others "terrorists" based on the color of their skin.

In Shah's article, I personally related to many of the experiences of Laotian American female despite of my identity as a Filipina-American. I found that their struggle to communicate with parents, active "policing" of my body, and abide by the norms for women (e.g., cooking, cleaning) was similar to my experiences. My mother once told me that I had to learn how to cook in order to be considered a "good" Filipina girl in the eyes of other relatives and our own family, similar to their experiences shared on page 112. My ability to critically question dominant notions of Asian American women and the structures of society was honed through my education at UC Davis, which parallels to how these young Laotian girls were able to find their voice and challenge these notions through their involvement in APEN. My role as a "cultural broker" or translator was also something that I related to as my parents were dependent on me to navigate the internet, read letters from the Social Security Office, and translate/speak for them over the phone (p.126). In a course I took last quarter, this phenomenon was referred to the "parentification of minors" due to the role reversal and responsibilities that children were responsible for. Overall, as aligned with Lowe's suggestion, it is still important to support a pan-ethnic identity as Asian Americans due to it's ability to bring together ethnic subgroups in solidarity and emphasize shared stories, while still being cognizant of individual differences.