My Thesis // Indo-Chic

My Thesis
Orientalism is the orientation of views and ideas such that it creates cultural, racial, or social binaries. It divides a group into "us" and "them". Such is the case between the Western cultures and those of the East. Said in particular tackles the stigma around Arabs and Islamophobia. Orientalism is an abstraction of Eastern cultures, it homogenizes the East and makes it as if all of the East is the same. A lot of orientalist thought is shaped through Western imperialism; our current views of the East reflect those that our predecessors established throughout history. The media and news only reinforces the ideas of the Middle East as a breeding ground for terrorists, violence and disaster. Rarely are we exposed to the good things that come out, the call to help our fellow human beings.


Indo-Chic
Professor Maira's article addresses and discusses the effects of commercializing Indian cultural styles and commodities, such as bindis and henna to name a couple. Indo-chic has been popularized in popular culture by celebrities and is especially popular with festival culture. Through the use of certain jewelry, clothing, and make up are we culturally appropriating or expressing appreciation the beauty of the culture? Where do we draw a line? I think there needs to be respect and a level of understanding of the original cultural use. You don't want to disrespect a thousand year old tradition just because you think it'll match your brand new *insert high brand name item of choice*. Ignorance may be bliss, but at the expense of offending and hurting others? I don't think so.
Why are certain parts of Asian culture valorized and marketed?
- I think that Asian designs and art have a unique and aesthetic appeal that really catch the Western eye. But I also think that Western ideals drive capitalistic ventures and if they see something that can potentially be profitable, they'll make use of that.