In the "The Gendered Limits", cars represent both masculinity and consumerism, which fits nicely with American culture. Car culture is an iconic part of American culture, but it often leaves Asian Americans out. Japanese cars took over the car market in the 70s and 80s because of its appeal to the working class with its low cost and reliability. Despite this momentum,it gained much resentment in the US. It even led to the murder of Vincent Chin by two displaced auto workers, blaming him for their loss of jobs, despite him being Chinese and having nothing to do with the auto industry. In a way, the momentum that Asian cars has gained the US represents how, particularly White Americans, are threatened by Asian-ness. Japanese cars are viewed as inferior and not held to be as "masculine" as American or European cars. Although many Asian Americans involved in car culture are changing themselves to fit the hypermasculine American car culture, but I think that we should not, Asian American men should accept that Asian masculinity is not the same as American hypermasculine standards, and we should not feel like we have to comply to that. Asian masculinity is not worth any less than American masculinity.
In Kelly loves Tony, it shows how their relationship is not perfect. Kelly is expected to conform to traditional Mien role for women, doing household chores and taking care of kids. She does not want to do that, she wants to go to college and get a degree, contrary to traditional Mien gender roles. Tony does not see anything wrong with that role, and he disagrees to her breaking tradition. It shows how Kelly is negotiating her identity, between being educated and being a Mien woman. She wants to be both, even if Tony and his family does not agree.
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