Author: econnelly3 (Page 5 of 5)

Velasquez-Manoff writes about their time in Hawaii and the culture that they observed. The “aloha spirit” is “a concept roughly defined as an emphasis on mutual respect, getting along and taking care of one another”, which I think we could all benefit from. The people of Hawaii can relate to coming from people who worked hard just to survive. Race has nothing to do with hard work and respect, which unifies the island’s people. They can recognize that each person is so much more than one thing but is made up of so many stories. Race and categorization just divide people, but when we see each other as the same we can connect on a greater level. Categorization can help people relate to one another or provide a sense of belonging and connection to where they came from and who they are.

Gay feels that she rather be a bad feminist than not one at all. She feels connected to people who considered themselves to be feminists even if they do not all portray themselves in the same way. The people of Hawaii categorize themselves as locals based on their ideology and way of life regardless of the way they look. This gives them a sense of belonging.

Velasquez-Manoff also discusses the absence of white people on the island and that they tend to stand out more than those on the mainland. This is a cultural shift for those who have not ever experienced being different. There is no transparency. Nguyen wanted to feel transparent her whole life, just like every other white woman. She wanted to feel like she belonged, not like she was exotic and different.

We all want to feel like we belong. Categorization can help people find their place in this world and help them relate to similar people. I empathize greatly with the end of the article. If we all categorize ourselves as human beings that live on a floating rock dependent on each other for survival. We too could create a feeling of community and belonging comparable to Hawaii.

I have spent my whole life in a small town bubble, where everyone shared a similar way of life and thought. I was lucky to grow up in a household where I was told I was smart enough to curate my thoughts and ideas. Equality has been a topic of conversation my entire life. To me, feminism was portrayed in a particular light. Even though I became more educated on the topic o inequality and advocated for equality, I have never considered myself a feminist. I too am opposed to labels, not just this one. If I accepted the labels that I most identify with I think I too would be considered “bad”.

I have this fear that every time I speak out or call someone out for something that isn’t right I am labeled as annoying. If I ask for respect from another person I am labeled as crazy. I am labeled as angry because there are so many injustices in this world that can’t go unrecognized. No human wants to be treated poorly. No human wants to feel stuck in this box that society has placed them in. Every human has the same needs–love and joy.

Nguyen hates the category she is placed in solely based on her name and culture. Gay hates that she can not fit perfectly into a category. You cannot negotiate the category people have put you in. The box is tight and unfair. Nguyen wants to escape and does. Gay feels like it is better to accept it, yet allow herself to just herself even if that does not mean she fits the perfect mold. Just because as a society we have these categories doesn’t mean everyone will fit into them perfectly or that even though it may seem that they belong there it may not be true.

Beth Nguyen recounts her first experiences with racism and how America has placed her into a box because of her name. She was the punchline of every joke, pitied for the unfortunate pronunciation of her given name, and was looked at as something exotic. I think that we can see through history that when people do not understand something they categorize it as something that is not “in” with them. Some people fetishize her and her culture others taunt and bully her. Growing up in America she experienced this “American gaze” and felt shame around the things that turned heads. She resented herself and her name. Something that was totally out of her control. It is interesting to see how much something can affect one’s self-perception. I think as time went on Beth not only resented the people who furthered this insecurity but she resented herself for letting it grow as big as it did. Yet, at the same time, the looks and actions wouldn’t change and some would tell her she was overreacting. She goes on to make a powerful statement, “the joke is more important than our existence”. This is heartbreaking–no one should ever feel that their existence is less than. She wanted to be “in” she wanted her existence to be equal to everyone else’s and by changing her name she was able to get that.