Week 5: Minorities, Gender, and Fashion

Week 5
Rhegille Baltazar

This week's readings focus on ethnic minority groups overall. Johnsson's reading focuses on the national colors and the use of propaganda. There has been the use of ethnic minority groups in order to push propaganda and a national agenda. There is debate of whether or not it is appropriate to use EMG's in propaganda--is it tokenization or representation?

Furthermore, the question of hijab and fashion comes into debate as well. Is hijab fashion? Also, notions of development come into play in the discourse of the hijab. The debate occurs at the lines between whether or not it aligns with the feminist agenda. Western feminism considers the hijab to be a form of oppression while Muslim-identified women just merely want the choice of whether or not to wear the hijab. The hijab as fashion shows how fashion reflects the development of a nation.

Week 5 - Cultural-Political Representations and Struggle

Isabelle Perlada
ASA141
Week 5

Something that I thought a lot about while reading the Reina Lewis reading was how women are commonly judged on their fashion within the context of the male gaze. There was a quote in the reading that said people should "... defend women's right to wear what they like, not in terms of 'individual choice, but as a mark of female autonomy and emancipation from patriarchal control." Growing up, I was very often asked, even as young girl, who I was trying to impress whenever I wanted to dress a little nicer or cuter than usual. I would always say, "Myself". But it always bothered me that peoples' immediate thought was that I wanted to look good for someone other than myself. I feel like when males dress nicer, they never get asked why. They only receive compliments on how they dress.

I carried this thought with me as I read this particular reading, especially because there was a time in class when someone commented that women tend to be the cultural bearers for their country. Why is it that women's choice of dress hold so much more value than mens'? Women have always been held to a higher standard of groom and dress and it's interesting to think that there is also a cultural facet to the expectations the world has of them when it comes to dress.

 I found this interesting video on YouTube about how different women show appreciation for their heritage in the modern day through their style.

Be Green Post #1

Vrinda Gupta
ASA 141
Be Green#1

I'm looking forward to participating in the Be Green Challenge over the next few weeks. My spending habits are pretty impulsive, and I usually don't think twice about buying an inexpensive accessory or item of clothing from fast fashion corporations like Forever 21. My justification is usually that it won't break the bank and it provides immediate gratification for a stressful week or even the final piece to complete a desired ensemble. The documentary we watched on fast fashion, sweatshops, and its impact on our environment and developing countries really opened my eyes to all the environmental injustice around the world that the fashion industry plays a part in. I'm excited to be more conscious of my spending practices and cultivate sustainable habits so I don't contribute to the environment in extremely detrimental ways. 

Sustainable Fashion TEDTalk

Week 5 Blogpost: Veiled Fashion and Feminism

Vrinda Gupta
ASA141
Week 5

Muslim women don't need to be saved from a tyrannous Islamic oppressor. There are many forms that feminism and female agency can take on that does not have to be an echo of Western ideologies. Muslim women in the pan-Arab world shape their own individuality and are in control of their own lives through their conservative dress and veiled style. The burqa, hijab, or other forms of veiling is not a sign of oppression, but a marker of respectability, and a way for Muslim women to feel safe and protected from strange men. It is a way for them to uphold their family’s honor and liberate them into moving out of segregated living spaces while still observing the basic moral requirements of separating and protecting women from unrelated men. In fact, across the pan-Arab and Islamic spheres of the world, being veiled allows Muslim women to obtain a sense of agency. They get to choose for whom they pull cloth over their face out of respect for. Thy are empowered to “save” their beauty and physical appearance for themselves and their loved ones, and not be objectified in public. It is a way for Muslim women to be in control of who they deem is worthy enough of their true appearance, and who is also worthy enough of their modesty. The freedom women have to do whatever they want to their hair under their hijab, or their bodies under the burqa do not have to be open for public display or criticism. Their bodies do not have to be colonized by Western ideals nor do they have to be subjected to Western-normative standards of beauty. 

In what ways can veiled forms of fashion be taken advantage of by political and religious leaders to control women's bodies and enforce codes of patriarchy onto them?

Week 5: Political Controversy of the Hijab

Haley Bergman 
ASA 141
Week 5

https://brokeassstuart.com/2017/02/
01/immigration-ban-ends-america-know/

I found this week's reading to be extremely interesting since it is a topic that I have researched before in one of my past classes: The political controversy of the hijab. This week's reading I think did a great job of explaining a lot of the issues connected with banning or forcing the hijab. It's tempting to jump onto the idea of banning the hijab because it symbolizes female oppression through the ideas of purity etc. However, by prohibiting an article of clothing to women, you are enforcing the same ideals that a woman does not have her own choice over what she puts on her body. It is up to each individual women to decide whether or not she wants to wear the hijab. This decision is not for any government or outside force to make for the women or else even if it was designed out of best intentions it becomes a new form of oppression in its own right. This reading did spark some curiosity about whether or not any clothing items for men could be compared carefully to what the hijab is to women. Are there any articles of clothing that symbolize political oppression for men or that they or either forced or banned to wear?

https://ladyclever.com/culture/faith-vs-femini
sm-a-resolution-to-the-conflict/attachment/drawing-o
f-woman-with-hijab-inspired-by-rosie-the-riveter/

Week 5 - Politics of Style

Mahima Rupakula
913734418
ASA 141

Week 5 - Politics of Style

Reina Lewis and her discussion of the "chosen hijab" is a particularly important take on a controversial piece of clothing in many parts of the world. Reina discusses how "imposing or banning a [hijab] is a violation of woman's rights, " indicating that it is up to each individual Muslim to evaluate how she feels towards wearing a hijab/not wearing a hijab. I think that tying this to woman's rights is also important, because it clearly exemplifies how women are often told what to wear and how to wear it much more significantly, which is an issue in today's society. The segment Reina includes about hijabs in higher fashion is a sort of resistance to the strict policing of women's fashion around the world. Being able to take something that women are either forced to do or banned from doing, and turning it into a beautiful statement reclaims their power in a way. With a constantly evolving society that is moving more towards freedom of choice, how should religious law in certain parts of the world be handling the issue of hijabs and still preserve their beliefs?

An image of hijabs in high fashion.

Week 5 - National Colors

Week 5

So-Hyeon (Diana) Park

ASA 141

Prior to reading the article "National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery" by Hjorleifur Jonsson and Nora Taylor, I had no idea how national dresses can have "communicative function". Honestly, I did not have the time to sit down and wonder about what they can mean beyond visual representation. Reading the first half of the article was eye-opening since the authors mentioned some ideas that I would have not thought of and known if I had not read this article. For instance, I was not aware that there are 50 and more minor groups in Vietnam and thus it is difficult to generalize and say this particular look represents the country. I also love how the authors give proper credits to women who governed their households and protected the national tradition while their husbands fought against and protected the nation against foreign powers since often women are ignored in the historical context and seen inferior.

The figure above reiterates numerous numbers of ethnic groups in Vietnam. I wonder how local people see themselves as a whole within national boundaries despite the diversity and unique cultural differences among the groups. I am also curious whether ethnic clothing contains similar features and differences due to cultural divisions. 

Week 5-Uyen Ngo

As I become older, I found it harder to connect to my Vietnamese culture, especially when I left for college and was no longer surrounded by a very strong Vietnamese American community. For that reason, especially since being a student of Professor Valverde, I have found that the Ao Dai was one of the few things that still helped me connect strongly to my culture. I recently returned home for Lunar New Years and I remember feeling like I was remembering the Vietnamese part of my identity once again. That's why I have emphasized so much in this course of how cherished the Ao Dai is to me. However, this week's reading of "National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery" by Jonsson and Taylor reminded me of the complexity of other pieces that I have seemingly forgotten; most particularly the ao tu than in my own experiences. I grew up with my grandma cherishing the ao tu than as she would show me pictures of her as a teenager in the ao tu than or she would put me in one myself when taking photoshoots as a child. For a while, her love for the ao tu than transferred onto me as well as I would always prefer wearing that over an ao dai if given the chance.

Even when I arrived in America, I would see it plastered all over the walls of the pho shop I went to or on the walls of a Vietnamese clothing shop. While the ao tu than is not an ethnic dress, it made me think of how I also have seen ethnic minority dresses plastered on the walls of these shops. I used to think that I was proud to be from a country that celebrated multiple forms of cultural dresses. However, I never realized the political purpose behind it and other ethnic dresses. The article made an argument that "in Vietnamese art, women and their clothing are portrayed to illustrate national symbols that have been invented or created for political purpose" and that "when depicted in works of art utilized by a national organization, the dresses worn by minority women highlight the non-modern qualities of the ethnic minorities" (164). I used to think that it was amazing how my country did not ignore the fact that we had other minorities and there was more than one piece that represented our country. However, looking at it now, when I come to think of it, we love to include these dresses to show that we are united when in reality, it is not reflected on the people. Ethnic minority people are often times seen as uneducated or lesser than. Even for those outside the bigger cities, there is a prejudice within class. So it makes me rethink the pride that I use to have when it came to the inclusion of other costumes in Vietnam. Because I used to look at other Southeast Asian countries and think that I was proud there was such diversity and representation of other subset groups of people. However, no I see that there is a political double ended sword to it that makes me wonder if its better to have no representation than to inaccurately represent them and only offer representation when beneficial.
Works Cited

Hjorleifur R. Jonsson and Nora A. Taylor. “National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in VietnamesePublic Imagery

Wk 5 readings

Ziyu Wang

Is wearing a hijab an act of oppression or a matter of choice? Reina Lewis discusses this extensively in her article: Taste and Distinction Politics of Style. The hijab is a piece of clothing that conforms to Islam religious standards of women, where women must wear hijab when they are in the presence of males that are outside of their family. It is not hard to see why that the hijab is commonly associated with oppression of female and women who does wear the hijab are often judged and condemned. However, our society are as progressive as ever, and most young Muslim women often wear the hijab not because they are forced to do so, but because they believe that they can express themselves better through it. These women chooses to wear hijab, and design their own hijab to their liking. A traditional piece of clothing is now made fashionable through modernizing. While many still believe that hijab are a form of oppression, more and more Muslim women are wearing the hijab for not only fashion purposes but also to represent their faith and culture. This is a positive trend for the fashion world. So what other traditional clothing that are often frowned upon could we reinvent and made more acceptable in society?

Week 5- Politics of Style

Sapana Gautam
ASA 141
Week 5

We often think of style as a method of self-expression.  Riana Lewis says, "Fashion often presents itself as all about choice... Everyone's decisions about how to dress are formed by a mixture of choice and constraint, determined by personal and social circumstances or the cycles of the fashion system."  Most of us are free to dress however they desire, but what about those who are limited by a religious society?  What about those who are limited by their parents' standards?  These are the questions that cause the burkha or the hijab to be such a controversy.  A lot of Muslim women are forced to veil themselves under Islamic law.  However, nowadays, many have made strides to eliminate it.  Veiling yourself should be a choice; I believe there is nothing wrong in doing so if you believe in it yourself.  Personally, I know someone who chooses to wear a hijab although her mom does not wear one and has never pressured her to wear one herself.  I think this is quite admirable.  I also knew someone who despised wearing a hijab but was not allowed outside of her house unless she had one on.  I remember her coming to high school extra early to take off her hijab in the school bathroom and hiding it in her bag.  However, both girls were equally religious.  Why should what you wear make you any less religious?  Why should what you believe in restrict your freedom of expression?

Week 5: Political Representations and Struggles

Mary Qin
ASA 141
Week 5

Hjoleifur R. Jonnson's and Nora A. Taylor's article, "National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery" talks about how clothing can mark people's identities and differences. While in the western culture, we often think of clothing as a way to express individuality, uniforms are still used to make distinctions. In Vietnam, clothes can also be used to separate different age groups, genders, and social statuses. While, I have never really reflected too much on this before this article, I find that this makes a lot of sense. Even in the United States, people are easily judged by what they are wearing. There are social experiments on how people are treated differently and assumed to be of different social statuses based on what they wear. For example, a man wearing a hoodie and sagging jeans would be treated differently than a man in a suit. Even my sorority asks us to dress in professional wear every other Monday in order to remind us the importance of looking professional in a world where women of color are often not taken seriously in the work place. People are assumed to have certain political beliefs based on the way that they are dressed as well. I do think that in this day and age, it has become more acceptable to dress in whatever clothing you would like, especially in regards to breaking gender stereotypes. However, clothing still makes a big first impression. Since clothing is often used as a tool for individual expression, should we or should we not be able to use someone's clothing to judge their character?

Week 5: Fashion as Individualism or Fashion as Institution?

Week 5
Fashion as Individualism or Fashion as Institution?
Grace Petersen

Last week we covered how fashion production impacts various people across the globe, and more often than we like with fatal consequences. This week we move back into a more personified lens and examine how fashion functions as a signifier for society. Jonnson and Taylor write "Contemporary Western culture tends to assume that dress serves primarily to express individuality" (from National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery), and we see how this is a large factor in the success of fast fashion as an industry, but fashion does not only serve as a tool of individuality but a means of communicating identity within a group. In the reading for this week, we see how in Vietnam national dress has become a major tool of propaganda which writes over the diversity of the numerous ethnic minorities while at the same time claiming to represent all of Vietnam equally, contrasting this we see how with muslim Hijabis in the west the requirements of religious observance are being overlooked in favor of individualized statements of fashion. While both of these two occurrences are both group and individual expressions of dress, the ways in which they are enacted are on the scale of individual identity versus group cohesion. What I find most interesting is in examining how the variants of expression shift according to the political situation surrounding these people, which belays just how political fashion and dress are underneath all the fabric and colors.

(Photo credit: mvslim.com)

Week 5 - Politics of Style and National Colors

Week 5
Fara Suiza
ASA141
April 27, 2019

Clothing is often used by individuals as markers of their identity and the ethnic/religious groups they themselves with. In "Taste and Distinction Politics of Style" by Reina Lewis, she focuses on clothing such as the hijab which is commonly used amongst Muslim women and has origins connecting to the Islam faith. Although wearing a hijab for many Muslim women is a choice, often reflecting parts of their personalities or their personal commitments to their religion, Western fashion sees the hijab not so much as a choice for women, but rather, a tool for oppression. This view disregards the cultural and personal relationship women have with their traditional clothing. There were also veiling movements which were sparked by the Western view that full-face veils were further oppressing women, and therefore, needed to be removed. As Lewis states, "Veiling was dispensed with by women from Druze and Jewish communities too as part of a wider regional assertion of modernity" (Lewis, 166), meaning that ideas by the West dictated and negatively affected the view most people had for full-face veils such as the burka. Not because there is anything instrincically wrong with the clothing, but because the West deemed it as oppression.

This same sentiment is touched upon in the reading "National Colors" by Jonsson Taylor where--when talking about traditional ethnic clothing during the colonial era-- he mentions that ethnic-clothing was seen as backwards ("non-modern"). Just like the hijab, what was supposed to be dresses and clothing material meant to reflect one's culture and ethnic identity were both superseded by the notion of modernity created by the West / Western colonizers.

My question: In what ways is the West's interpretation of ethnic garments an extension of its colonial desires?

Week 5_Yueming Tan

Week 5
ASA 141
Yueming Tan
National Colors

In the article "National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery" by Hjorleifur R. Jonsson and Nora A. Taylor, both authors state that traditional costumes are an essential tool for communication in Vietnam. For example, Vietnamese society has used clothing to distinguish between gender and age. Therefore, people in Vietnam can easily recognize each other's identity. On the other hand, traditional costumes are more of a power and symbolic meaning in Vietnamese society. For example, the Vietnamese people posted posters and banners with traditional Vietnamese costumes on the buildings to make people unified during the colonial period. I think this is very important because traditional costumes allow people to reflect their identity. For example, I am a Chinese, and when I am wearing a beautiful Hanfu, I will be proud of my identity. I believe the author means that traditional clothing is not just clothing, but also an essential communication tool to connect people from the same nation.
I chose this photo because in Vietnam only students wear white ao dai and this is a very symbolic traditional costume.

• http://etripster.com/uploads/072018/vtm-aodai-252018-tip-4_95fc330a.jpg
• Niessen, S. A., Leshkowich, A. M., & Jones, C. (2005). Re-orienting fashion: The globalization of Asian dress. Oxford: Berg.

Week 5 - Taste and Distinction Politics of Style
Christian Funk

This article talks about the two opposites: choice and constraint. In regards to dress, what we choose to wear is our own choice, right? While this may be what the social norm is for most Western cultures, the article challenges that with the tradition of veiling and head-covering in middle-eastern and Islamic cultures. Islam gives cultural restrictions and guidelines as to how a woman should dress. Is this "constraint" for Muslim women a form oppression from a patriarchy? Many argue that head-wraps and coverings such as the hijab and burka are oppressive and it is in fact the women's choice to wear these kinds of dress. Western eyes can't help but see constraints equal to lesser, or not as progressive. Social norms play a major part in what is worn in different cultures. It's all about context. The idea of what is appropriate or inappropriate in one place may be drastically different than in another place. Still Muslim women are making huge strides to change the culture of Islam dress. Once needed to also conceal their faces, women have lead the way to change this and it is now widely accepted to wear a head-wrap/hijab while showing one's face. In ten years from now, will things be different? What will the Muslim woman be wearing? Will she still feel religious or cultural obligation to wear a head-cover or perhaps something completely different or perhaps she won't even give it a second thought and just wear whatever.

week5-yang

ASA141

Week5

Xinyu—Yang

Headscarves are allowed at French universities - but not schools

Through two articles, I noticed that traditional clothing is a show of culture. At the same time, clothing can also express a person's political position or religious beliefs. In particular, the author of the article "TASTE AND DISTINCTION The Politics of Style" also mentioned the influence of Muslim parents on the choice of their daughter's clothing.

Muslim women also may have some ideas that they want to oppose their parents or families. For example，in the article: "If young women are using religious knowledge to assert against conventional gender roles they are also committed to spreading those knowledge and practices to others, including their family."   

Secondly, I thought of "French ban on face-covering",  France became the first European country to implement a full-face veil ban in public places. 80% of French voters support this ban. And the ban caused about 2,000 women wearing hoods to be affected. Is this discrimination against traditional costumes and immigrants of ethnic minorities? Q：Does the use of national costumes by ethnic minorities lead to social stereotypes?

Week 5 - Cultural-Political Representations and Struggles

Jinia Lee
ASA141
Week 5

As part of an ethnic minority, it is so important to be represented in the cultural and political spheres of society because when we are rendered invisible, our voices and needs are not met. While reading Jonsson and Taylor's National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery, there were some things that stood out to me. On page 180, it talked about how ethnic-minority people staged demonstrations against religious persecution and outsiders' encroachment, but Vietnamese media reframed it as a celebration with "... over two-thousand ethnic-minority in the region assembled for a two day annual festival aim[ed] to preserve and develop minority groups' cultural identities..." under the notion of national loyalty to Vietnam. This reminds me of multiculturalism and reframing the narrative to benefit the dominant group. In this case, Vietnamese people want to push this propaganda that Vietnam is diverse and that every culture is celebrated. However, this celebration of cultures is not discussing about the historical, political, and social experiences that impact the ethnic minorities. This then leads to Vietnamese people "othering" the ethnic-minority groups and by doing this, they contribute to the cycle of what whites perpetuate onto Asian and Asian Americans which reminds me of what Dr. Valverde said in class, "Just because they look like you does not mean they are on your side."

Week 5 - Verduzco

Week 5
ASA 141
Alejandra Verduzco

The article "Taste and Distinction" by Reina Lewis goes into detail and explains the experience and fashion of Muslim women.  Muslim Fashion is a thoughtful study of what it means to wear hijabs in a time and place where religion, ethnicity, gender, and nationality meet that could possibly have positive and negative effects. Reina Lewis implies that Muslims and Islams are incompatible with Western modernity. Hijab is also referred to veil or a headscarf, the word itself is an Arabic word meaning " cover." They believe that God has instructed women to this and cover up for filling his commandment.  However, it is a personal choice that is made after puberty and is intended to reflect one personals devotion to God. "While some Muslims women do not perceive the hijab to be obligatory to their faith, other Muslim women wear the Hijab as a means of visibly expressing their Muslim identity." (Haddad, et al, 2006) In modern times we have seen these hijabs in many fashion shows as it is becoming a major factor in the fashion industry. Throughout the fashion shoots and fashion shows they often show the different ways that the veils can be worn. 

Honestly, this weeks article gave me an inside look at the reason behind the hijabs. I honestly was very unaware and uneducated to the meaning behind the hijabs. With this being said I believe Muslim women should not be looked down upon whether they choose to wear it or not. It's their decisions and should not be given looks if they choose to wear it because everyone has a right to self-identity and self-expression. I can connect with this because often times in my culture we are looked down upon if we do not follow exact traditional customs or are often looked down upon for wearing it in certain areas. Minorities should come together to make progress slowly by slowly. 

How can minorities come together to slowly make progress on cultural traditions to bring a whole new area of self-expression and self-identity?

Week 5- Self Representation

Alyssa Vang - ASA 141 - Week 5 -  Self Representation

As an Asian American myself I always felt that we have always been apart of what they call minority. We were the ones who had to struggle from our countries to some what come live this "American Dream" where parents wouldn't have to worry financially about their children's future; assuming moving to the US would lead to a better life. Even after moving to America, some Asians still struggle with being apart of minority, sure they might have "better" living conditions then before but as Asians moving to America we're still seen as "exotic" and different from everybody else. Moving as a minority may be at loss with where you are from but who you care CULTURALLY doesn't disappear. Wherever one decides to move, you are always taking your culture wherever you go, especially your clothing. Traditional clothes are always a very staple of ones culture and like the Vietnamese clothes are there to distinguish who you are, where you come from, and where you side; unlike the U.S. most people wear clothes nowadays to show their sense of style and sometimes even wealth. To me personally, traditional clothing is so important because it shows who I am. where I come from, and what I have been through. Because the Hmong culture is not as widely spread people still question who we are and where we come from, most of the time people assume we're from Mongolia but sad enough to say we don't actually have our own country or even a flag to represent us nationally. This is why clothing is so big for me because it differences us from other cultures. Having a claimed land shouldn't represent who we are but would help others know geographically and know the culture as we know our culture. This doesn't go to just the Hmong culture but to every other Asian minorities group who aren't represented enough.

Week 5: Nationalism

Jacqueline Yee
ASA 141
Week 5 blog post

In Jonsson’s National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery, the author discusses the importance of dress to colonial and nationalist periods is discussed through ethnic minorities in Vietnam.

The use of dress in politics and history is also really important, and it was interesting to read about the use of art, dress, and women in propaganda (163). The text describes a poster outside of a museum, where four women are depicted wearing ethnic or traditional dress. They were standing with their backs to the audience and are seen offering banners and flowers to Ho Chi Minh. Jonsson describes that the purpose is to show the women on the path to modernity, industrialization, and change, and there was a lot of symbolism used throughout. The women were wearing traditional or ethnic dresses, which shows the different backgrounds and cultures that makeup Vietnam, but despite the differences, they are all united behind the nationalist movement. Pictures like these are often very powerful as they show unity and inclusion of minority groups. Upon further research, I noticed a lot of nationalist propaganda depicted women in ethnic dress as well as children. My question is: how is dress used as propaganda today?

On this website, the author discusses a couple Vietnamese propaganda posters. This one depicts the dress of a Thai ethnic group in Vietnam that supports an environmental movement. https://www.pamelamcelwee.com/coverart/

At the beginning of the quarter, we discussed what fashion and clothing represented. For a lot of us, it was a way to express ourselves and our identity on our own terms. But Jonsson points out that sometimes the way we dress is dictated by society (160). This is something seen throughout history (through colonialism), where clothing such as uniforms or ethnic clothes can differentiate groups people based on occupation, role or status within some larger community. It creates boundaries of some sort between insiders and outsiders, or who belongs in the community and who does not. It is interesting to think that how I express myself through dress is still defined by society in some ways, even I don’t give it that much thought on a daily basis.

Week 5

Cultural-Political Representations and Struggles

National Colors

Zoe Martin

The article “National Colors”  focuses on the difference in how clothing in Vietnam is used for representation, rather than the Western culture’s purpose for expression. In the West, people use clothing to express who they are or how they want to be perceived; however, in Eastern culture, clothing is predominantly used for membership. It can determine what groups you are associated with, where you are from or even create political statements.

Furthermore, textiles are a big part of dress used to symbolize membership. The reading included a quote that stated that textiles are the truest expression of Vietnamese culture--they can express “traditional cultural identity, the historical and cultural development process and of cultural interaction between ethnic groups” and patterns preserve culture. This drew a parallel with one of the articles I found during my library research titled, “Crystallographic patterns in Philippine indigenous textiles.” This article analyzed the symmetry within indigenous Philippine textiles to determine weaving techniques used and the culture it came from. To do so, they looked at weaving techniques, decorative dyeing, and decorative weaving. Research showed that the symmetries in pattern and color related to the weaving techniques and cultures that they came from. Thus, I wonder, has a similar qualitative study been done to analyze indigenous  Vietnamese textiles and their patterns and origins?

A figure from "Crystallographic patterns in Philippine indigenous textiles"

Week 5: Choice and Constraint

Week 5
Sidney Siu
Cultural-Political Representations and Struggles

Pretty much every person expresses themselves through their style of what they clothe themselves with; whether it be an expression of identity brought by trends, social norms, or religion. As stated in Taste and Distinction Politics of Style, by Reina Lewis, “Everyone’s decisions  about how to dress are formed by a mixture of choice and constraint, determined by personal and social circumstances or the cycles of the fashion system.” So, you could say that everyone is free to dress as they please, but some individuals are pressured by a religious society in which they engage with. Another factor in developing style is the influence of the close people around you, i.e. family, best friends, etc. Family plays a large role the cultural and political side of representation through dress because common factors within include financial means, cultural traditions, and upbringing in general. One example of this in comparison to the quote above (Lewis) is when a high school girl might be trying to find and express her identity through fashion and current trends, but is stuck in a wedge between what her classmates find suitable versus what her parents might want her to be wearing. She must identify her constraints and decide how she wants to go about dressing. Due to blatant racism in the U.S., many minorities find it uncomfortable or uncool to wear traditional clothing (even during holidays) outside in fear of judgment from others. These are just some examples of the cultural-political representations and struggles that Asian people and other POC face.

Week 5- Narayan

Pryanka Narayan

ASA 141

Week 5

            The article National Colors: Ethnic Minorities in Vietnamese Public Imagery is a highly intriguing article as it discusses the vital importance clothing has. For instance, the article states dress can be used as a vessel for representation. Throughout time, society has found ways to use clothing to distinguish one from their gender, age, and status. Commonly in contemporary Western cultures, dress is seen as a template to express individuality, but in cultures where collectivistic is encouraged, dress is seen as a common ground of community. Such as in Vietnam, where clothing is seen for various purposes. At the minimal, clothing is seen to differentiate men from women and children from adults. Though at the larger sense, clothing is seen to preserve culture, such as through textiles. For instance, textiles that are commonly used in traditional Vietnamese clothing expresses traditional, historical, and cultural identities through the patterns chosen. Though the concept of clothing should be seen through a deeper lens, than just distinction and preserving culture, clothing has been a way to identify ethnic essence. This has been highly prevalent through rule and colonialism. For instance, when there were various rulers over Vietnam, many would use their power to establish a dress code amongst their subjects, to display their power. Then during the colonial period, clothing became a way to identify uniformity and political statement. Personally, after reading this article, I was truly reminded of how important clothing can be. Often living in an individualist culture, we forget how important clothing can be. We become lost in this melting pot and the concept of colonialism, and forget the roots of our ancestors, and the statements traditional clothing can hold. Despite the ways of the current world, we should hold value to traditional forms of clothing.