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.
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