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.