Week 8: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Sidney Siu
(Re)making Identity Through Fashion
ASA 141

In all of my schooling before college, I was never taught about many South(east) Asian cultures. Even though I am still don't know as much as I'd like to learn about the history and experiences of the Hmong peoples, Ava L. McCall has presented several examples of historical stories and cultural significances throughout her article "Speaking through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Art." In this article, she details important facts regarding the various textiles. The author also mentions specifics, such as the illustrations and patterns on the textiles that were made to tell a story since the people hadn't developed a written version of the language until the mid-1900s (which were actually developed by American and French missionaries). In the picture to the right, (without really knowing the exact story behind it) I am able to interpret the embroidering as the lives and journeys of Hmong villagers working in agriculture. I find that this is the beauty in the "language;" I might not be able to understand the written Hmong language, but I am able to at least get an idea of what the picture might be portraying.  I personally find this fascinating in that they had such a different experience than many Americans can say they had in the late 1900s and that many Americans might think of them in a different era.
 It saddens me that not even one detailed reading was integrated in my prior education. With America being a huge nation of diverse peoples, it makes me angry that we don't even touch on the history of certain cultures. I hope that soon enough, textbook corporations will research and gather information to incorporate and increase the history of many more cultures.