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Coggle Map, Themes, By having to follow less of a formula in making a film…

- - - - "Lock the doors and go." (32:05-33:20) This scene depicts Arakau forcing himself on a woman and branding her.
        
        Arakau is the only Asian character in this film, yet he is wearing a traditional gown when he is branding the woman. It is almost as though his outfit is used to highlight this "Orientalism" and pair it with his villainous actions
        
        What does this mean in terms of power dynamics?
        
        It helps in contributing a fear towards Asian and Asian Americans. There is a portrayal that the only way that an Asian men can be on the "same playing field" as a white man is to rely on vile and underhanded tactics
        
        Creates more distrust towards Asian and Asian American men. As if they pose a threat to the heteronormative family structure, and they are motivated by impure intentions, lust, and desire.
      - "The East is East and West is West and never Twain shall meet" (43:29)
        
        We can interpret this quote in how it is solidifying a division between the East and the West. In some ways, it is showing how the relationship between Arakau and Edith is harmful and forbidden. Reinforces the white heteronormative family structures, and paints Asians and Asian Americans has foreigners who pose a threat to it
      - "Can't I help? No one need know." (12:23)
        
        Arakau plays the role as a seductress who is posing a threat to the heteronormative family. It seems to portray his help as insincere, almost as if he were trying to manipulate Edith for his own desire.
      - "I lost the Fund money — Arakau knew it and offered help —if I would pay the price" (42:08)
        
        Reflective of yellow peril — Arakau has monetary control over Edith and her family. It seems like this is reflective of the public fear of the Japanese and China taking over the economics of the U.S. and having immigrants steal jobs from Americans.
    - - "Fixity, as a sign of cultural/historical/racial difference in the discourse of colonialism, is a paradoxical mode of representation: it connotes rigidity and an unchanging order as well as disorder, degeneracy and daemonic repetition" (94)
        
        This quote seems to highlight the complexities and contradictions in the discourse of colonialism. It is neither a white/black, good/bad, or positive/negative.
        
        How should we approach representations of fixity in our discussions?
      - "Point of intervention should shift from the ready recognition of images as positive or negative, to an understanding of the processes of subjectification made possible (and plausible) through stereotypical discourse" (95)
        
        This is a good point to be aware about. We should start thinking about how these stereotypes contribute to the power dynamics between different groups. For example, how it contributes to the broader picture and keeps the social hierarchy in a sense of fixity.
      - "In order to understand the productivity of colonial power it is crucial to construct its regime of truth, not to subject its representation to a normalizing judgement" (96)
        
        I believe this quote is trying to say that it is more beneficial to look into the source and meaning of stereotypes concerning establishing relationships between minority and majority groups. This can lead to a more productive discussion than solely classifying whether it is a positive or negative representation.
    - - "Lotus Flower had long planned her traveling costume to see United States. She would be so stylish"(17:25 - 18:45)
        
        This scene confirms that Allen Carter fetishes Lotus Flower during his infatuation phase with her. There can be two different interpretations of this scene.
        
        When he saw her in the American outfit, he knew that the beauty he saw in her was due to her being "different" from other women he had seen before.
        
        He saw her in the American outfit and knew that she would not fit in the United States despite the change. Additionally, he could not imagine her assimilating into his family.
      - "He had forgotten her -- in his awakened love for the sweet American girl he had known since childhood" (24:19)
        
        This development in the plot shows that the other women were right when they warned Lotus Flower. In a way, I think that pairing Allen Carter with his childhood friend was used as a way to excuse his actions. It makes it seem like he is soulmates with his childhood friend, and Lotus Flower is an obstacle in their relationship, or the "other woman".
      - "Why not? She's sweet and charming —and different" (12:58)
        
        This alludes to the fact that Allen Carter only likes Lotus Flower because she looks different in a way that is "exotic" and beautiful. I found it more interesting that the directors chose to show a frame of an American woman and then juxtapose it with that of a Chinese woman. They also made a point to show the sophistication within the attire of the American, and rapidly contrast it with the more countryside look of the Chinese woman.
      - "Wash him, and perfume him, and make him ready for his father's embrace (35:20)
        Lotus Flower and Allen Carter's son is getting a bath (38:40 - 39:11)
        
        This has the semblance of a baptism seen as the baby is being washed. A baptism represents a new life, so it is similar to the baby discarding his Asian heritage and accepting his Caucasian heritage as he emerges in his new American sailor outfit. This change reveals the dominant culture and which is held more highly.
      - "American only marry you Chinese fashion. When he goes back to those United States, he forgets you" (10:06)
        
        It is interesting that these two women are warning Lotus Flower about the actions and intentions of American men when they court Chinese locals. However, despite these warning, Lotus Flower stays naive to this. Another interesting choice is that these women are able to joke about the situation, even though it is a tragic experience. This shows the stereotype about the submissiveness of Asian women.
      - "There is nothing to forgive. I'm happy that honarable Mr. Allen bring his sweet wife to see me" ( 43:05)
        
        Illustrates the naivety of Lotus Flower and her self-sacrifical nature. This scene leads to the ultimate conclusion of the film when she gives up her child and her life so that Allen Carter may live a happy life with his new wife. This shows that Asian characters are used as an object or stepping stone in developing the overall story. Even though Lotus Flower is a main character, she is written as a tragic character who is destined to give up her happiness for that of the white heteronormative family.
    - - "The first exposes the privileging of the white skin tone in the development of representational colour technologies: that is, how the 'reproduction of pleasing flesh tone' is the single most important goal in the history of natural color processes and color cinematography" (289)
        
        This creates a flaw by being biased toward developing white skin tones in representational color technologies for films. Whereas white skin tones are crafted for aesthetics and beauty, this is not true for Asian American skin tones. As a result,
      - "The phenomenon of chromophobia, defined by David Batchelor as the 'loathing of colour, 'a fear of contamination and corruption by something that is unknown or appears unknowable" (289)
        
        This quote makes me think of yellow peril. It is an interesting word choice to say "fear of contamination and corruption." It reminds me of a fear that Asian/Asian Americans are a threat to democracy. The color 'red' is associated with communism and can be used to convey fear. It seems as though there is an inherent othering that can be used to separate and push aside Asian Americans in these representation.
        
        Yellow Peril and Othering of Asian Americans
      - "The deeply rooted conflation of race and skin tone promotes the assumption that the development of colour cinematography leads to better representation of racial differences qua different hues of the skin" (287)
        
        The color aspect within films adds another layer in differentiating a character's race. In earlier films, Asian characters are usually determined through their outfits and mannerisms. Even in a silent movie, there are constant hints to differentiate the Caucasian characters from the Asian characters. This causes an emphasis in the "orientalism" and othering of Asian Americans.
        
        I feel like Toll of the Sea and the reading connect in the way that there is an emphasis on differentiating between the characters' races. This is done in a way that shows the "Orientalism" and foreignness of China. Putting the movie in a foreign setting makes it easier to see a stark contrast between the two cultures.
  - - - "Hollywood favors romances involving white males and Asian females, while Asian men tend to be depicted either as rapists or asexual. By contrast, Asian females are often depicted as sexually available to the white hero" (2)
        
        This portrayal emasculates Asian men as it shows that they are not desirable for Asian women, or they are unable to satisfy Asian women. For this reason, it is why Asian women are seeking out romance from white men. This puts down Asian men within the power hierarchy, since it is emphasizing the statement that they are not as masculine, strong, or powerful as Caucasian men.
      - "Yellow peril has contributed to the notion that all nonwhite people are by nature physically and intellectually inferior, morally suspect, heathen, licentious, disease-ridden, feral, violent, uncivilized, infantile, and in need of guidaince of white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants." (3)
        
        This is seen in how Asian Americans are portrayed as the villains in the earlier films. Arakau is seen as a sex-driven and immoral men. Even in Toll of the Sea, there are aspects in which Lotus Flower, as a person from China, poses a threat to Allen Carter's happiness with his wife, even if she does not mean to.
      - "By looking at these narratives critically, a picture can begin to emerge of the way in which Hollywood sets norms and breaks taboos, offers forbidden pleasures, and maintains existing, unequal racial, gender, and class hierarchies" (5)
    - - "I call my ancestors. If only thou had granted me another son" (17:15)
        
        Ling Moy is forced to take over the position of being Fu Manchu's son to take over his legacy for revenge against the Petrie Household. This gives Ling Moy the archetype of the seductress who uses her beauty to manipulate the men around her
        
        Ling Moy is quick to claim to be a son for Fu Manchu so that she can carry on her family's wishes and appease her ancestor. As a woman, Ling Moy is deemed to be weak and emotional. To take on her new role, she must discard these traits. Additionally, this may be a commentary in showing that Asian men are absent, and share traits of femininity (to the extent that a woman can take on the role).
      - "As everyone knows, twenty years ago, Dr. Fu Manchu, terrorized London -- " (1:10)
        
        Establishes Fu Manchu as the villain, but this is done in a way that makes it seem like he has been a recurring terror on London. The phrasing is especially important since it makes it seem like Fu Manchu has been haunting around and is an urban legend for 20 years (which is a long period of time)
        
        This connects with yellow peril. There is a recurring theme of making Asian characters the villain in these films. Also I found it interesting that Fu Manchu seem to have magical powers when he appeared at the Petrie Household. To me, his powers seemed synonymous to witchcraft and this is a directly opposing factor to Christianity. This is used to make him into a more malicious character which can threaten broader society.
      - "My vengeance has been inspired. You will first see her beauty be slowly eaten away by this hungry acid" (1:02:40 - 1:02:45)
        
        Ling Moy is showing Ronald that her actions are for vengence, not out of love or jealousy. Surprisingly, she takes a brutal and cruel approach in getting vengence since she is threatning to torture his fiancé before killing him. This connects to the theme of yellow peril as Ling Moy is an ally who betrays them. This attributes a snake-like characteristics to Ling Moy, one of the major Asian character in the film, who is actually played by an Asian actress. In terms of its representation of Asian Americans in the social hierarchy, this representation feeds into the fear of yellow peril and the need to be wary of Asians and Asian Americans in destroying the white heteronormative family.
        
        This reveals to how films/society value women during that time period. Ronald loved his fiancée for her beauty. This is a similar reason for why he was infatuated with Ling Moy at the beginning of the movie. In a sense, Ling Moy is stating how taking away the fiancée beauty is synonymous to taking away her value.
      - Fu Manchu and Lu Chung are played by white actors — yellowface
        
        In the movie, Ling Moy and Ah Kee are the only Asian characters played by Asian actors/actresses. However, we also see that these are the two Asian characters who die at the end of the film. By allowing white actors to yellowface and play Fu Manchu and Lu Chung, we see overexagerrated features in their makeup (such as using tape on their eyelids to mimic the fox/cat eye look for the "Asian characteristics". Additionally, there are also overexaggeration in their language such as with broken sentences and a thick accent.
    - - "The 'dragon lady' provokes and titilates early film audiences because she cloaks an almost masculine racial pride and anti-white race in the mutually 'duplicity' of being Asian and being a woman" (24)
        
        The image of the 'dragon lady' shows Asian women as posing a threat to the white heteronormative family structure. Having this duplicity with the yellow peril and portraying Asian women as seductresses to ruin white men creates this taboo relationship in an interracial romance.
      - "Link the dominant audience's proclivity, and appetite, for racialized-sexualized types in popular culture with the enactment of racialized-sexualized types in the behavior and beliefs of contemporary Asian women" (25)
        
        These are the only two roles that Asian women can play in films because they are such popular tropes for the dominant audience. This reveals the internal desires and emotions that the public feels toward Asian women and is representative of the dominant perspective.
      - "The functioning representation school...is concerned with intervening in the network of significations in which the actor as a signifier is a small, but important, player whose meaning increases through the attention of fans and critics" (28)
        
        Even while criticizing these representations in the films, it is essential to keep in mind that the actors and actresses are increasing the discourse around Asian Americans' experiences through their portrayal. Even critiques allow for a substances in these conversations.
  - - - "Very good. Not ladylike, but good, but good." (2:15 - 2:35)
        
        The framing of this scene has a sexual implication, especially with Lucy bending over on the pool table and George standing right behind her
        
        Even though Lucy is a famous actress and has significant power/influence in this film, it makes sure to start off by sexualizing her and using it as comedic effect.
      - Bob attacks Lucy who is dressed up as Yoko Mori(1:34:00 - 1:35:05)
        
        This was an uncomfortable scene to watch, especially as we watch Bob try to commit a sexual assault on Yoko Mori. Bob knows that as a white man, the consequences against him are not severe. In this scene, it really shows how he sees Yoko Mori and other geisha as objects to his sexual desire. Lucy is only able to stop his advances by joking about Japanese culture and telling him that she must commit seppuku.
        
        This scene highlight Asian women's position on the social hierachy as being on the lowest rank and being objectified. Their emotions are not taken into account, and instead are valued by their beauty.
      - "He's so sold on using a real Japanese girl"
        
        Paul's infatuation for Yoko Mori (even though it is just Lucy in disguise) is due to his idea of what a Japanese woman should be like. Since Lucy is overacting to the Japanese aspects of an Asian woman, it is fulfilling Paul's criteria more than that of a culturally authentic Geisha.
      - This movie tries to teach Lucy how to play a part of a Geisha, however it only shows the most "Oriental" aspect of it instead of revealing the actual culture of it. It feels as though I am watching a film about the Western perspective of the East rather than a true representation. It feels like the Asian culture is being used as the punchline for the joke.
      - I find it interesting how Lucy's husband finds her more attractive when she is in her geisha disguise since she is more submissive around him when she is in the disguise. This portrays the power dynamic between men and women but also Asian and Americans
    - - "In fact, one essential characteristic of yellowface is its persistence; Asian American actors have been protesting yellowface at least since the 1960s, yet yellowface continues to appear well into the twenty-first century" (3)
        
        This quote shows how a lot of discrimination and violence against Asian Americans have become inexcusable, and this could be attributed to the so-called attained "white-adjacent" social status. This is not to dismiss the issue of blackface or state that it is on the same scale; however, it is sad that yellowface has been an ongoing battle yet has lasted so long.
      - "The makeup is often accompanied by costumes and settings intended to inspire fantasies of an exotic, faraway land, and by gestures and downs that evoke the foreign" (1)
        
        Yellowface is due to this continuing theme of orientalism and treating Asians as a commodity and an aesthetic instead of a culture. The key word in this quote is that it is trying to "evoke the foreign" rather than understanding the culture.
      - "decorative orientalism that fuses racial fantasy with the consumption of commodities." (6)
        
        This could lead into the colonialism discourse in which Asian commodities were highly sought after, and this has lead to the consumption of these "foreign" good as a part of capitalism.
    - - "Important is the interrogation of how sexuality occurs and how pleasure is defined in the way we assess political critique in performance." (96)
        
        What is the relationship between power and sexuality?
        
        For men, masculinity = power; however, it seems like the opposite for women in the sense that hyper sexuality is seen as a weakness. This interpretation is not necessarily true though, especially since power and sexuality should not be mutually exclusive. These sexual experiences can be discussed and reclaimed in a manner that empower women, rather than putting them down.
      - "Because the Asian woman cannot be imagined outside of sex, her resistance is also found in sex." (97)
        
        We should not about hypersexuality as being "good" or "bad, but in how it contributes to a female Asian character and their power dynamic with the rest of the cast. In some ways, showing her sexuality may just reveal another layer about the character and her experiences.
      - "We cannot get a full picture of these women's performance unless we also study their own narrative commentary, for intentions of the authors can themselves cloud the political power of pleasure in their performance.
  - - - "I should have never touched you in the first place, I could get 10 like you in 2 minutes" (1:45:50 - 1:46:10)
        
        This reveals that Suzie is considered expendable to Robert, even though he is attracted to her. He views her as a sexual object to satisfy his desire, rather than a person. In this manner, he alienates his feelings for her. Additionally, this has a metaphor of a clone for all Asians → "All Asians are the same." By stating that he could get multiples of her, this shows how he views all Asian women as the same and interchangeable.
      - Suzie visits Robert in an American dress, and he retorts her by saying she does not know what true beauty is and preceeds to strip her clothes.
        
        "Look like a cheap European walker"
        
        Suzie gets shamed and Robert shows disdain when she breaks her role of being an Oriental commodity. When her "foreigness" is gone, this creates a threat to Robert. Her sexuality is highlighted in the manner that he fetishizes her
      - Suzie asks Robert to be his permanent girlfriend.
        
        Suzie puts a self-imposed limitation on herself. It is as though there is a barrier and she knows that she is stuck within a certain position in the social hierarchy. She does not believe that she can ask for Robert's hand in marriage, and instead, she simply asks to be his permanent girlfriend. This has aspects of miscegenation as there is a barrier in the interracial relationship which should not be passed.
    - - "This text constructs a vision of the Orient and implicitly justifies Western exploitation of that world" (41)
        
        This leads back to our discussion about Orientalism, and how these film uses Asian aesthetics as a commonities which are readily available for the white protagonist to exploit.
      - "The spectator is simultaneously reassured that Asian women want to be beaten and allowed to displace revulsion onto the 'Orient.' Western cultures would never equate violence with devotion"
        
        Violence against Asian women is used to establish their place within the power dynamics. It is used to dehumanize and objectifies them.
  - - - "A gift Mr. Lee" In this scene, a line of women are presented to him(43:00 - 43:35)
        
        Even though Mr. Lee shows high moral standards by refusing services from these women, this scene still emasculates him. Especially since white-coded masculinity is measured by sexual drive. Even though he is super powerful, there is restraint to the level of a eunuch.
      - "A man's strength can be measured by his appetite" (1:11:30 - 1:12:10)
        
        Highly equates masculinity to sexual drive. This is a stark contrast to Mr. Lee.
      - "Destroy the image and you will break the enemy (1:37:05 - 1:38:40)
        
        When fighting against Mr. Han, it looks like Mr. Lee was surrounded by endless reflections with himself, this is when his master's advice comes back to him. This could be a metaphor for him destroying the evil image of himself, or the current stereotype of Asian American masculinity.
    - - "With his bare fists and his nanchakus, Lee provided young people with the sense that we could be victorious, like the Vietnamese guerillas, against the virulence of international capitalism"
        
        Asians are usually exploited through the means of capitalism, so as an image against capitalism, Bruce Lee present a way to convene against it. Through the characterization of his roles, he shows how even through the typical stereotype of Asian men, he can show resistance.
      - "Lee's success in the United States, then, cannot be credited only to the 1960s emergence of Hong Kong, but it must crucially be seen in light of the changed place of Asians in the United States as a result of the U.S. immigration policy, the limited gains of the Asian American movement, and due to the latter, the cheerles acceptance of multiculturalism" (56)
        
        Bruce Lee can be seen as a popular Asian American who has reimagined representation, especially in the sense of Asian American masculinity. As a dual figure from Hong Kong and in the US, he has contributed to the melting pot idea and mulitculturalism.
    - - “Stephanie Vandergosh … It’s girls like her who make you realize that life isn’t fair”
        
        Teacher switches seating so that Stephanie sits with Ben (7:13)
        
        Ben portrayed as “model minority,” a nerdy character who cannot make a move on the girl
        
        Ben is emasculated at the beginning of the film when he is following the stereotype. It seems as though the teacher did not see Ben as a threat in disrupting the class since he would not have the courage to make a move or talk to Stephanie
      - “She wanted to play rough” (1:07:18)
        
        Often attempts to compensate his masculinity through violence (his gun) and showboating
        
        Virgil views white-coded masculinity as being portrayed through strength and violence. In this scene, we see that he keeps his gun under his undergarments near his groin area. This image reflects that Virgil is compensating for masculinity through the use of violence, and this is to the point where he is trying to show hypermasculinity, as almost to hide his own fears.
      - “Our straight A’s were our alibi, our passports to freedom…as long as our grades were there, we were trusted”
        
        As the main crew begins to break the stereotypes of a typical Asian student, they make sure to give credit to the leeway that they get in committing these crimes due to the model minority myth and being considered "white-adjacent" in threat level.
    - - “We see Ben, who’s short and a distance away from hegemonic masculine beauty, competing with a wealthier, taller, and better looking fellow Asian American man”
        
        The rivalry between two Asian American men instead of an Asian American vs Caucasian men was an interesting choice. In my opinion, Steve seemed to be the most white-coded Asian character, and this comes with his status as being the most "cool and rich" character. In order to compete with this, Ben tries to gain more masculinity through white-coded ways.
      - “The chance that she may be a porn star points to the projection of hypersexual fantasy upon Asian American women. But the film does not condemn her, for she may also be an empowered sexual woman when we combine that identity with her other qualities.”
        
        In my opinion, Stephanie reminds surface-level as a character. Although the film does not condemn her for her potential sexual actions of being a porn star, it does uses her sexuality for comedic effect and treats her as an object for the male rivalry between Ben and Steve.
  - - - "They would pursue, instead, democratic sharing and rotating of responsibilities among the production crew; whenever possible, they would include the input of those whose lives were being represented on film, into editing and revising the storyline." (32)
        
        More representative of the experiences from that specific group. It will have less influence from the dominant culture and show history that has previously been repressed
        
        Seems like this approach is aiming to have a more culturally and historically accurate storyline for education rather than pure entertainment.
      - "Third Cinema has come to identify an array of media practices that resist reductionto a shared set of formal or thematic features" (29)
        
        Tends to break the stereotypes that we have previously seen in the films. Perhaps the Third Cinema is able to break through these barriers, especially since it does not follow a simple set of rules
  - - - "Trauma has a way of making you forget, because forgetting is one way to cope with hurtful events. But once the process of forgetting has created enough distance, it can also create the conditions for the past to be seen with new eyes." (5)
        
        This sentence is important since it shows how we should be sure not to forget these painful memories of activism and discrimination
      - "To remember the manongs, the vanished neighborhood in which these pioneers once lived, and the unity of Asian American communities" (6)
        
        Even though there are so many different ethnicities within the Asian American communities and it is not monolithic, they are able to come together under a common cause and shared experience of discrimination
      - "As broad as the movement became, the I-Hotel provided a distinctly Filipino experience characterized by a unique intergenerational bond." (2)
        
        I found this to be really meaningful, especially since it is a culminating effort between different generations in activism; even though Asian American are usually viewed as more passive
    - - The documentary shows how there were already struggles within the US, and a competition in US car manufaturing vs Japan. This increased tension between Asians and white people in the neighborhood as their frustrations are being displaced.
        
        Clear vandalism against Asian Americans, yet it is dismissed
        
        The death of Vincent Chin results in the coalition of the Asian American community. Even though the community is viewed as being more "passive", there was a great number of people upset by the tragedy and it caused a wave of a whole movement
        
        Personally, I found it disappointing how Ebens would have been able to get away with an even less punishment if there was not such as big reaction from the community. In his interviews, Ebens had not remorse for what he did and that can only be portrayed when someone truly feels that they did nothing wrong.
    - - Eben say "Chink," "Nip," and fucker.' (38)
        
        Shows that the violence against Vincent was due to race and there were already tension concerining a fear of Asian Americans taking over the economy
        
        Interesting that Eben is able to get away with this violence.
  - - - When talking to the grandma, he tells her to take responsibility, however, the meaning of this speech is lost due to language barrier.
        
        This has a deep meaning, considering the Hmong history, However, the meaning is lost which is representative of the lost history through generations as the dominant culture is unable to understand the minority narrative.
      - Thao is brought to the barber shop and taught how to talk like a man
        
        It is interesting to me since in Asian culture, there is a huge emphasis on respect. However, Thao is being taught a different mannerism in order to be more masculine, which is to insult your "fellow men." This brings up the question of whether there are certain Asian traits that are conflicting with so-called white-coded masculinity.
    - - "She symbolizes the way that silences can be articulated through a refugee archive of ephemeral, embodied knowledge formation. It is her storytelling in the Hmong language, not English that represents a repertoire of memories which are interspersed evrywhere and embedded in family narratives."
        
        This is a really strong point. Especially in how memories of struggle may be lost through generations, not to mention the meaning that is lost through translation
        
        If there is silence about a point in history, the perspective is lost and it becomes forgotten. This is usually true for immigrants as they disregard these conflicts to assimilate.
  - - - The mother gets kicked out due to being pregnant but not married
        
        Follows along the narrative that filial piety and romance cause friction, as Asians are supposed to follow these certain expectations.
      - The location of Flushings seems to be synonomous to the root of filial piety and the Asian culture. When moving away/escaping from Flushing, there seems to be a sense of relief from not having to meet these preset societal expectations. The theme of assimilation and belonging of home work hand-in-hand by how the characters must decide how to reconcile their differing identities.
    - - "Double lives -- the racial versus the sexual"
        
        This is an internal turmoil which can almost be considered a universal experience, when one must find a way to have their individual desires and family expectations coexist when thinking about romantic relationships. When it comes to queer romance, this is met with more tension as Asian families tend to be more conservative, however it is a discourse that must be have.
  - - - National broadcast calling for Asians to leave the country. (1:14:09 — 1:14:51)
        
        Sets up the movie with the tension of disasporic identity while Mina and her family navigate their own identity and a sense of belonging. They must find out where to call home and if they will truly let themselvs assimilate to a new place.
      - “I know you and your folks, can come here from God-knows-where and be as black as the Ace of Spades and as soon as you get here you start acting white, treating us like doormats”
        (1:27:35 - 1:28:34
        
        Shows that the experience is not monolithic within minority groups. Everyone has their own struggles and not everybody follows the model minority myth. It shows a breadth in the experiences. Also this quote shows how one group will always achieve white-coded status through economic power and following capitalistic manners through exploitation of the other socialeconomical disadvanteged group.
      - Cops come after the altercation between Jay + his friends and Demetrius. The police do not listen to either party, especially Demetrius(1:17:00)
        
        Again, this shows an attempt to divide minority groups by pitting them against each other. By creating a social hierarchy (even between minority groups) it puts them in constant competition with each other so that they can never unite on a common issue against the dominant group.
    - - "Assimilation into a cultural mainstream becomes not only possible, but inevitable, and that mainstream itself comes to regard its minority communities with equal measures of fondness and respect"
        
        Assimilation means coming to terms with combining two different cultures together. It is hard to have the mainstream one to not overcome the minority community, especially when trying to fit in.
      - "Even as it challenged longstanding histories of racism, the film could not envision a future in which cultural hybridity held a legitimate public space."
        
        This is seen in how Mina and Demetrius had to run off together at the end of the film and leaving their families. There was no true resolution and this was to reflect the complexity between romance and filial piety.
    - - “CATCH THIS, YOU GOLD-DIGGING BITCH!”
        (1:02:45)
        
        Highlight wealth and social status as a main tension throughout the film. Nick Young is seen as a young bachelor with a lot of assets, so there are a lot of girls seeking his favor. There is a separation between Rachel and the other girls, based solely on their family and upbringing.
      - “ They came to Singapore when there was nothing but jungle and pig farmers. There was a snake here, eating an apple. And they built all of this. Now, they’re the landlords of the most expensive city in the world." (32:15 - 32:45)
        
        Reflective of colonialism. The Young family is able to bulid their wealth by capitalizing on a community that has already been native to the land. This is synonymous to how Europeans colonize other countries. Shows how the Young family establish their wealth by attaining a white-coded stautus.
      - Ah Ma [in Mandarin]: “Don’t chase after her and degrade yourself. I forbid it. If you go with her, you can’t come back!” (1:33:20 - 1:33:25)
        
        Despite coming from similiar cultures, Rachel and Nick's upbringing are simply too different to be accepted by his family. This highlights the difference between Asians and Asian Americans. It is not a monolithic experience and these two love interest can have such different backgrounds.
    - - "The effect is a narrative that glorifies the utilization of a violent capitalist system in order to secure oneself from violence"
        
        Supports the idea that a minority group will end up exploiting another when following the capitalistic approach.
      - "This feeling, of out-doing the whites, would in their minds bring retribution for history of discrimination, concretely proving they deserved the same respect given to their white counterparts."
        
        This feeds into the model minority myth as Asian Americans are not standing through activism but in this more passive manner of gaining respect by attaining a white-adjacent status
      - "The contemporary multicultural era has given rise to a common narrative of racial reconciliation, in which inclusion within hierarchy is synonomous with redemption from racial violence.
        
        There is no resolution to the racial violence through this narrative of racial reconciliation by attaining a position in the hierarchy. However, it is used as a deterrent for potential racialized attacks.
  - - - Changez gets mistaken for another Brown man and he uses his position at his job to try to get out of trouble and clear his name(1:18:06)
        
        In the beginning of the film, Changez seemed to have embraced capitalism and in climbing through the ranks at his job to establish a higher position in the hierarchy. Eventually he attained a status that he believed to be "white-adjacent" and in this interaction with the police, he tried to use it in order to clear his name and prove his loyalty to the nation when he is being falsely accused.
      - Changez is used by his girlfriend for her exhibition"
        
        Changez viewed his girlfriend as his safe space, even when it felt like the world was out to get him. However, it seems she was quick to exploit his own experiences for her own good. Additionally, I felt that it was problematic how she (a white woman) was yelling in public that he was asaulting her. It seemed as though she was weaponizing her position in society against him.
      - One of his coworkers tells Changez that he should shave his beard since it is making other people uncomfortable
        
        I found it interesting that his coworker was Black (a fellow minority), yet contributed to this fear against Changez and his appearance. Even though Changez had attained a status in which there is no doubt in his loyalty, there seem like there is still mistrust towards him due to his race.
    - - "repositions South Asians alongside Arabs and Muslims following 9/11
        
        Racial discrimination as it is easier to capitalize on fear to marginalize minority groups rather than coming to a cultural understanding. Makes it seem like you are either U.S. citizen or a foreign terrorist and that nationalism is something that must be proved.
      - "America's racial and religious minorities rarely inhabit the same positions in social hierarchies and are often positioned against one another"
        
        Race and religion are usually tied together due to the origin of religion. Also since most Westerners come from a denomiation of Catholicism or Christianity, it is easy to discriminate against minority groups in this aspect.
    - - "Techno-Orientalism places great emphasis on the project of modernity -- cultures privilege modernity and fear losing their perceived "edge" over others.
        
        The fear towards the appearance of the West in Techno-Orientalism could connect to yellow peril as both focuses on the aspect of othering the minority group.
      - "These developed alongside industrial advances in the West and have become part of the West's project of securing dominace as architects of the future, a project that requires configurations of the East as the very technology with which to shape it.
        
        By using the East as the subject of the technology, it presents them as being non-human, clones, and disposable technology. Additionally it paints the West as the master or controller in this power dynamic. Automatically puts the East on a lower pedestal.
  - - - It is intriguing how the number of Asian women represented in films decreases as they increase in age. This may have to do with the role of Asian women in film and their sexualization
      - I found it interesting that there was not a lot of diversity in Asian American films, despite the entire community being made up of so many different ethnicities. It seems like even though there has been an increase in representation, it has yet to be proportional to the population.
  - - - "I am caught between two worlds"
      - I found this a challenging film for me to watch, especially since it seemed to have a lot of deeper meaning and its format is different from the usual films that I watch, however, I can tell that it is trying to recount the experiences of these women and putting us in their perspective
- - - - Masculinization and Sexuality