Evelyn Nakano Glenn “Women’s Work” by: Christopher Aba

It’s surprising to think that women still earn less pay in the work force than men do, especially women of color. And i never really knew exactly why it is this way, or what caused it to be this way.

As industrialization moved production out of the home in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s, the public sphere of production and private of home became sectioned into two groups:  Men, for the public domain as bread winners, and women for private as the spiritual back bone of the family. This defined womanhood primarily in terms of wifehood and motherhood. Social customs reflected these attitudes. Thus, women received lower wages than men because the “Cult of Domesticity” threw female employment into disfavor and because it was assumed that women worked only to supplement the earnings of the male bread winner. 

This is even true for the woman who is just as qualified as her male counterpart, if not more qualified. More often than not because of the cult of domesticity or society in general the woman will earn lower pay. One of the ways I’ve actually seen this is in my own house hold, both my parents have the same occupation and qualification, despite of this my mom earns less pay and works harder to bring that home.  She then comes home and does work at home.

Interestingly enough, most middle class women did not challenge the gender based-based division of labor or the enlargement of the responsibilities in the domestic sphere. Nineteenth century middle-class white women helped to elaborate and refine, rather than overthrow the domestic code. Instead of questioning the inequitable gender division of labor, white middle-class women delegated the more onerous household tasks onto women of color. Essentially, rather than confronting the gender separation full on they just decided to modify the code to cause a separation in ethnicity. I mean it makes sense, rather than risking your job just pigeon whole the shitty jobs on the scape goat. That way the white middle-class woman does not get affected by this. This shows the cause of female job ghettos in its basic form, it also shows that it is in the material interest of white women to keep colored women subordinate to them in the work place.

Women of color have faced and continue to face special forms of exploitation as workers. Many women in the work force are stuck in jobs as assistants, temps, secretaries; nurses etc. “Lower paying jobs.” This in turn forces them to work multiple jobs to make up for the crappy pay they get from those jobs. After that they are expected to come home and take care of the family.

I had an internship over this last summer and I was the assistant of an assistant, as dumb and easy as that sounds the tasks I was given were very demanding. Anyways, I was an assistant to a black woman, and she was considered a temp. When I started I was making eight dollars an hour “minimum wage”, which coincidentally was the exact same pay she was earning. When I found this out I was kind of surprised, not only was I less qualified than her, her job was much more intensive, and she had been there for two years already. So how was she not earning more than me? To make things even worse, she worked another job as an assistant, took night classes at LAVC and still had to go home and take care of her family. I asked her how much sleep she got in a given day and her average was around three hours of sleep every night. Which I could tell was taking a toll on her. She looked so tired when she came in for work.

The fact of the matter is that these women of color are being overworked and underpaid; I think the only way to change this is for more than this particular group speaking up. However doing that would jeopardize the jobs of the people who don’t experience this problem.

Evil livE by Mao Otajima

     Did you know human trafficking is the second largest crime only topped by drug trafficking? Human trafficking has became a big issue of today. According to Thai Community Development Center, "recent estimates of this illegal global trade in persons are as high as $32 billion, if both the sale of individuals and the value of their exploited labor or services are taken into account. The money generated by sex trafficking alone is conservatively estimated at $7 billion per year, although Interpol has given a higher estimate of $19 billion annually. As many as 4 million men, women, and children worldwide to be bought, sold, transported and held against their will in slavery-like conditions but we are not aware of it. There are a minimum of 15,000 - 17,000 people who are trafficked into the U.S. every year, with Los Angeles serving as one of the top three points of entry." I didn't even know that the problem of human trafficking is occurring today's society.  This is the ultimate form of dehumanization.  Human trafficking is commodification of human beings. The El Monte garment case disclose the issue of human trafficking to the public.

According to Los Angeles Times, "[the Thai workers] toiled an average of 84 hours a week for an average of $1.60 per hour- far below the minimum wage of $4.25 an hour. Some of the workers said ring operators deducted half their pay until they repaid the cost of transportation from Thailand". This is “a modern-day form of slavery" as Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) defines. Sadly the brokers and the employer were Thai. Thirteen years later, the Thai workers won their freedom.
    
     Why did the horrible situation happen? The most desperate reason is the globalization of human resources. In a third world country like Thailand, people work for much cheaper salary; therefore, many contractors have begun to relocate their factories in the third world countries to seek cheapest costs. Many garment plants in the United States have closed due to the relocation. Their labor costs can't compete with the third world price. Unfortunately, relocation of garment plants in the third world countries is not a perfectly profitable method. Shipping and time was still a burden. Finally the most money-thirsty people came up with this idea: recreation of third world situation in the United State. They brought people from third world countries, and force them to work like slaves. The employer threat and imprison the labors to work long hours with extremely low salary. The employees can't resist because of their illegal status. Hence, the contractor can provide cheapest price to the manufacture with labor sacrificing.

     The local unemployment due to closing garment plants in the United States is the side effect of globalization of labors. Many garment workers have lost their job, even thought they have already worked for relatively cheaper salary for long time. Their working conditions were unpleasant since they were piece workers. They strictly get paid piece by piece. The price of a piece was extremely cheap. Moreover, most of them are female Asian immigrants who had no other choices to obtain other kind of jobs with their limitation of English, status, and education.

     There are three basic rolls in the garment industry. They are manufactures, contractors, and labors. In the unique structure of the garment industry, manufactures don't have direct responsibility for sewers' working conditions; however, the authority is heavily on manufactures. If a contractor can't afford the price that a manufacture offers, there will be no deal. Hence, contractors have to make their labor costs cheaper to be affordable.

     Ironically, in some situations, people need to be evil to live their lives. That is the spirit of capitalism. 

     In conclusion, manufactures' only-profit-seeking attitude ultimately promotes human trafficking and local unemployment; however consumers' demand of cheaper products makes manufactures to seek for cheaper costs. Even though this is the natural tendency of capitalism we have, we shouldn't forget there are people who are suffering from our attitude toward cheap productions.



Thai Community Development Center: http://www.thaicdc.org/cms/

Poorly Paid - Karla Henry

       I have been in downtown Los Angeles so many time, either for low cost clothing or to take pictures of what I believe amazing structural buildings. Many times have I said or wondered who lives or works in those old buildings?, Or who would want to accept a job to work there? Until I found out by one of my relatives that many of those buildings were used by the garment industry. That they hire undocumented immigrants for cheap labor, for very well known brands to make their clothes and then sell them in the market very expensively. Later he conclude by telling me that he knew this because he worked there for many years. 

I can say that from the outside some these buildings look very fancy and professional, some have very nicely art decorations and fancy restaurants. We could not imagine what really goes behind those walls where undocumented immigrant workers toil away with scissors, sewing machines and industrial irons for poverty-level wages for up to 12 hours a day.

These hidden industrial world is called Sweatshops. Sweatshops commonly don't have good reputation and are highly criticized for the poor work conditions they offer their employees. Almost one-fifth of the garment industry workers in Los Angeles are foreigners who have come from their country to escape from poverty looking for a better future. These undocumented immigrants end up in this unregulated, low wage and poorly work conditions.The LA times article says “they are forced to toil day and night fro less than two dollars an hour. They have to repay the cost of transporting them form a different country and yet their retentions still continues after that.” Many of these employers take advantage of the status and need of these people and offer what benefits them the most.  Years ago 72 Thai immigrants were found in a factory outside Los Angeles, they had been working for 20 hours a day to produce clothing. People that work in sweatshops are in a terrible situation. They most likely are not educated, they come from a poor family in a poor nation, and they have few skills that can help them provide for a family. They most likely have poor sanitation and health standards. If they have employment options, none of them are good; however, if they are choosing to work at a sweatshop, then we know that it is their best option, given their circumstances  which is individuals trafficked for forced labor. 

In the other hand the structural pyramid also takes a big role in this demand. The United States capitalist or should i say well know name brands, enjoy high success in the past years; creating new stores with great amounts of profits and their stock prices scale to their highest. Their newly found formula is to create an amazing brand for their customers, hire contractors that can make clothing for cheap labor and generate tremendous amounts of profit for these companies; and the workers who make the clothes that generate this wealth are suffering the Consequences everyday. They work long hours in sweatshop conditions for poverty wages, their lives and the futures o f their children sacrificed for U.S. retailers. Miriam Louie says in her research of “Immigrants Asian women in bay Area Garment Sweatshops”, the industry is like a pyramid, at the base contractors employ seamster, cutters, trimmers and pressers. Contractors compete with each other to win contracts from larger manufacturers, and are generally paid by the manufacturer until the order is complete and accepted. Contractors are legally responsible for any labor violation. Jobbers buy the material, give cut and uncut pieces to contractors, and tell contractors where to ship finished products. Manufactures design garments, determine the cost of material, labor and products well as retail prices and the profit margin. Many retailers buy these garments  adding a markup price averaging 31 percent which is passed along to the customer.

This pyramid has created a great deal of exploitation starting from the top to the bottom which mostly suffer the consequences of retailers who benefit and get great profits for poor labor. Sweatshops are a high profitable business for many retailers which make their business knowing the circumstances of these workers, but nevertheless don't care as long as they get their production done. Sweatshop and slavery in Los Angeles and many countries around the world is very real, and has recently become a global problem. I check my clothing label every time I buy a dress, shirt, or even my underwear; which is why a "Made in the U.S.A." label is no guarantee anymore. 

What Does it Mean to Be Exotic in the US- Mao Otajima

    Yes, I am technically an exotic being because I’m not American.

However, my physical characteristics shouldn’t be used to assume my nationality because the United State is a melting pot. There are Asian Americans. They are yet American. I shouldn’t be bothered by seen as exotic person since I’m a foreigner, but I am bothered to be seen as an exotic object. It means people treat Asian American in a same way. 

     The word "exotic" basically means foreign. The social context adds the meaning of sexual attraction as well as objectification. Exoticism excludes the certain group of people: Asians from being American.According to Aki Uchida, the author of "The Orientalization of Asian Women in America," the possible origins of Asian American woman to be categorized as exotic, oriental existence are the images of the Chinese prostitution during 1870-1900s, the picture-bride practice, and the experiences of soldiers in Asian countries during world wars. "The representation of Asian women as Oriental Women demoralizing and corrupting white Christian America was used to keep Asian women in a status less than human, not worthy of rights and citizenship. These images were later reflected and perpetuated in the media: 'Hollywood movies and newspaper cartoons confused and combined Chinese and Japanese images into a general 'oriental' stereotype, and Asian women were portrayed as exotic, sexy, and determined to corrupt the morals of white American men' (Okamura, 1976, p.90)."(Uchida, 164-165)

Therefore, American men have these stereotypical images of sexually available Asian Woman. Sadly, these images are simply connected to their physical features.

     As a Japanese girl, I had experienced this situation.

Last weekend my Mongolian roommate and I was at a supermarket in North Hollywood where our friend's house is located.

I immediately started feeling uncomfortable because every single person whom we were going by was giving wired eyes on us. As if they are looking at exotic animals in a zoo. Some of them were even, as if they are at a pet shop and looking at kittens and puppies with the feeling of availability to own them if they want. It is very usual for me to be seen like that, and I am partially getting used to it, but this time it was just a little bit too obvious.We finally noticed that people in the supermarket were almost all white Americans. I saw no Asians except my roommate. We simply differ from them.

     Even though I didn't feel that they were giving unwelcome eyes on us, there were definitely eyes. They were the eyes that look at unusual, different, rare, extraordinary things: objects. I assume that they are not giving us these eyes because they know we are foreigners, but because simply we are Asian.

     Is this discrimination?  I don't know, but these eyes certainly came from racial matter, and it is happening all the time.

Now I think about this. What if I was Asian American who grew up here as American and speak perfect English?

If I were American, I'd been seen as a foreign object just because I am Asian. You are not American. You are not even a human, but an object.

     I want to know their feelings and real life in the U.S. Moreover, I want to find understanding of their experiences as Asian woman of America.

What is exotic again?

To define what exotic we first need to know who the natives are.

Who are Americans?

White people?

Because they built this land as a national county?

However, they were totally aliens from Native Americans' stand point.

Then, Native Americans?

Because they are the first people who are already living and have civilization on this land?

What about people who are born in this country?

Because as long as you are born here, you have US citizenship. That means you are American.

Asian Americans are officially American; however, they are suffering from being exotic.
It seems, for me, Americans are fiction.

Everybody is American, but nobody is American.

 The fact is white people have privilege in this social context.

They have created exoticism. Exoticism promotes dehumanization, objectification, and extracting equality and rights.

     Sadly, in fact, when people in this country mention about American, they mean only white Americans. Even non-white American consider American as white people. Non-white American strongly should proclaim their dignity as American. 


     If it's still difficult for Asian American women to be treated as solid American, I hope they are at least treated as subjects.

                                                                        

Work Cited

Uchida, Aki. 1998. "The Orienatlization of Asian Women in America," Women's Studies International  Forum, 21., no 2.

Division Amongst the Feminist' - Meryllia Luavasa

     It's surprising how feminism can be racialized. How does race play a part in a concern that has to do with gender equality? In Hannani-Kay Trask's article "Feminism and Indigenous Hawaiian Nationalism" the author talks about how "the feminism [she] studied was just too white, too American." What the author means is that she was studying feminism from the perspective of white people, so their point of view doesn't always line up with the perspectives or voices of women of color. Therefore it is clear that there is division amongst the feminist'. So how can feminist from all walks of life try to fight for equality when there isn't equality amongst the women themselves? Unless there is unity amongst these women, the inequality amongst men and women will remain.

     There seems to be a never ending circle of white people labeled as the oppressors. "White American women are American, not Hawaiian. White American feminist women are still American." This quote is the authors response to the "assertion that all people are alike in their common humanity." The authors frustration with white feminist' is evident. There's obviously a battle amongst different races of feminist' and it's distracting them from the bigger battle against patriarchy. If they don't settle their differences and focus on the bigger issues, the circulation of inequality will just keep going around.


     The other day a friend and I had a discussion about her experience in participating in a class activity for her Sociology Race Relations course. The class was to split in half and one side of the room would be the privileged side and the other side would be the unprivileged. The instructor, for example, would give everyone a task to draw a picture. He walked around to the privilege side and compliment everyone on how nice their drawings, gave encouragement and smiled a lot but when it came to the unprivileged side, there were insults yelled at them, they're pictures were thrown out or not even acknowledge. She explained that while sitting on the privileged section, although she knew how it felt to be on the other side, to be on the oppressed side, she didn't want to give up her privilege because she liked the compliments, she enjoyed the smiles and the acknowledgments.


    It's always convenient to point the finger at the white people, but am I the only one who has a little compassion for them? Sure, they sit on the privilege side but it must be tough for white people to sit in classes where most of the articles that are required to be read blames them for everything wrong in America. If racism is institutionalized, are white people to blame for white privilege? Everyone plays a part in it, everyone feeds into it whether consciously or subconsciously.The only reason why it still continues is because the people who are ignorant obviously don't know it and because those who are aware keep allowing it too. If feminist' were to put aside their differences and let this concept resonate, there could be unity and that could lead to their victory.


     Division is one of the best methods to keep ones opponent from winning. If people can't get along, there won't be any teamwork which leads to defeat. Feminist' must truly be unified if they want to think about anything else, because if there is division, one might as well call it a loss. Differences must be put aside or handled so that the bigger battle against patriarchy can finally begin.

-M. Luavasa

The difference between words...by Karla Henry

      As I have read these articles about Asian American Women and the history about them, I have come to understand why many of them at a certain point get mad when I have asked them if they are oriental without knowing exactly the history about that specific word.  The history of these two words have really amazed me, because I did not know exactly what that was. I come from a Hispanic background where women mostly have the same ideas on how a women should behave and should be categorized. My grandmother raised seven children on her own, with the male figure absent all the time, she was always put down, work hard and expect to be criticized because she was a single mother. I would never imagine how the oriental women history depicts how these women should act, behave and always be submissive to the male figure? 

    I do understand why Asian American Women would get upset if they would be mistakenly asked if they are oriental because there is a huge difference oh how women are today. Asian women have always been taken as exotic and beautiful due to the fact that many of us see the culture and traditions of Asia extraordinary beautiful, their colors, their people, their culture is something that in my experience is always amazing and extraordinary. But what exactly have we come to adore about these women that the media has in some way brought to our eyes as beautiful , without emphasizing the exact history about them? In my experience I have heard many times from other people that Latinas are exotic, what  is exactly exotic to them and what history brigs that word? I do accept that I see it as a compliment when they say Latinas are exotic , but now knowing that it comes as sexual in their minds has really changed my opinion about that. Do we really want to be perceived as exotic? or Should Asian Women just accept the fact that many of us don't know the history behind those words? Should we know that many Oriental and Asian cultures have a different history and learn from it? 

      I do understand now that Asian History is very complex, that I have to be careful  and learn about their culture before  I say or ask something.  Women should be treated equal no matter what history they have. The fact that overtime someone calls someone a word that will signified that you have to be, act and perceived in a certain way should be upsetting to any race or nationality. Women nowadays are very independent, we have come a long way to get the respect that we deserve. i do believe that oriental women and Asian women have similar cultures but different backgrounds. Two different world were the respect for women is not taken for granted, were women will always be the self sufficient, independent Asian women they are now. 

    Their culture will always be admire but it will take people to learn about their history to change the fact that they come and were raise in two different worlds. Nevertheless it's not only Asian American Women that suffer from this differences, but in many different culture women are expected to be the submissive women that they want. In my country many women suffer the same way, the male figure is always expected to be the head of the family and the women to stay home and take care of their children. But why do we in this day still see that? Do we have to take charge and make the difference? I now understand the difference between Oriental and Asian and will never make the mistake of calling someone oriental, specially if I do not know their history. 

What is being exotic in the US? by Mao Otajima

Yes, I am technically an exotic being because I’m not American.

However, my physical characteristics shouldn’t be used to assume my nationality because the United State is a melting pot. There are Asian Americans. I shouldn’t be bothered by seen as exotic person since I’m a foreigner, but I don’t like how people make Asian, especially Asian women, as exotic objects. 

The word "exotic" basically means foreign. The social context adds the meaning of sexual attraction as well as objectification. Exoticism excludes the certain group of people: Asians from being American.

According to Aki Uchida, the author of "The Orientalization of Asian Women in America," the possible origins of Asian American woman to be categorized as exotic, oriental existence are the images of the Chinese prostitution during 1870-1900s, the picture-bride practice, and the experiences of soldiers in Asian countries during world wars. "The representation of Asian women as Oriental Women demoralizing and corrupting white Christian America was used to keep Asian women in a status less than human, not worthy of rights and citizenship. These images were later reflected and perpetuated in the media: 'Hollywood movies and newspaper cartoons confused and combined Chinese and Japanese images into a general 'oriental' stereotype, and Asian women were portrayed as exotic, sexy, and determined to corrupt the morals of white American men' (Okamura, 1976, p.90)."(Uchida, 164-165)

Therefore, American men have these stereotypical images of sexually available Asian Woman. Sadly, these images are simply connected to their physical features.

As a Japanese girl, I had experienced this situation.

Last weekend my Mongolian roommate and I was at a supermarket in North Hollywood where our friend's house is located.

I immediately started feeling uncomfortable because every single person whom we were going by was giving wired eyes on us. As if they are looking at exotic animals in a zoo. Some of them were even, as if they are at a pet shop and looking at kittens and puppies with the feeling of availability to own them if they want. It is very usual for me to be seen like that, and I am partially getting used to it, but this time it was just a little bit obvious.

We finally noticed that people in the supermarket were almost all white Americans. I saw no Asians except my roommate. We simply differ from them.

Even though I didn't feel that they were giving unwelcome eyes on us, there were definitely eyes. They were the eyes that look at unusual, different, rare, extraordinary things: objects. I assume that they are not giving us these eyes because they know we are foreigners, but because simply we are Asian.

Is this discrimination?  I don't know, but these eyes certainly came from racial matter, and it is happening all the time.

Now I think about this. What if I was Asian American who grew up here as American and speak perfect English?

If I were American, I'd been seen as a foreign object just because I am Asian.

I want to know their feelings and real life in the U.S. Moreover, I want to find understanding of their experiences as Asian woman of America.

I'm expecting to be learning about this issue more in my class.

What is exotic again?

To define what exotic we first need to know who the natives are.

Who are Americans?

White people?

Because they built this land as a national county?

However, they were totally aliens from Native Americans' stand point.

Then, Native Americans?

Because they are the first people who are already living and have civilization on this land?

What about people who are born in this country?

Because as long as you are born here, you have US citizenship. That means you are American.

Asian Americans are officially American; however, they are suffering from being exotic.

It seems, for me, Americans are fiction.

Everybody is American, but nobody is American.

 The fact is white people have privilege in this social context.

They have created exoticism. Exoticism promotes dehumanization, objectification, and extracting equality and rights.

                                                                        

Work Cited

Uchida, Aki. 1998. "The Orienatlization of Asian Women in America," Women's Studies International  Forum, 21., no 2.

Elizabeth c.Leung, My Country 'Tis Not of Thee by: Christopher Aba

Out of the readings we did so far, I chose, “My Country ‘Tis Not of Thee’” by Elizabeth C.Leung. I chose this reading because I can relate to it, I mean I’m not an Asian American woman so I can’t say I know exactly what Elizabeth feels, but I found this reading very interesting because I have experienced Similar.

She starts by explaining her past as, “The little Asian girl” who pretty much knows zero English, and whose parents emigrated from Hong Kong. I could relate because, my parents emigrated from Turkey, and when I was put into school I knew zero English as well. Then she went on to talk about how she was tagged “it” and was always picked last for, “dodge ball, kickball, handball, war ball, you-name-it-ball.”

What I realized is that when you have that language gap and the other kids see you as “different” you are almost pre disposed to being singled out, especially when you are with younger peers. She then leads into her experience going through middle school and high school, and thinking, “Where were my role models? With whom was I supposed to identify? Where were the women? Where were the Asian women? Why didn’t my textbooks mention their triumphs?

Naturally from a statement like this I thought, what is there to motivate her? And when you keep reading to the next sentence, sure enough she talks about  how she fell asleep in class and that she was contemplating cutting class. She doesn’t have interest in the class, she doesn’t have motivation, and the curriculum doesn’t engage her. I mean, I chose this reading was because it engaged me, and because I can relate. Anyways back to the point, she basically has no role models to look up to.

She decided her answer to this is to study abroad in China, and “Go back to her roots.” It’s funny because when my dad took me to Turkey to see my family and to, get in touch with my roots as he said, I experienced something similar to what Elizabeth did in China: I was anxious and nervous. As soon as our miserable fifteen hour flight ended, I met my uncle for the first time at the airport. I quickly realized that because of living in America I couldn’t really communicate with him at all, then I met his wife and my cousin for the first time and I really couldn’t say anything at all. It was that moment that I realized that just because this is where my family came from; it did not imply that Turkey was a place where I could live. The surroundings and the way everyone acted were so alien to me that by the end of the trip I was so happy to go back to America and see my friends.

One of the Major differences between her situation and mine was that I went back to America and realized that America is my home, It’s where I belong, weather I like it or not. The trip helped me discover something about myself that I did not know before. In her case however She saw neither America nor China as her home, which she described as being “Caught in between” She found no belonging in either. She associates this “In between” as being Asian American for her. As years pass she talks to more who are just like her and she states, “We are confused, until we learn that there is a term that describes who we are- Asian American women. We like it. We find comfort in each other.
 We find pride.”

In the final paragraph I took it as she finally found out more about herself, and who she truly is.

O^-Mo^i & Opression By: Amanda Reyna

09/08/2011

O^-Mo^i & Oppression

                As a lesbian myself my response is going to be  between two articles oppression by: Marlyn Frye, and Emergence of Queer Vietnamese American By: Gina Masequesmay Though out history and even in some cases today not only Asian women; but  women in general  have been oppressed. For example: the declaration of independence says "all men are created equal" . It doesn't say all human being or all men and women are crated equal.   

                Women have always been looked down upon as kind of a man's shadow.  People never realize that behind every successful  man there is a good women.  There is no in-between when it comes to  man and women.  For example when  a man has sex with a verity of women he is praised, as oppose to a women if they have many sexual partners they are looked down upon. "If she is heterosexually active, a women is open to censure a punishment for being loose, unprincipled or a whore (Pg. 38)".  On the other hand if a women refrains from sexual activity, she is constantly harassed by men who try to persuade her in having sex, and when she refuses men label her as "uptight, frigid, man-hater , a bitch or even lesbian."

                Even when it comes to jobs how many women do you see as CEO of large companies,  or in congress?  When Hillary Clinton ran for presidency she became teary eyed during one of her speeches, and people gossiped saying this is why we can't have a female president women are too emotional. Whereas Bush had became teary eyed at several of his speeches and nobody said anything.  These are some examples how women are still oppressed in today's society.

                In Emergence of Queer Vietnamese American my favorite line  is "Thank goodness I'm a lesbian! If I were straight, I would probably end up like one of these girls (Pg.117)".  Because I can relate many of my friends had children at very young ages when growing up, thus postponing school, and work to tend to their children's needs. Out of my friends I was the first to graduate a junior college this wasn't because they didn't finish school but rather they fell behind.

                Coming out is one of the hardest  thing in life to do, but coming out as a Vietnamese American,  or even   a Hispanic American tends to be even harder due to your cultural roots. Last semester at San Jose City College I took a Vietnamese American  studies class.  In this class our teacher brought in a guest speaker from a LGBT Vietnamese  group she was the founder of the foundation, I am unsure if it is the same group they discuss in the article?.  However I talked to her and also one of her group members about how their coming out experience was in the Vietnamese culture.  I spoke to a man by the name of Vincent who told me when he came out to his parents they told him that he had brought shame to their family and he was dead to them, that's intense for a teenager growing up.  Vincent lived in a group home until he was able to get a job and buy a place with his partner.

                 Being lesbian, gay, bisexual , and transgender we are oppressed in  many parts of the U.S.  It's okay for use to pay taxes, but we can't get married for our partner to have our medical benefits through our work. LGBT have to deal with being taunted, hate crimes, and being looked down upon all our life but being gay excludes us from certain rights? that doesn't make sense, we are just regular people like everyone else.

                People often say your sexuality is a choice but nobody  realizes it is really not a choice. Hermaphrodites for example like the woman that won a gold medal in the Olympics,  she had both male and female parts and she lost the metal due to that even though she didn't know.  David for example in the article "Despite these negations, David was convinced he was a boy, I know I'm a boy I was just in the wrong body".  He did not know the terms "transsexual" or "transgender."  It was not until he was sixteen and watched Donahue that he learned the terms  and identified himself as "transgender."

                "The culture especially Asian culture, it's very tight. you know, they have a family tie, in culture very tight and they feel obligated with their roots (128)". In conclusion women in general not specifically Asian women have been oppressed, and also LGBT have been oppressed we can pay taxes but we can't get married for our partner to have medical benefits that's wrong  in my eyes. What happen to this being that land of the free?.