In “The Managed Hand”, author Miliann Kang, brings us into the world of the nail salons of New York in an attempt to show us the coming together of multiple layers of intersectionality, gender, class, race and immigration. Kang brings to light a new service labor (body labor), an insight into the growing Korean immigrant community, the topic of racialized and gendered stereotyping as well as the inequality between women of different races and social status.Through this reading, we see that Kang works from the notion of Hochschild’s emotional labor; Kang takes it a step further and introduces body labor. Body labor is the designated commercialized exchange in which service workers attend to the physical comfort and appearance of the customers …show more content…
This concept of body labor the Kang uses shows us how and why the actions, beliefs and feelings that seem so natural and justified for one group of people can seem rude, demeaning or simply incomprehensible to another group of people. During this study in an attempt to get to know the women better and in a sense to help them assimilate into their new country. Kang offers to teach the women English; after one lessen, they choose not to continue. When asked why they tell her how they need to know how to say phrases like “‘You look like you lost weight’, this showed Kang that the manicurist understood the expectations that they attend to their customer’s needs, a task that many did consciously and often times humorously(Kang pg. 26). In the opening of Kang’s, book she writes “Two women, virtual strangers, sit hand in hand across a narrow table both intent on the same thing-the achievement of the perfect manicure”(Kang pg. 1). Throughout this book Kang, show us much …show more content…
136). Many stereotype Asians as hard working, family oriented, self-sufficient academic achievers. This praise is based on their smooth assimilation into productive but passive citizens. These women often turn to owning nail salons and making low wages to owning nail salons, many do this because when they were working in salon they were gone from home for long periods of time. Owning salons gives these women flexibility in childcare needs. These new owners now understand and feel badly that they too cannot give their workers the time they need to care for their children. Many of the women that immigrate to America have dreams other than working in nail salons, but find that it is much more difficult that they first believed, and they end up back in the salons. Jinny came to America to finish school and get a job on the stock market. Jinny soon found that it was not all she thought it would be, after working for an accounting firm she realized how uncomfortable and lonely she was there went back to work in a nail salon and one day wishes to own her own liquor store (Kang
Evelyn Nakano Glenn has stated throughout her book that there are “systems of control” that have acted as “a central feature of the U.S economy” (5). Glenn believes that the U.S economy has been able to implement a system of control, in the Labor of people, by racialization and gendered coercion in a manner whereby employers can assert higher authority and worker constraints. The notion “higher authority” correlates to a term she mentions called Citizenship, whereby “worker constraints” touches on the term Contracts. By appealing these two terms Glenn takes the stand in her book that this is the basis of how labor exploitation arises via racialized and gendered coercion. The Citizenship aspect of her reasoning incorporates who, we, as a community
The first stage of the makeover is to cut the child’s hair, forcing the child onto a chair “while the nuns shaved [his] hair down to nubby crew-cuts with electric clippers”(45). For indigenous people, long hair is a part of their culture and identity, symbolizing their connection to their ancestors, spirituality, and the natural world. However, in the eyes of the nuns, it’s nothing but another “savage”(96) trait that they ought to change.
Ethnic stereotypes operate in the same ways for men and women. In the reading “ Being WEIRD: How Culture Shapes the Mind,” Ethan Watters mentions how culture shapes the way of thinking and perception. “The most interesting thing about cultures…they mold out most fundamental conscious and unconscious thinking and perception. ”(Watters 496). This shows how culture is not just about the materialistic things, but how it influence’s ones thinking and judgment in general.
What is the “model minority” stereotype? It is a common portrayal amongst Asian American students that suggests they are more academically and economically successful than other races. It is believed they are more successful than other minority groups because their cultures value hard work. Throughout the Second Edition of Unraveling the “Model Minority” Stereotype, Stacey Lee investigates this stereotype by examining the population of “Asian American” students at Academic High School.
In “Exploring the Managed Heart,” Hochschild observes that modern day labor has developed into occupations that require not only physical labor, but also emotional labor. Emotional labor as a method of profit maximization not only makes the worker’s obligations more ambiguous and more demanding, but also makes workers more susceptible to experience emotional distress. The author argues that the majority labor in the workforce evolved from involving purely physical labor to requiring more, such as emotional labor. Hochschild defines emotional labor as ‘the management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display.’
“What is beneath my skin. Inside my bones?” (Tan 40). This is a familiarly asked question by many Asian immigrants, and many find it difficult to answer. The rich historical culture of Asian assimilation is a complex and intriguing subject.
He succeeded in creating an artificial nail that launched a completely new chapter in the beauty industry that spread around the world, revolutionizing the way artificial nails were produced and worn. The state of a woman’s nails act much like a calling card. Nails are perceived as a reflection of her nature. Wearers can be seen as individuals who are fun, flirty, professional or sophisticated, wealthy or poor. It’s this tendency that has led to even women of limited means to indulge themselves with acrylic nails.
The definition of stereotype is a preconceived notion that classifies according to a conventional conception. In David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly stereotypes of gender and race are confused, defied, and established. The biggest of these is the stereotype of Oriental women that allows Gallimard to be deceived by Song for many years. Nevertheless, without additional stereotype of Gallimard’s, Song’s trickery could not be possible. Stereotypes as such are derived not from factual evidence or observation, but from a preconceived notion of the East lacking masculinity and rationality unlike the West.
This paragraph from Kesaya Noda’s autobiographical essay “Growing Up Asian in America” represents the conflict that the author feels between her Japanese ethnicity, and her American nationality. The tension she describes in the opening pages of her essay is between what she looks like and is judged to be (a Japanese woman who faces racial stereotypes) versus what she feels like and understands (life as a United States citizen). This passage signals her connection to Japan; and highlights her American upbringing. At this point in the essay, Noda is unable to envision her identity as unified and she describes her identity as split by race.
Imagine this! You are from the diverse continent of Asia.. You are a 13 year old and still go to school. You have to get an A in every class on every test. If you don't your parents will yell at you.
Chung accepted herself the way she looked and learned that the definition of beauty is “one that embraces differences and includes every girl, who can hold her head up, sang ka pul-less and chinky-eyed” (108). She hoped that her awakening about true beauty and acceptance would also help other Asian females, especially her mother realize that they are beautiful just the way God created them (Finding My
Believe it or not our society seems to classify people according to abilities, religion, customs, countries, and even likes, and dislikes. I personally think that each person is unique and being Chinese, Japanese, American, Mexican, etc. does not make you smarter or better one than another. In this case, Gladwell on Chapter 8 of Outliers highlights the intelligence and dedication of the Chinese population. I believe stereotypes are formed through parents and teachers. Parents are our first teachers and whatever comes from home, it will stick with us forever.
The story of Gook, written and directed by Justin Chon, follows the story of two Korean brothers, Eli and Daniel, and their struggle to maintain their father’s shoe business. They live in Paramount, a city characterized heavily by poverty and diversity. Eli and Daniel work at a shoe store where a young African American girl, Kamilla, frequently visits. Eli and Daniel eventually become Kamilla’s mentor and cares for her. Kamilla’s connection to the two brothers conflicts with her brother, Keith, and his negative view of Asian Americans.
“The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named María” by Judith Ortiz Cofer and “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan depict the endeavors people take on in an attempt to integrate into society. Cofer demonstrates how stereotypes of Latina women have led others to misjudge her and explains the difficulty she had disassociating herself from those stereotypes. Tan demonstrates that the “broken” English her mother speaks has led others to think less of her and disregard her. One’s appearance instantaneously causes others to judge them. For some it is easier to blend in and be accepted by their community, but what is it that keeps some people from assimilating, and what effect does their otherness have on them?
As the interview going deeper, we have talked about discrimination as being Filipino American and stereotypes. In Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues, Dorothy Cordova talk the discrimination and stereotypes of Filipino Americans. She describes, “the stereotype of Filipinos as savages who ate dogs as one of the most painful. This common stereotype of Filipinos as ‘dogeaters’…common stereotypes of Filipinos has been that of the ‘houseboy’ or ‘steward’” (Min, 188).