Different but the Same

     This week’s reading is written by a Vietnamese-American video artist named Trinh T. Minh-ha. She writes about feminism, racism within feminism, European colonialism in South Africa, and the cycle of oppression.
     Minh-ha, being born in America and feeling American on the inside but looking oriental on the outside, seemed to have experience attention based on her differences. I think that many Americans feel this way. Many of us are different but are not always treated like Americans because we look or act differently than what the general population expects. This is why what Minh-ha writes about in this essay is incredibly relatable to me. I like Minh-ha’s statement: “difference is awkwardness or incompleteness.” This spoke to me on so many different levels. When one is different, you feel awkward, as if you do not belong. Even though you absolutely are not different on the inside. You were born here and in fact, your ancestors came to this country on the Mayflower. However, you are still treated differently. Therefore because you look different, people treat you differently, stare you down, ask you where you are from. Even when you say, “I am from here”, they ask, “no what is your ethnicity?” These are all a series of events that happen in one’s life that looks different but is an American. Ultimately, you feel awkward and even incomplete. You want to belong, and be judged on the same level playing feel as if race were not in consideration. But in our societal core beliefs, these are ongoing issues that have not changed. 
Trinh T Minh-ha, Reassemblage, 1982


    I thought Minh-ha’s statement of “erasing you but urging you to keep your ways of life and ethnic value within the borders of your homeland”, is a profound statement. She basically speaks about colonialism in Africa and how the white man comes into these African communities and wants to reeducate the African people on the white man’s economic systems in their own land. But while encouraging the African people to keep their ways of life. The fact that Minh-ha was able to observe this and capture this on camera and bring it to light from her point of view was eye-opening. Colonialism has wiped out so many groups of people. Especially here in the United States with the American Indian people. The goal really is to overtake the native people and their natural resources and say hey, our way of life is better. Adhere to this superior way of life and you will be happy. However, if you protest, you will be wiped out. This has become so normal that it is hard for us to see that it is wrong and barbaric.  I believe white privilege is stemmed from this thinking. It is taught inadvertently through the previous generations. This is why tokenism exists. The idea that we are going to change, let's hire this person that is a minority or let this minority speak at this event and let us show the world we are changing and including all people. But the truth is, nothing ever changes. According to Mihn-ha, if the change is to occur, one must understand differences and be willing to reach out to the unknown. Which to me means one must let go of all biases and genuinely be interested in people that are different than you and find how we all connect. 

Trinh t Minh-Ha: The Politics of Form and Forces + Reassemblage.” Institute of Contemporary Arts. Accessed October 24, 2021. https://archive.ica.art/whats-on/trinh-t-minh-ha-politics-form-and-forces-reassemblage.

Trinh T. Minh-ha, Difference: "A Special Third World Women Issue", 1986-87, Wayne State University Press

 

Comments

  1. Felicity ClayDecember 2, 2021 at 3:52 PM

    Hey Yvonne! First of all I really thought your blog post was well written and I loved the way you summarized the key points of the author. I think you’re a really strong writer and it helped me understand this reading a little more. I also thought that the artwork you chose for this week was a really good choice. Thanks for sharing!

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