In our class discussion, the racial formation theory is a concept developed by Michael Omi and Howard Winant to deconstruct the term race as it exist now. Race is seen as unchanging physical or genetic term. The racial formation theory is still being criticized by the Internet servers. Recently, I surf the Internet and found a website that justify that all Asians are seen the same way as the race regardless, if their Korean, Japanese, and Japanese.
http://www.alllooksame.com/
http://alllooksame.com/exam_room.php
The person who created the website wanted to see how people would respond to different examination of faces, tradition architecture, modern art, urban scenery, and food. The creator of the website is also classified as Asian, but he doesn't see the difference between his culture and other people who are classified as "Asians." He felt like the people would see his website as promoting racism perspective or upcoming issues. Nakamura in Digitalizing Race, emphasized a quote from Stuart Hall,"getting lost in the more global identification of cultural trends and their epic narratives of transformations of consciousness in the rubric of postmodern culture(Nakamura 12)." The All Look Same website indicates that the creator accept the categorization of being Asian because he's aware that the Asian Alike Theory is stereotypical action. He believe that he can conclude that physical appearance can't be justified by Asians. Now we are going back to where we start from about the deconstruction of race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg-zSQZj8uM
This is an Asian that oppose the theory that creator of All Look Same website.
What is your reactions about the website amd youtube video? Who do you think is the audience? How is the racial formation theory criticized? Do you think that the creator is colorblind about racial identity?
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I think the website is a perfect example of how people make assumption and progressively extenuate and perpetuate racist stereotypes from a supreme lack of information and overall ignorance. In the case of the website, it's difficult to not only differentiate between various races of Asian peoples but also to not feel supremely ignorant after having tried. I mean, technically, what difference does it make overall? Actually none, because if someone is Chinese or Japanese or any other specific race or ethnicity, how will that change your relationship with them? If they're your friend, they're who you love, what their race is, is typically quite dichotomous to who they are in all actuality (Barney music as a group of typical social cliches follows).
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I feel as though the Youtube video and that man's sentiments expressed therein are actually confirming Omy and Winant's theory of racial formation in that, race is solely a social formation and that there are structures (i.e. film (which we do learn a lot from)) that further enforce these negative and oftentimes supreme lack of intelligent foundational thoughts about other races. It's ludicrous.
Lastly, I don't even know what colorblind means, I don't understand who it references or why people are trying to create some imaginary concept that will honestly never exist. I mean, in reality, are people really out there claiming that they don't see the racial differences between people. This doesn't mean that they're attaching feelings or meaning to them, but according to this colorblind concept, they're saying that they don't see color?
I'm pretty sure that this video is very tongue-in-cheek, so we should read it with that in mind. C-Dub's performance of Asian-American-ness is rather counter to the "model-minority"-representation. He's bringing in performative elements from hip-hop representation. What does this do to problematize the alllookalike paradigm?
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is quite ignorant to seek to find differences amongst those who identify as Asian or any other race. However, stereotypes are attached and played on in many races. It is an act of subversion that could possibly be distinguishing and understood better. The youtube video represents several things for many people and could possibly be discussed from a variety of different perspectives. However, since I'm not fully aware of the historical significance and the trials and tribulations associated with this culture, I know how it is to be stereotyped and I understand the emotional, physical, and social pressures that this type of situation can bring. I also feel as if, Tichina, was quite clear is saying that it doesn't matter who you look like if that is indeed someone you love and care about though. I am also reminded of the song sang by the late Michael Jackson "Black or White" because it truly breaks the racial boundaries of developing long-lasting and pertinent relationships with people from a variety backgrounds. As for the articles that we've read for this week, I would say that racial formation theory is really being opposed in the attempt to establish this colorblindness and fail to see the world in its reality form. Although, we seek to establish harmonous relationships with all people, the existence of race and class are evident in these social structures, spaces, and institutions. However, there is a choice to transform and deconstruct these dominant ideologies surrounding these things or simply reinforce it and this makes this issue more complex when considering that often people find themselves on both side of the spectrum.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting about this post is to question how the creater of the "Asian Alike" website would feel about the lack of diversity in the characters on video games such as the SIMS. Would he argue that it's acceptable to just have one particular type of Asian character because they all look the same? And deos someone who could be deemed as "authentic" - an Asian who claims this theory to be true - saying that even Asians can't tell the differences among different cultures just perpetuating that it's okay for the thought leaders of the internet to limit diversity because we're all basically "alike"?
ReplyDeleteTichina, I always love your comments. Every week!
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about this example is it takes everyday life confusions and posts them on the internet, which in turn opens up a whole other realm of discussion about this ideology of race formation (as shown by the YouTube comment). Sticking to the topic of internet's effects on racialized ideologies, this website puts these perceptions on blast!
Nakamura so brilliantly puts "these [racialized] formations arose in a specific historical period: the premillennial neoliberal moment, when race was disappeared from public and government discourse while at the same time policies regarding Internet infrastructures and access were being formed."
Agreeing with all the above comments, how can race ever disappear, although a man made ideology, "color blindness" is the strangest excuse of historical erasure. Even with the website on the blog posting, we still all see Asian and that's as far as our minds will take us. What does it mean that this topic is being brought up online? Is it combating or reinforcing? That's where I'm stuck.
Well when I first looked at the site I was appalled to see that someone who classifies themselves a Asian would create such racially charge site. I can help but relate this to how people from Africa are classified as African and they are not seen as Nigerians or Ghanians. Although this what they classify themselves as when they are in their own space, but in other spaces such as America we just see them as Africans . It just goes to show that labeling people especially people who uniquely different is a form oppression because the people have no say. Sites such as these perpetuate this behavior and promote this though.
ReplyDeleteOMG that YouTube clip is out of control wow lol. However, I do with the guy that was speaking, there are several shows that go against Asian cultural norms in certain ways. This is a excellent blog! The conversations that surround Asian's facial characteristics is a conversation that I hear at my job and amongst friends daily. I agree with Bola, these website continue to perpetuate the stereotypes that people have about the Asian culture which is not good. This example does give a great depiction of Omy and Winant's theory of racial formation. In addition our nation will never be "colorblind", culture and race is a social construct that has been indoctrinated into the systemic structure of our nation which is not something that is going to disappear anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteThis is of course the website that I mentioned in class from Dr. Nakamura's book. Glad you looked it up. Did any of you take the test? Anyway, as the book explained, the model minority construct is a construct following on the heels of biological racism. Asians were seen as model because they didnt need intervention of the state and were positioned as labor and capital...they are closely linked with science and education. The problem becomes when asians do not fit into the construct and the psychological pull down effect. What is not mentioned here are south east asians or other asian hybrids (black asians) and how that further complicates this. The model minority, in other words is an east asian construct.
ReplyDelete@ Bola, I think the site is doing the exact opposite of what you propose. I think the site is trying to trouble the notion that all asians look the same and is trying to hilight the fact that asians are different culturally and historically though it may not show phenotypically. Omi and Winant's theory of racial formation is a phenotypical one thus there is a flattening of difference amongst asians because they are phenotypically similar (east asians).
Just as creatiff2003 in response to Bola's comment I also believe that the site is arguing with this idea that all Asians look the same. I actually took a majority of the tests and there were things that I did not know and that I did not get correctly. I think its really interesting that these tests were created because I feel that they were created to bring about some sort of awareness. I think that the audience is everyone because I feel that this idea of Asians all looking the same and sharing the same culture is something that many people think or may not even know that's how they see things.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting website and interesting blog post. good job!
I came across this website when I was in high school. I think my dad sent it to me. I remember a lot of people, namely Asians, saying "I couldn't even get them all." The common belief is that to non-Asian eyes, Asians all look the same. I mean I can't even count how many times I've heard, "You guys all look the same." But saying that, I think this website does a lot of things beyond this. It can potentially rupture ethnic distinctions that we often cling so dearly to. It can serve as a reminder of the fluidity of identity.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I also do not think there is such a thing as colorbling, and to assume that one can be is in fact harmful. Maybe the creator thinks he is colorblind - but what is the default normative identity he assumes in people? Race, as a socially constructed category, is heavy with history and politics.
I really liked what tiff said i think within the asian group there are always these question because even though the cultures are different and the languages and many other things they are very difficult to distinguished if you are not very familiar with the specific cultures but his website really shoes that even though they look very similar the differences are still there.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel like the "they all look alike" idea works in every direction. Of course within certain cultural bubbles in the U.S. it's going to be more problematic for minorities. However, I've had friends that aren't caucasian mention that "all these white guys look the same." I read in a "My Turn" article in Newsweek years ago dealing with this issue. The woman who wrote in explained her bitterness toward people who would think they recognized her, when she was sure they were thinking of another Asian woman. Yet the woman at one point very briefly mistook another Asian child for her own daughter, and in the end argues that everyone needs to avoid easily applied labels.
ReplyDelete