Thank you all for your hard work this semester!

Here is a link to our Final Strategic Campaign Plan in PDF: COMM837 Final Strategic Campaign Plan: Scates and Terpstra

All the best,

Helina Scates & Peter Terpstra

Hello COMM837!

Here is a link to our final project video presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0_Q05i-jy8. It’s also embedded below to save you a couple of clicks.

Also, here’s the link to our final project Word doc: COMM837_Final_Project_Upload_Lesson11_Scates_and_Terpstra

Grandmother holding her granddaughter who lost her mother due to childbirth complications. Credit: NPR

In my opinion, the most challenging time in a woman’s life, the most vulnerable, the most at risk, and the most anxious women get, at least from my own personal experience and observations of family members and friends, is when they go through the entire process of having a baby. Let’s not confuse things here; of course, having a baby is one of the most wonderous and miraculous things of life that nothing else comes close to. Knowing that another human being is growing within you, step by step, day by day, from a tiny single cell to a bundle of joy is both exciting and frightening at the same time since there is a lot of uncertainty, a lot of what-ifs. The thing is, something could go wrong at any moment that could threaten the baby’s or mother’s life. All of a sudden, a healthy, young, pregnant woman could find herself in grave danger of some life-threatening health condition like preeclampsia, miscarriage, bleeding, or placental complications. Of course, not to mention all the physical pains, discomforts and morning sicknesses that come with pregnancy.

That’s why pregnant women, irrespective of their skin color or defining ethnic features need all our attention and support that they can get both from friends, family members, and certainly from health care providers. Heartbreakingly, a U.N. report declares an exact opposite truth. “According to the report, the disparity is most extreme in the United States, where Black women and girls are three times more likely to die while giving birth or within six weeks of giving birth compared to non-Afrodescendent and non-Hispanic women” (United Nations, 2023). It’s so tragic and disheartening that these young women’s lives had to be cut short before they get to hold and kiss their baby for the first time or before they get see their baby’s first walk just from a simple negligence which could have been avoided. ‘“There is just no reason for a rich country to have poor maternal mortality,’ says Eileen Crimmins, professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California. The CDC’s latest compilation of data from state committees that review these deaths found that 84% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. were preventable” (Simmons-Duffin & Wroth, 2023). This disparity is solely related to their ethnicity. “Maternal deaths also persist regardless of income and education levels, with maternal deaths among African American college graduates still 1.6 times higher than among white women with less than a high school diploma” (United Nations, 2023).

A revealing study by Logan et al. (2022) backs the U.N. article as it uncovers just how dire and real this racial disparity is: “In the United States, reproductive health inequities have persisted for decades. Evidence has consistently shown that people identifying as Black, Indigenous, and Latina have poorer birth outcomes than white women, including Black and Indigenous women being two to three times more likely to die from childbirth. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) also report experiencing racism, practitioner bias, and discrimination during sexual and reproductive health care encounters. Negative health care experiences undermine and marginalize BIPOC communities and perpetuate health inequities” (p. 750). It’s alarming to see just how wide the abuse and unfair treatment is experienced by pregnant minorities in health care settings, where at times, medical procedures are forcibly imposed on them without their consent. “For example, people who identified as BIPOC reported experiencing pressure to accept perinatal procedures and nonconsent during perinatal procedures (eg, episiotomy, artificial rupture of membranes, or prophylactic intravenous medications) more than those who identified as white.  Black people who had a vaginal birth also reported nonconsented procedures more than their white counterparts.” (Logan et al., 2022, p. 757).

While it’s painfully obvious that racism is everywhere, however, it’s hard to fathom how a healthcare provider can be heartless and dismiss signs or pleas, providing inadequate care to a pregnant woman who’s at the mercy of their hand, whatever her ethnicity might be. In fact, what’s most shocking and hard to believe is these women actually receive abuse from these same hands which were supposed to provide care and compassion. “According to UNFPA, the mistreatment faced by Afrodescendent women when receiving health care ranges from verbal and physical abuse to denial of quality care and refusal of pain relief” (United Nations, 2023).

Racism is a deeply rooted, venomous societal issue which obviously doesn’t have a quick fix, but, the larger question is, how can we at least minimize these unfair and deadly racism practices from happening in this very critical environment where a minor mistake or oversight can lead to a loss of baby’s, mother’s, or both lives?

This United Nations (2023) report suggests two strategies to address racial inequities: “To address the situation and save lives, UNFPA urged governments to collect and analyze robust health data broken down by race and ethnicity. It also called on medical schools to address racist ideology in training curricula and on hospitals to establish policies to end physical and verbal abuse damaging Afrodescendent women and girls.” Damaging it is! One only hopes that medical schools would harken to this plea and start training a new cohort of medical professionals that will be faithful to the ethics of their profession, serving all who are in need, equitably. However, that by itself is not enough, this training will need to be extended to everyone who’s a healthcare practitioner if we truly care and want to save the many lives that we’re losing every day.

References

Logan, R. G., McLemore, M. R., Julian, Z., Stoll, K., Malhotra, N., Vedam, S., & GVtM Steering Council. (2022). Coercion and non‐consent during birth and newborn care in the united states. Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 49(4), 749-762. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12641

Simmons-Duffin, S. & Wroth (2023, March 16). Maternal deaths in the U.S. spiked in 2021, CDC reports. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/16/1163786037/maternal-deaths-in-the-u-s-spiked-in-2021-cdc-reports

United Nations (2023, July 12). Scourge of racism haunts black women and girls seeking healthcare. United Nations. https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138592

It was more than 20 years ago when the movie Simone made its debut, initially introducing audiences all over the world to a futuristic glimpse of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven fashion industry. Fast forward to 2017, little did we know that the likes of Simone would emerge just in a different shade of color and take the entire world by storm when we were introduced to Shudu, an AI model of color, “…the enigmatic and undeniably beautiful muse who’s inspiring a new generation of artists. She had the whole world captivated, and now she’s here to lead you to a place where fashion visuals have no limitation” (The Diigitals, 2023). The real question, is Shudu leading us into the future of the fashion industry, or the demise of the fashion industry for the real, the living and the breathing human models who, unfortunately in the near future will be displaced by Shudu and her siblings of different shades of colors?

When the famous denim clothier, Levi Strauss & Co., announced that it would be integrating AI generated models to advertise and market some of their apparel, it ignited a firestorm of public disapproval. “Plans by Levi’s to test out virtual clothing models generated by artificial intelligence drew swift backlash in the industry late last month. While the furor mainly focused on diversity concerns, the retailer’s proposal also stirred up other anxieties that have been simmering in the industry for years” (Ruberg, 2023). The emergence of AI is a reality that literally strikes fear in everyone to some degree, regardless of profession. We’ve all had that moment, wondering how and when technology might replace us as humans in the workforce. The fashion industry is no different, and the way things are starting with Levi and some other well-known brands taking the lead, the threat has now arrived and is literally knocking on the door. “Some critics of Levi Strauss & Co.’s partnership with AI design firm Lalaland.ai, which aimed to show online shoppers different types of people wearing Levi’s garments, accused the retailer of looking to inexpensively address issues of representation — potentially pushing professional models out of their jobs in the process” (Ruberg, 2023).

The paradox is Levi’s excuse to use AI generated models is to increase diversity and improve the underrepresentation of some ethnicities. However, it actually defeats its primary objective of fair representation of diversity within the fashion industry. “According to a press release, the initiative hopes to increase ‘the number and diversity’ of Levi’s models ‘in a sustainable way.’ The announcement was met with backlash, including from models of color who are already underrepresented in the fashion industry” (Holt, 2023). What makes Levi’s claim sketchier here is the phrase, “in a sustainable way,” because we’re living in a world that’s extremely more diverse than ever before, where people are breaking down silos of the racial divide, intermarrying, having mixed race children, making diversity even more diverse, unique, and exotic. Obviously, the world has no shortage of diverse models which makes Levi’s excuse of increasing “the number and diversity” models “in a sustainable way” a fallacious claim. ‘“I think it’s silly, especially because there are so many diverse models out there,’ said Jasmine Rutledge, a Black, 28-year-old model based in Los Angeles. ‘So they talk about diversity, yet they’re not willing to go out of their way to book those people’” (Holt, 2023).

Efosa Uwubamwen, another young model based in London seemed to agree with this view; “There are plenty of diverse models who want to work. Unless you’re talking about saving costs, and unless that’s a goal across the board, then that’s a different conversation. If you’re talking about diversity, then it becomes quite a strange proposition, if you ask me.” (Holt, 2023). This whole idea of AI overtaking the modeling business is not only affecting models but it has a trickle down effect on the entire fashion ecosystem. “‘When you have to hire a model, book an agency, have a stylist, do the makeup, feed them on set — all that costs money,’ said Shawn Grain Carter, a professor of fashion business management at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. ‘Let’s make no mistake about it, Levi’s is doing this because this saves them money’” (Ruberg, 2023).

This issue of AI takeover is not only threatening a particular segment of professional models such as those of color but those of all ethnicities, body shapes and sizes. “Belfry says the fashion industry can’t afford something like this and is already taking steps backward in terms of inclusivity. She’s referring to luxury and high fashion spaces, where the casting of curve models is on a decline this season. According to The Fashion Spot’s Diversity Report, New York Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2022 runways showcased 48 plus-size models — 20 less than the Spring/Summer 2020 season, …” (Holt, 2023).

Three AI-generated models by Lalaland. Credit: Lalaland

One would instinctively assume that the whole purpose of multicultural marketing is to get the attention of and earn the trust and respect of the target ethnic group in anticipation to make them a potential lifetime loyal customer. However, should this multicultural marketing come at the expense of manipulating the target group without them even knowing it is happening? Unfortunately, this is becoming a sad reality for most models. Sara Ziff, the founder of a nonprofit advocacy group called the Model Alliance relates this saddening story: “Ziff said some have complained that companies are hiring them to conduct body scans, which can form the basis for product development without their knowledge or receiving compensation.”

You want the business of that target ethnic population, but you are also prone to cutting corners, not willing to pay for the few models that represent these distinctive groups or use them in an unethical manner? ‘“So they’re able to design the clothes on virtually using a scan of the model’s body, rather than actually having to book the model in person,’ said Ziff” (Ruberg, 2023).

The whole host of issues doesn’t stop here, there’s also another group who might be unapproving of this dramatic shift into the AI realm. How about the very ethnic group that you’re trying to target? Have you done your research to learn about their preference? Do they like AI models or someone who looks exactly like them, complete with all physical imperfections, displayed on a real human being?

The future of AI modeling is grim also in this regard where, for instance, in the case of Shudu, “she” was created by a white man who may know how to make her look like a woman of color in terms of physical appearance like skin tone, hair texture…but, as a white man he would never know a black person’s personality traits or persona, and this applies to other ethnicities as well which makes the AI modeling concepts inauthentic and unfair representation of ethnicities.

References

Holt, B. (2023, April 4). Levi’s announced they’d use AI-generated models to “increase diversity.” black models say it’s a step backward and they should book real people instead. Insider. https://www.insider.com/levis-ai-generated-company-models-diversity-backlash-2023-3

Ruberg, S. (2023, April 30). Virtual supermodels made with Ai Spark Fears in fashion workforce. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/ai-models-levis-controversy-backlash-rcna77280

The diigitals about. Thediigitals. (n.d.). https://www.thediigitals.com/about

We all know that racism has its roots anchored deep into history past, engulfing our entire world in a raging inferno, triumphing over people’s minds, triggering them to do things that are unfathomable, perhaps even unimaginable. Rare are the days where we watch the news headlines and don’t see something so troubling that’s related to racism or the ever-widening ethnic divide. We feel like we know it all and we’ve heard it all, especially when it comes to discussions of racism and segregation in American history. But the truth is it never ceases to amaze me how little I actually know about the atrocious encounters that, especially the people of color, had to face every single day, some of which catch me off guard, thinking, how come I never heard of that before? Somehow, somewhere it failed to make it into the history books or maybe is blotted out purposefully, perhaps? What happened in “Section 14” is among those stories that were muzzled for more than half a century, and never fully made it to the public’s ears.

Section 14 was a parcel of land in Palm Springs, California where those who were rejected and segregated by discriminatory housing practices found a place to call home and lived with others like themselves peacefully for more than 30 years. “Whether it was constructing the buildings and infrastructure or filling the service jobs that kept the resorts humming, the Latino, African American, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino residents of Palm Springs served as the backbone of the resort industry at the beginning of the 20th century. Rental opportunities off the reservation were not offered and deed restrictions prevented the purchase of land. De facto racial residential segregation was prevalent in Palm Springs, as in other parts of California” (Urban Palm Springs, 2023).  That’s where Section 14 came to the “rescue” where the Indian landowners provided short-term, five-year leases, which was a requirement under federal law, for these minorities who wouldn’t otherwise have found a place to rent in the developed part of the cities. However, in 1959, a new federal law changed the short-term leases into 99-year leases which, all of a sudden, turned Section 14 that is situated in the navel of Palm Springs into a coveted place by numerous real estate developers and the City of Palm Springs.

This was a nightmare come true for the already rejected minorities who now don’t have any place to go, especially for people of color of which Section 14 was the only hope and where they were actually allowed to lease land and build a home, albeit for a short amount of time. “Displaced Latino residents moved to Banning, San Bernardino, and Riverside. At least 32 Latino families saved for a down payment or pooled their resources and bought homes in the Veteran’s Tract on the eastern edge of the city; others moved to the Dream Homes development in Cathedral City. Racial restrictions, however, prohibited purchase by African Americans in these tracts” (Urban Palm Springs, 2023).

The unforgiving conservators, who carried out these business “deeds” on behalf of their Indian landowners quickly discovered that their plans for eviction would be met with disapproval by these minorities. Particularly for most colored people, this was the only place that they could live, even if they didn’t technically own the land beneath the foundation of their homes. Without providing proper notice of eviction, these henchmen carried out elaborate, merciless removals of those who refused to vacate Section 14 that lasted more than a decade. The environment quickly turned much more sinister when, in 1964, “…homeowners who leased lots in Section 14 saw their homes destroyed without notice and their personal property burned. About 1000 people were involved in the eviction and destruction” (Urban Palm Springs, 2023). Adding fuel to the fire, these controlled burns were orchestrated by the City of Palm Springs’ own fire department.

Fast forward nearly sixty years after the “city-engineered holocaust,” there are now new talks in the works that “survivors of Section 14 could finally see restitution after the California Department of Justice Reparations Task Force issued a sweeping set of reparations proposals…” (Bailey, 2023). Many negated these proposed reparations, some giving a reason that today’s generations “shouldn’t pay for the sins of the past” (Bailey, 2023). Back then, it was money that caused this barbaric tragedy, and even today it seems that people are still more concerned about money than making things right. The question is, would money erase painful memories that the survivors of Section 14 had to carry around all their lives? How about those children that watched their childhood go up in flames along with the only home they ever knew and felt safe in? Would money ever give them back their lost childhoods or would it reunite those families that broke up back together again, or would it bring back some of the lives of those who died out of depression of losing everything they had worked for? The survivors had to lead their life for sixty years, facing each day with fear and uncertainty, the shadow of a disturbing past haunting them forever.

What’s the price of racism? How much is the lost future of an entire community worth

“Many of the Indians were induced to execute various documents by statements of the conservators that they could lease the land at higher rentals to commercial enterprises. To date, the land cleared in Section 14 has not been leased and stands vacant” (Urban Palm Springs, 2023). The land stands “vacant” to this day? I find that really hard to comprehend. They broke families, they shattered hopes, they tortured people for a decade, they made people weep in agony and utmost pain, only to never do anything with that land. They robbed people of their homes which they built with their sweat and blood, their belongings, their dreams. And finally, after the land was cleared, they do nothing with it? How can one explain that? Could this be a fulfillment of God’s word? Could this be punishment by God? Perhaps their cries indeed went heard upon high which reminds me of a verse from the Bible, how a sinful city that oppresses the innocent will lay waste and desolate:

“…This is the city that must be punished;
there is nothing but oppression within her.
As a well keeps its water fresh,
so she keeps fresh her evil;
violence and destruction are heard within her;
sickness and wounds are ever before me.
Be warned, O Jerusalem,
lest I turn from you in disgust,
lest I make you a desolation,
an uninhabited land” (Jeremiah 6:6-8).

References

Bailey, C. (2023, July 1). California reparations: How do you put a price on racism?. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66058835

Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Bible gateway passage: Jeremiah 6 – english standard version. Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+6&version=ESV

Urban Palm Springs. (2023). Section 14 Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. Urban Palm Springs. https://urbanpalmsprings.com/section-14

Image Credit: The New York Times

Well, they say, “music is a universal language” where people of different races, ethnicity, and mother tongues from all corners of the world communicate emotions of joy and feelings of sorrow and harmonize in unison without a single word being uttered. Music was supposed to be that white flag of peace that melts down the wall of racial divide and brings everybody together into mutual understanding and harmony that transcends far beyond the consonance that mere human language could ever bring. However, the reality on the ground seems to be quite contrary to the utopia that we envisioned when we think of music, the racial divides are still erected high and thick even in a single country where everybody predominantly speaks one language. Here is one example, we’re still bombarded by new stories about the allegedly “harmonizing machine”; music, bearing a title such as, “U.S. Orchestras Gradually Diversify but Are Slow to Hire Black Musicians,” in a supposedly well civilized and advanced nation where people are expected to be more tolerant and accepting when it comes to race.

“American orchestras, which have come under scrutiny in recent years for their lack of diversity, have made some inroads in hiring more Asian and Latino players over the past decade. But according to a new study, they have barely moved the needle in addressing the persistent dearth of Black musicians” (Hernández, 2023). What was more perplexing to me about this news article is that it truly emphasized how much racial disparity exists within this industry, the types of which exhibits an outdated backward hierarchical racism based on class segregation. I can’t fathom how in this day and time that people could still find themselves lost in the catacombs of racism past. I tried to research more to find an answer as to why the “racism curfew” isn’t yet lifted for Black people while the Asians and Latino players benefited more from the recent diversity initiative. However, those research efforts were met to no avail, no one seems to offer an explanation why the integration of Blacks into orchestras remains painfully slower when compared to other minorities. This left me with another option which unfortunately reminds me of the gray-haired, nearly a century-old Apartheid racial segregation system. “THE STRANGE WORLD OF RACIAL CLASSIFICATION: The apartheid regime had a number of pseudo scientific tests for classifying people as belonging to one of four main groups: White, Black, Indian, Coloured (mixed race). One of these tests involved putting a comb through hair – if it got stuck, that meant the person being tested was identified as African” (BBC, n.d.).

It is heart wrenching but common to hear testimonials such as this, “When I looked around the orchestra, I didn’t see anyone in there that looked like me,’ she said. ‘And it was another 20 years before another Black player was hired, which is Owen Young, the wonderful cellist. And when I left 20 years later, Owen Young became the only black player in the BSO.’ He still is”’ (Lunden, 2022). This quote was from another article, sadly entitled, “Where are the Black musicians in the country’s largest orchestras?”

This makes us question why, in this 21^st century, we still don’t have more diversity in this industry. Is it because we don’t have more promising, aspiring musicians of color? “‘There’s really not a shortage of talent,’ she said. ‘There are ranks and ranks of Black and Hispanic musicians who certainly are ready to perform as part of major American orchestras. And we’re not engaging nearly enough of them yet”’ (Hernández, 2023).

While not everybody agrees on one single solution to address this issue, many do agree that something needs to be done with a sense of urgency. Different people recommended their solutions that might help solve this impasse such as, “Classical music instruction is expensive, and this is why whites dominate the classical world. As students improve, they need better teachers — who cost more, often much more. They need to attend summer music programs. These are expensive, the best ones are very expensive, and they may be far from the student’s home, entailing transportation expenses. The students need better, more expensive instruments. The best college-level music programs are, you guessed it, quite expensive. A musically gifted student without those opportunities will simply not be able to compete at upper levels. Ending blind auditions won’t solve this problem. Money and opportunity aimed at financially disadvantaged students will” (How to Diversify Orchestras, 2020).

However, most seem to agree that incorporating blind auditions seems to be a better route, at least for now. “There are profound disagreements over how to address the problem. Some players, activists and commentators have suggested that orchestras should overhaul the blind-audition process, in which musicians try out behind screens. The system was widely adopted in the 1970s to eliminate bias in hiring, and it has been credited for helping more women win posts in orchestras…seeing blind auditions as the only way of ensuring fairness” (Hernández, 2023). Would blind auditions resolve this deeply rooted racial bias? Some cross their fingers and hope that history will run its course while others use their fingers to pick up the quill and be part of those who make history. “Jeri Lynne Johnson, the founder and artistic director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra in Philadelphia, said that artists from underrepresented groups were increasingly looking for ways to mentor each other and collaborate. ‘Rather than waiting for the system to make room for us, we’re creating our own opportunities,’ said Johnson, who is Black. ‘We’re building our own network. We’re making a path for each other”’ (Hernández, 2023).

References

BBC. (n.d.). The story of Africa| BBC World Service. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/12chapter7.shtml

Hernández, J. C. (2023, June 16). U.S. Orchestras Gradually Diversify but Are Slow to Hire Black Musicians. New York Times [Digital Edition], NA. https://link-gale-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/apps/doc/A753263880/GIC?u=psucic&sid=summon&xid=35ea745f

How to Diversify Orchestras: [Letter]. (2020, Aug 09). New York Times https://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/how-diversify-orchestras/docview/2431408785/se-2

Lunden, J. (2022, September 29). Where are the black musicians in the country’s largest orchestras? NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2022/09/29/1125590775/black-musicians-orchestras-boston-symphony-baltimore-symphony-race

The Farewell – what would you do if your loved one was diagnosed with one of the worst kinds of sicknesses known to humankind today, like cancer, perhaps, and you are the first to learn about it ahead of the person who has the actual diagnosis – would you tell them right away? Or keep it a secret? If you’re an American, your immediate answer, I believe, would be “tell them, of course, they deserve to know. After all, it’s their life and they may want to shift their priorities around, checking off items on their bucket list…”. It’s only fair, right? However, in the East, in China, the opposite holds true. When your loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, you never tell them! This may sound strange, perhaps even unorthodox, and unfair; or at least that’s what I thought when I first learned about this custom from an emotionally gripping Chinese movie entitled, The Farewell. In this movie, Haiyan, a Chinese man who migrated to America with his wife and young daughter decades ago, and his extended family, had to keep a huge secret that concerned the family’s matriarch, Nai Nai, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and presumably had only months to live.

In an attempt to bring the entire family together to reunite Nai Nai with all her children and their families before she dies, which of course is every parent’s wish, the family banded together to plot a fake wedding of Nai Nai’s grandson, as a cover. While Nai Nai thought the wedding was a legitimate ceremony, it was the perfect façade to bring everyone together one last time for a grand “farewell” to Nai Nai. As with many traditional wedding ceremonies, it’s quite common for families to come together in reunion to take part in the planning and festivities, placing Nai Nai in an elevated position as the organizer. However, Billi’s parents did not want her to part of this great reunion for fear that she would divulge the secret because of her strong love for her grandmother which will make it impossible for her to hide her feelings and also her western influences.

The reason behind all this secrecy, all the trouble of throwing a guised wedding banquet is out of deep, unbendable, and unconditional love. Your loved ones are willing to take full responsibility in bearing not only the guilt of not revealing the truth to you, but also the physical pain and the anguish and the untold burden that lingers around the name, cancer, while they do their ultimate level best to bring all your bucket list wishes into a reality.

I know what you are thinking, it doesn’t all make sense, right? Keeping a detrimental secret such as this from the person who is primarily affected by it. In this movie we see the major character Billi, struggling to come to terms with this precept. More of an American than Chinese, growing up as no stranger to the streets of New York, engulfed in the Western culture, it was indeed hard for Billi to swallow this tradition. Here is an excerpt from the movie where Billi’s mother is trying to explain the reason behind ‘the good lie’: “Chinese have a saying that when people get cancer they die. It’s not the cancer that kills them. It’s the fear” (Wang, 2019). Therefore, their family will keep this heartbreaking news from them in hope that they will enjoy their remaining few weeks, months, or even years without the fear of dying or suffering. As the movie advances, it was not only Billi who was troubled by this cover up, we see the burden of keeping the truth veiled in a shroud of secrecy, weighing heavily on this Chinese American family, Billi’s mother and father. We can see the impact of an American culture of openness on them, though you can tell from the story that they moved to the United States as adults, after having Billi.

The uncle who lived many years in Japan, which seems to have a similar tradition being part of the Eastern world, we see him expressing his firm stand to Billie and her father when he notices his brother is caving to his American culture of openness, perhaps reconsidering the secret: “You guys moved to the West long ago. You think one’s life belongs to oneself. But that’s the difference between the East and the West. In the East, a person’s life is part of a whole. Family. Society. You want to tell Nai Nai the truth…because you’re afraid to take responsibility for her. Because it’s too big of a burden. If you tell her…then you don’t have to feel guilty. We’re not telling Nai Nai…because it’s our duty to carry this emotional burden for her” (Wang, 2019).

Burden, they did carry. Because Nai Nai could see the effects of the burden on her son’s, Hiyan’s face, how it is swollen and discolored as if he is the one who is living with cancer. She can also see this burden having a great toll on her granddaughter who feels so distant and disinterested in eating, talking, mostly sad, depressed, and tired. Nai Nai routinely told many family members that they looked tired and needed to rest. It was obvious that the family was the one carrying the full burden of the cancer. It was the family that had the look of cancer on their face, not Nai Nai. I know that look of cancer because I have seen it firsthand on my mom’s face as she was fighting for her life in a long, exhausting battle that lasted more than two years. I was wondering, would it have made a difference had we not told her and kept it a secret? Because every day I saw the fear of death, loneliness, and hopelessness written all over her face though she was surrounded by all her children who loved her so dearly, for she knew it was only a matter of time and that none of us could help her to ease the pain or take it away no matter how much we loved her. This Chinese tradition of keeping this kind of consuming secret might not miraculously add years to my mom’s life, but it may have at least helped her to avoid living out her last few years in fear and uncertainty. It might have suppressed the excruciating pain and lent her a glimpse of hope of staying alive that would’ve helped her fight the cancer better. It may have provided for at least some semblance of joy during the time she had left. I guess that’s the culture difference again because in Ethiopia, just like in America, we tell the person if they have a terminal illness. We don’t keep it a secret.

The Farewell movie revolves around this central theme while it divulges the social, cultural, and family values of the Chinese people far beyond this concept of not revealing a loved one’s terminal illness to them.

In a subtle way, the film reveals to us how women are or at least “the modern women,” expected to be strong, hardworking, wise, and independent. We can infer this from the movie by how Nai Nai was in the military fighting alongside the men, how she is still wise, powerful, and influential. How everybody in the family respects her and fears her, how even now, with her current companion, she is by far strong and commanding than he is. Women’s wisdom is also depicted in the movie by the sage advice she was passing down to her granddaughter about life, about future, about the importance of sacred marriage, and career aspirations. This feminine strength is also evidenced in Billi’s mother, how she tries to keep the family together when everybody is immersed in their own personal problems. Her daughter, Billi, was not successful in trying to navigate life, specifically starting her career and making a living for herself. Even though she experienced challenges in her marriage (disagreement), and her husband struggled with alcohol and smoking, that exacerbated the situation even more, yet she didn’t allow her marriage to dissolve. She tries to keep everybody’s secret and bond the family together.

Another interesting observation that gives us additional insight to the Chinese culture is how parenting is different in China as compared to America. This is reflected in a pivotal dark scene between Billi, her father, and her father’s brother. Billi’s uncle offers a cigarette to his brother which is sharply denounced by Billi. She is confronted by her uncle, “He’s your father. You shouldn’t try to control him” (Wang, 2019). This is further evidence of the differences between the eastern and western traditions, emphasized here in terms of how elders are treated based on traditional ideals. Lastly, one fact that stood out to me is how much the Chinese value family, how strong the bond is, and how much they respect elders and one another.

This is a very insightful movie that I chose in part to learn more about the Chinese culture which I previously had very little exposure to. Little did I know how much I would truly learn for this multicultural experience which made me have more appreciation and respect for the Chinese community.

References

Wang, L. (Director). (2019). The Farewell [Film]. Big Beach Productions.

After reading the Morse text for this week, specifically the chapter entitled, “The New America and People of Mixed Race,” hinting that America is now more diverse than ever before and will continue to become even more diverse and mixed, it got me thinking a lot about it and I had to dig more to descry how this idea of “new America” is actually resonating with Americans. While researching, I came across an article in The San Francisco Chronicle, entitled, “Mixed race people in America often feel overlooked. W. Kamau Bell’s latest documentary hopes to change that,” an article that talks about a documentary highlighting the plight of mixed race people in America. One would inherently expect with the growing multicultural society that inclusivity would be prevalent. In other words, there’s a touch of irony here inasmuch that when society is more diverse and mixed, you would expect people to be more tolerant and less racist towards this growing number of mixed individuals in America. Unfortunately, the hard reality paints a very different picture where, for instance, this article begins by telling us a sobering account of blatant racism as recent as 2013 where a Cheerios commercial was pulled of the air because of negative criticism it received for featuring an interracial couple and their mixed race daughter. “It’s hard to say much has changed in this country a decade after Cheerios found itself waging war with racist trolls on the internet. More Americans today identify as multiracial than ever before. Yet, MAGA Republican politicians, nostalgic for a white-centric America that no longer exists, are doing everything in their power to stifle discussions about race, racism and diversity in schools” (Phillips, 2023).

However, as the number of interracial marriages is spiking and the number of mixed race children are growing exponentially, it’s hard to avoid or suppress this topic. Morse (2018) asserts the fact that America is becoming more diverse with these remarks, “Despite the barriers that have been erected in the past to prevent what some have called the ‘Brazilianization’ of America, we are on our way to becoming a country of mestizos, mulattos, and hapas (the Hawaiian term for persons of mixed descent)” (p. 137). Though politicians and people who yearn for a white dominant past that’s now in the rearview mirror try to suppress racial topics, these discussions are a day to day reality in mixed race families. Having lived to tell the tale, through the firsthand experiences of his own blended family, W. Kamau Bell captured these discussions in this heartrending documentary, “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed.”

“The film features more than a dozen mixed-race people from the Bay Area, most of whom are young kids, including people who identify as Black and Filipino; Latino and Native American; and Black and Japanese, among other combinations. They all talk about how America struggles to embrace their beautifully complex identities, and there’s a compelling nuance to the unflappability the young people show toward racism” (Phillips, 2023).

It was heart wrenching to see these little kids of mixed race narrating the racism and discrimination they face in the 21^st century where one would expect people to be more open and accommodating. However, it seems that things haven’t changed much since the 1970s as Dmae Roberts recounts her personal experiences with racism in an article she wrote for The Asian Reporter: “While growing up in rural Oregon, there were few people of color. In my small school in the 1970s, I suspected I had mixed-race classmates, but it was a taboo subject, so it was not talked about. Students who could not pass as white, like my younger brother, endured racism. I, on the other hand, who appeared white to others, felt like a secret Asian girl” (Roberts, 2016). Having a dialogue, a descent conversation about race was considered “taboo” back then and now if not taboo, it’s highly discouraged by politicians from all angles which unfortunately will create a fertile ground for racism and discrimination to bloom. “Whenever dialogue about racial understanding takes place, often there are more questions than answers. Racial understanding can only happen with questioning, which begins by looking at one’s own actions and biases. But by talking about it, we can evolve. One person cannot ‘fix’ racism permanently, but if we continually practice self-investigation, we can change our own attitudes, assumptions, and biases. It begins with conversations and listening” (Roberts, 2016).

References

Morse, D. (2018). Multicultural Intelligence: Eight Make-or-Break Rules for Marketing to Race, Ethnicity, and Sexual Orientation. James Madden.

Phillips, J. (2023, May 3). Mixed race people in America often feel overlooked. W. Kamau Bell’s latest documentary hopes to change that. San Francisco Chronicle. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/justinphillips/article/w-kamau-bell-documentary-17925350.php

Roberts, D. (2016, June 20). Mixed-race in Oregon. The Asian Reporter. https://www.asianreporter.com/stories/dmae/2016/DR-12-16.htm

When skimming through the news articles for this week’s blog post, I quickly hit the brakes, came to a sudden and immediate stop, hardly able to believe what was before my eyes. The title reads as this, “Starbucks manager wins $25.6 million lawsuit after arguing she was fired for being White.” I was not shocked by this news because it’s a major part of this week’s materials, but I truly felt that Starbucks was being penalized for taking the huge step carrying the flagship, taking the first and bold initiative in trying to change corporates’ unfair treatment of people of color. Unfortunately, this case could serve as a true indication that this country still stands divided on the race and stereotype issue. What happened to Starbucks almost seems like it’s a punitive action, trying to discourage other corporations from taking serious measures when incidents such as the 2018 arrest of two Black men who were added to the rolls of victims of racial profiling.

The enormous amount of money awarded to this former Starbucks manager is a clear indication and evidence that somewhere, some group of people, may want to preserve the status quo treatment of Blacks as subservient to Whites. It’s almost as if there’s a more sinister desire to see the Black people being degraded and humiliated and feel like second class citizens – or maybe even third class. This verdict appears to have been concocted to send a clear message or a stern warning for other corporates to think twice before taking such a huge initiative as Starbucks did against the ill treatment of Black consumers. For such a case, I truly believe that $25.6 million is a lot of money to award to a single person. A high-dollar award such as this is something one might anticipate as the outcome of a class-action lawsuit instead, or an award that’s paid out to a huge corporation. It just doesn’t make sense in this context.

Phillips filed her allegations against Starbucks, claiming that she is victimized by Starbucks’ endeavor to settle the turmoil after the 2018 incident that engulfed the entire nation. In fact, her attorney painted a vivid picture for the jurors that her client was used as a peace offering. “Attorney Laura Mattiacci told jurors in closing arguments during the civil trial that began June 5 that the company was looking for a “sacrificial lamb” to show it was taking action after the arrests, Law360 reported” (Rosenberg, 2023). However, this accusation doesn’t hold its own because, her allegations were counterattacked by Starbucks lawyers who revealed she was replaced by another White male. If Starbucks true intent was to use Phillips as a “scapegoat,” why would they hire another White person, in fact, an “alpha male.” That would defeat the whole purpose. That would have made the matter even worse. Starbucks attorney Richard Harris stated that the reason for her termination was actually due to her lack of leadership skills: “A peacetime leader is very different from a wartime leader. These were turbulent times. Starbucks needed someone to show strength and resolution” (Rosenberg, 2023). This whole scenario reminded me of the article by Randall Kennedy which I reflected on in last week’s blog, “The Truth Is, Many Americans Just Don’t Want Black People to Get Ahead.” Only this time, the title could be more fitting if it is slightly edited to read, “The Truth Is, Many Americans Want Black People to Stay Behind.”

References

Rosenberg, R. (2023, June 14). Starbucks manager wins $25.6 million lawsuit after arguing she was fired for being white. Fox Business. https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/starbucks-manager-shannon-phillips-wins-25-million-lawsuit-fired-white-donte-robinson-rashon-nelson

Source: New York Times/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

History repeats itself! “The Truth Is, Many Americans Just Don’t Want Black People to Get Ahead”: this is a title of an article featured in The New York Times that raised a very critical issue that may well impact the future of the African American community of which history has never been kind to. In this well substantiated article, Randall Kennedy, a professor at Harvard Law School, discussed the recurrently challenged affirmative action in higher education (using racial identity as an added benefit for admission into colleges and universities), offering a compelling analysis across the heart-wrenching, oppressive history that has time and time again succeeded in deterring African Americans from achieving their freedom, their equality, their civil rights, and their dream. “Every major step undertaken to advance African Americans and to redress the consequences of racial subordination has been met with charges of ‘reverse discrimination’ and unfair ‘preference’” (Kennedy, 2023).

I believe the professor makes a great point here. Can giving a little encouragement, a little support to a community that continuously suffers physical and psychological abuse even to this day, be genuinely judged as immoral and unlawful discrimination? Unfortunately, those are the accusations held against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina before the Supreme Court. The same was the case throughout history whenever a little effort is shown to ease the burden of the African Americans, these efforts are unfortunately met with skepticism, disapproval, and utterly distorted counter claims which makes Kennedy’s claim, “many Americans just don’t want Black people to get ahead,” an accurate portrayal of the reality. For instance, emancipating the slaves had been unjustly equated to enslaving the White people as we can infer from Senator John C. Calhoun’s objection to the abolitionists petition before Congress with this incredibly uncivilized, benighted and degrading remark: “‘the next step would be to raise the Negroes to a social and political equality with Whites; and that being effected, we would soon find the present condition of the two races reversed.’ Black Americans would be masters and White people slaves” (Kennedy, 2023).

Another epic example of such case is when President Andrew Johnson vetoed civil rights legislation “because the citizenship provision would immediately make citizens of native-born Black people while European-born immigrants had to wait several years to qualify for citizenship via naturalization” (Kennedy, 2023). How racist and backward can one get, showing preferential treatment to foreigners over those who are born in America just on the basis of color? For Johnson, this meant affording Black people more privilege over White people, “a discrimination against large numbers of intelligent, worthy and patriotic foreigners, and in favor of the Negro, to whom, after long years of bondage, the avenues to freedom and intelligence have just now been suddenly opened” (Kennedy, 2023).

Professor Kennedy provided us with several disturbing and repulsive examples that are hard to even imagine as being part of our nation’s history. Reflecting on those unfortunate events in history at this point in time is saddening, repulsive, and embarrassing for a country that is supposed to be “The Land of the Free” which in all honesty makes the future opaque and unpredictable. “Our future may disclose a horrifying prescience on the part of President Andrew Johnson. It may reveal a serious effort to delegitimize all efforts toward racial integration, diversity, reparations and anti-discrimination because any such effort is inescapably race conscious” (Kennedy, 2023).

References

Kennedy, R. (2023, June 7). The truth is, many Americans just don’t want black people to get ahead. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/07/opinion/resistance-black-advancement-affirmative-action.html