Author: Alexis Gayle

1. Europeans viewed Asia as their polar opposites, in terms of location from each other, way of living, and nature, like Asian animals and plants. Their impressions of Asia and Asians was that they differed completely from Europe and Europeans. For instance, Lee states, “For centuries this difference between East and West was the subject of endless speculation, informing a Western-held understanding of a masculine, conquering Europe and a feminized Asia ripe for conquest” (Lee 1).  Basically, this shows that the major distinction between Europe and Asia was the level of masculinity and femininity that was shown. That brought the idea to Europe that Asian culture is needed there for their influence. The Pax Mongolica brought Europe and Asia closer together. Spain was motivated to explore the Pacific because of Marco Polo and his findings when he traveled throughout the Middle East and Asia. Marco Polo had found that the destination had exotic land, sexual customs, and mountain streams flowing of diamonds, gold, abundant riches, spices, silks, and sugar. With the value of spice, it was guaranteed to make 600 percent profit so Europeans would definitely benefit off of this. What I find shocking is how there was bias towards the Asian crewmembers on the cargo ships and they were underappreciated. In the excerpt, Lee states that “Despite their skill, Asian crewmembers received half the rations provided to Spanish crewmembers or were never paid the wages they were promised” (Lee 21). It seems very unfair that Asia has so much riches to offer Europe and America. Asia does not get a good representation in return, just treated as the lower class or unequal to Spain in the example Lee brought up. These Asian sailors suffered through unfair wages, working conditions, and died off in the freezing weather. The voyage from Asia to America consisted of Asian sailors by ship, Asian servants accompanying their Spanish masters they catered to, and Asian slaves in the trading process. I find it heartbreaking that slaves that were women particularly would be sold as sex slaves and leave the ship in pregnant condition or already bearing a child by the Spanish officials/nobles.
2. Los Chinos means the first Asians that landed in Acapulco in the 1580s. After forming a strong community, they migrated from the west coast to the east coast of Mexico City. In the excerpt, Lee explains the broad list of occupations and opportunities Asians had when moving to Mexico City. For example, some were laborers, craftsmen, dancers, shoemakers, barbers, peddlers merchants, tailors, etc. This evokes the great opportunity of freedom for Asians to be what they want and how they choose to live amongst themselves. That is the reason why they would come to America. Coinciding with migration with families around the world and stories we have heard so far about parents coming for a better life, it also proves that freedom is something that everyone will fight for. Another example is Afong Moy being the first Chinese woman to arrive in the U.S. When she reached the U.S. on a ship with other goods at 19 years old, she was automatically taken for a show that people bought tickets to watch. On display like an object for hours a day, it is disrespectful, even with the Chinese stereotypes we derive from Chinese culture we think we know. In the film, I learned that the British took over most of Asia. One group that was impacted hard was the Chinese. There was a large amount of violence towards the Chinese including riots which led them to flee. As a way of taking back control over their lives, I interpret that Asians started to migrate and go to America because they feared that control.
   

                     Bahadur is writing about the history of her great grandmother Sujaria and her unrecognized truth, bravery, strength, and struggle in her voyage from Calcutta, while overseeing society’s portrayed image of indentured women. In the official historical record, it labeled Sujaria as a 27 year old coolie departing from Calcutta. The record included the names of her father, her native village, and possible home life occurrences, such as  physical body marks and trauma in her personal life. The official  historical record is from actual historians and people that were not there firsthand as everything occurred. In the actual record, it is said that her great grandmother’s testimony was missing. In other words, the real side of the story was not in the record, which makes it seem that the truth was being covered up about what women went through at that time. What was not regarded was who she truly was and not what everyone on the outside perceived her to be. Bahadur decided to follow up with more history by using other data from existing archives, paper trails, statistical reports, diaries, transcripts, confidential dossiers. Some unofficial sources that Bahadur utilized to her benefit were folk songs, oral histories, colonial era  postcards, photographs, and traditional tattoos. If I were to construct an archive of my own family history, I would use newsletters, family records, biographies, and local histories. The things I would look for mainly are the names of my ancestors, where they were born and where they grew up. Also I would look to see their history in terms of migrating to somewhere else or any hidden information. 

                    In the oral history I studied, I watched the interview with Isabel Cuenca. Isabel lived in Houston, Texas a year after migrating to America with her parents at 15 years old. It seemed at that time, she was not prepared for the big change in her lifestyle, culture, and her biggest fear was not fitting in the right way with everyone else around her. Even through her time in America, she revisited her roots and experienced racism and noticed culture shocks. She has spent her life as a painter. In art, she experiences common stereotypes toward Filipino work, like all Filipinos dress a certain way to create art or they only sculpt with pottery. As an artist, she got an opportunity after graduate school to go back to her birth place in the Philippines. This oral history confirms the ideas that I already have on Asian Americans because I know what it is like to be stereotyped as an African American, so in many ways they are similar. I was surprised by the comfortability between the interviewer and Isabel. She did not seem too nervous. She did not sound like she was answering questions from a script. If anything more was added to this, it could have been how she felt about her ancestors migrating or if they had any experience with stereotypes in art.