All posts for the month February, 2011

How I made a room full of people inappropriately uncomfortable

On Thursday, I did something uncharacteristically bold and kind of out of place: I read a very personal prose-poem-blog post-thing I wrote a while back (slightly revised and shortened from the original version here) about the anxiety of life as a woman of colour, addressed to other young women of colour. It was during a monthly poetry reading, with three featured poets and guest open mic spots.

Great, right? Except for one thing: it was to a mostly white audience, with maybe 2 or 3 women of colour in the mix.

What I found most intriguing was the utter lack of reaction and the discomfort that I could see visibly from the audience members as I read through words like “institutionalized racism” and “white privilege.” I heard some audible shuffling and shifting in the seats as I described how I doubt the intentions or motivations of those who were attracted to me, and how I don’t really know if life will actually get better for women of colour. I saw one person actually looking kind of angry.

Some people came up to me and said that they “really liked my piece” but would not engage any more about the content, or asked me any questions about it. And some people walked past me, visibly avoiding eye contact – as though not acknowledging what just happened would make the fact that the daily reality of racism I just spoke about go away.

Then there was my own reaction. As I read through the piece, I started to wonder if this was the right place for me to be reading this – sandwiched between the white poets who mostly stayed impersonal (except for Adèle), discussing subjects like Ontario, Klimt art pieces and mathematicians, and watching a sea of uncomfortable white faces.

Which all then led to the ultimate question in my head: is this an appropriate place for me to read? Am I being inappropriate? Should I only be reading this and sharing this with other women of colour?

Then I remembered that:

1) I really hate the word “appropriate” (some of you might know this already)
2) The fact that I experienced some uncomfortable racism in my lifetime is definitely not appropriate or right, so why should I care that I’m being appropriate or not?
3) Instead of telling women of colour that their lives would be depressing, maybe it’s about time I tell others who may be perpetuating problems and heartaches for women of colour instead

So I read the piece all the way through, saw some people ignore me completely, and had a beer at Reservoir. Then at work the next day, I helped a student read through a short story about racism in Montreal. How appropriate?

9 Comments
by RK on February 26, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in poetry, racism, writing
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Posted by RK on February 26, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/how-i-made-a-room-full-of-people-inappropriately-uncomfortable/

What makes a nation “cool”?

[originally posted on Schema Magazine]

CNNGo, CNN’s beta site that focuses on 6 Asian cities (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo), recently published a list of the world’s 12 coolest nationalities. Some nations on the list include: Botswana (no. 8), Singapore (no. 2), Jamaica (no.3), and Brazil at the top spot.

Japan came in 7th in CNNGo's "coolest nationalities" list.

On the one hand, it’s neat to see a list of “cool” countries that isn’t Eurocentric (Belgium and Spain are the only European countries that made the list, as opposed to the usual appearance of the French or the Italians when one thinks of “cool” or “fashionable” people) Given CNNGo’s focus on Asian cities, it’s no surprise that half of the nationalities on this list are Asian.

But overall, I’m not sure how I feel about this list. It starts off as a satirical piece bordering on problematic (Belgians and Turks are cool because of their broken English and funny names! Mongolians are cool because they wear fur everything!). The writer does try to balance out the problematic factor by condemning some of the more obvious mishaps, such as the Spanish soccer team’s “slant-eyed ‘tribute’ to China in 2008.” However, such efforts are counter-balanced by glib references to the high number of citizens living with AIDS as “uncool” in Botswana.

The list also grossly trivializes some of the political turmoil that happens in many of these locations. One commenter notes on Brazil’s #1 cool status: “The majority of the people of our biggest city, São Paulo, (no, isn’t Rio de Janeiro as many people think) work hard everyday an [sic] suffer from the summer floods.”

Despite the problems, the list manages to spark a nice discussion around the question of what exactly does it mean to be “cool”? What I learned from this is that there is no singular idea of “cool.” Brazillians are cool because they’re good at soccer and have samba. But Singaporeans are cool because they’re good at Internet-related things, and have a 10-year-old protégé who is very good at computer programming already. The Spaniards are cool because they’re the life of the party. Maybe articles like this can and do have merit about diversifying the idea of what makes a country “cool” – I just wish it could be done a little more thoughtfully the next time.

You can check out the full list at cnngo.com.

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by RK on February 21, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in stereotypes
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Posted by RK on February 21, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/what-makes-a-nation-cool/

Links….Saturday: America still being crazy, plastic surgery, and cool blogs

I had an unexpectedly eventful Thursday night, so I opted to go to bed early on Friday (I’m fun). So here are some links that caught my eye this week, a day late:

Oh America, I want to stop talking about you. I really do. But every week, some other ridiculous anti-choice thing happens, and I just have to mention it again. Like how the House of Representatives just passed a bill that would cut all federal funding to Planned Parenthood. Protest this decision and sign the ACLU petition here.

This New York Times article highlights the different ethnic preferences in plastic surgery, and reveals that a higher percentage of women of colour have had plastic surgeries done than white women.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Feminist Fashion Bloggers network will have a virtual roundtable AND a featured series, where feminist fashion bloggers can answer the question: “How do you express feminism in the way you dress?”

Here are some great blogs I’ve recently added to my regular , and you should check them out too:

Crunk Feminist Collective is a blog that aims to “create a space of support and camaraderie for hip hop generation feminists of color, queer and straight, in the academy and without, by building a rhetorical community, in which we can discuss our ideas, express our crunk feminist selves, fellowship with one another, debate and challenge one another, and support each other, as we struggle together to articulate our feminist goals, ideas, visions, and dreams in ways that are both personally and professionally beneficial.” Amen!

Shitty First Drafts is a series of intelligent, sharp, and funny reflections from an ABD graduate student in English literature – everything from how James Franco will finish his Yale Ph.D. to how being a graduate student can warrant many inane questions and rants about grammar from strangers.

For Women In Art next week, I interviewed Monique Polak, young adult book writer extraordinaire/journalist for the Montreal Gazette who also happens to teach at Marianopolis. She was kind enough to blog about our meeting and even take a picture of us in her office.

2 Comments
by RK on February 19, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in blogs, choice, fashion, feminism, links friday, politics, women in art
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Posted by RK on February 19, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/links-saturday-america-still-being-crazy-plastic-surgery-and-cool-blogs/

Protecting whose life, exactly?

Sometimes, a news item is so incredibly absurd and horrifying that you wish it was published in The Onion. But it’s not.

Like the fact that South Dakota is about to pass a law that would expand the definition of “justified homicide” to pardon those who kill abortion-providing doctors.

Excerpt from the Mother Jones article:

The original version of the bill did not include the language regarding the “unborn child”; it was pitched as a simple clarification of South Dakota’s justifiable homicide law. Last week, however, the bill was “hoghoused”—a term used in South Dakota for heavily amending legislation in committee—in a little-noticed hearing. A parade of right-wing groups—the Family Heritage Alliance, Concerned Women for America, the South Dakota branch of Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum, and a political action committee called Family Matters in South Dakota—all testified in favor of the amended version of the law.

The Mother Jones article now includes an update with a quote from Phil Jensen, who instigated the change, insisting that the bill has nothing to do with abortion. But others are calling foul – Kristin Aschenbrenner, lobbyist for South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women, is quoted saying: “They always intended this to be a fetal personhood bill, they just tried to cloak it as a self-defense bill.”

All I can say is that it astonishes me every time that lawmakers (and politicians) go great lengths to protect the rights of those who haven’t stepped out into the world (literally) and ruminating ways to preserve their lives, but won’t even give a second thought to protecting the rights of women and their lives. The fact that this bill is spearheaded by Phil Jensen, a middle-aged man who will never be directly affected by abortion laws (he with no uterus), against the women who are fighting against this bill, is also telling.

Edited to add: South Dakota has decided to shelve this bill, stating that “the bill as it’s currently written is a very bad idea.”

3 Comments
by RK on February 15, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in choice, feminism, politics
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Posted by RK on February 15, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/protecting-whose-life-exactly/

Why re-framing queer identity and queer narrative is necessary

I really enjoyed this articulate and moving testimony from Zach Wahls, who spoke against Iowa’s proposed House Joint Resolution 6, which would no longer recognize same-sex civil unions (official words: “Marriage. SEC. 26. Marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only legal union valid or recognized in this state. Sec. 2.”).

An engineering major and an eagle scout, Wahls fits into the image of the typical American child, except for the fact that he has two mothers. And this was the angle he was using in his speech – that he is no different than other children raised by straight couples. As wonderful as the sentiment was, it also made me realize one of the shortcomings of gay civil rights activism: mainly, arguing for sameness (or the conformity model of “gay people are just like hetero people!”) instead of shaking the heteronormative assumptions of our society to the core. Zach Wahls’ main point was that his goals and his life are no different with two moms than with one mom and one dad. But what I wanted to hear instead was how having two moms made him a more open, engaged and brave person who became compelled to share his life story in a space – where there would be at least one person that would disapprove of his family. If we try to jam diverse living experiences into a pre-made heteronormative mould, we are still never going to get away from the norms that made oppression possible in the first place.

Despite such compelling speeches against the resolution, the bill still passed with 62 votes for and 37 against, making gay marriage and civil unions illegal. I guess this is real life after all, not an inspiring biopic with music.

4 Comments
by RK on February 13, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in heteronormative, lgbtq rights, politics
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Posted by RK on February 13, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/why-re-framing-queer-identity-and-queer-narrative-is-necessary/

Links Friday:Canada almost does the right thing, China’s fake marriage market, and cool women doing cool things

So, Canada had a small milestone when the House of Commons passed a bill that would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to protect transsexual and transgender people. Awesome, right? Except that it’s going to be defeated in the Senate with its Conservative majority. Ugh.

Melissa Bull (who I interviewed for the “Women In Art” series some time ago) writes a sharp and FUNNY counterpiece to Leah McLaren and calls out her essentialist B.S.

This fascinating Slate piece looks into Shanghai’s marriage of convenience market for lesbian and gay Chinese – some heartbreaking details about the pressure to keep up a heteronormative “front” from both gay husbands, lesbian wives, and the abandoned wives of gay men (interestingly though, there’s no mention of abandoned husbands of lesbian women). This was brought to my attention by Christine of Shanghai Shiok!, who, prior to committing to a jet-setting life and starting her popular blog, attended university with me in a sleepy Ontario town in what seems like ages ago.

Two summers ago, I made a supercool feminist friend in Chicoutimi, QC, of all places. She recently started UBC Bike Co-op’s Women’s Night . If you’re in Vancouver and are into bikes and cool women, you should totally check it out.

My first outfit photo was featured in the Blue Collar Collective series, for putting together an outfit for less than $100. I think the best-looking outfit goes to It’s Sewstastic, Mama! for refashioning a large, nondescript winter coat into a one-of-a-kind gem.

Finally, it feels wrong to end this recap without mentioning Egypt. Here are some stunning photos from the protests.

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by RK on February 11, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in fashion, feminism, links friday, politics, stereotypes, trans issues
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Posted by RK on February 11, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/links-fridaycanada-almost-does-the-right-thing-chinas-fake-marriage-market-and-cool-women-doing-cool-things/

Women In Art: May-lee Chai on women of colour writers

[originally posted on Kickaction.ca]

May-lee Chai is a writer, and an educator, based in California. I had first encountered her through the Angry Reader of the Week series in Angry Asian Man (a great resource for Asian-Americans and Asian-Canadians), and was impressed by her articulateness as well as her impressive bibliography. Her books have been recognized and listed by many awards, as well as translated into other languages. When I contacted her via Twitter about this Q&A, she was gracious enough to provide me with thoughtful answers about working as a woman of colour writer, and the health scare that turned her to book-writing.

I’ve noticed a common theme of migration in your books, as well as your own life. How has your own history and background influenced your writing career? How do you decide to write about the things you do?

I’ve moved a lot and lived in several countries. Both my parents moved a lot in their lives and childhood. My father as a child of WWII had to move multiple times in order to escape the advancing Japanese Army in China. My mother in America didn’t live through war, but her family moved 27 times by the time she was 17. After they married each other, they moved us all as a family to very different kinds of environments. I don’t have a sense of having a hometown or a place I can return to that is, definitively, “Home.” I think perhaps this may be why I’m drawn to stories about migration, war, disruption… but I’ve never tried to analyze myself seriously and figure out why I’m drawn to certain topics.

Your works have been translated into many languages – how involved do you get in the translation process? What kind of communication do you engage in with the translators before and during the process?

Sadly, I’m never involved in the translation process! Foreign publishers either contact my agent or my American publishers. I’d love to be involved, but no one’s ever asked me any questions.
However, I’ve translated a book (from Chinese to English): the 1934 Autobiography of Ba Jin, the famed 20th century Chinese novelist. My publisher worked very closely with Ba Jin’s daughter and a member of the Ba Jin Association in China so that we could have the translation rights as well as family photos. Ba Jin was unfortunately deceased by the time I had found a publisher, but his daughter actually let my publisher go through private family albums. I was able to tell my publisher what kind of photos I’d like for the book and I had a whole CD to choose from by the end of the process.

I can understand why most commercial publishers don’t have the time to deal directly with the author in another country, but I think it’s kind of a shame that authors are usually not involved in the translation process.

You worked as a reporter for the Associated Press before turning to writing books. When and how did you decide that you wanted to switch to fiction (and non-fiction) writing?

I decided to take the plunge into novel writing after I had a cancer scare. I had a fast growing tumor and, suddenly at age 24, I thought I might be facing great illness and even death. Before that moment, I never dared to devote myself to writing a whole novel. It seemed impractical. I didn’t know anyone who wrote novels or short stories. But when faced with the prospect of dying without having at least tried to write a novel, I realized it was time to pursue my dreams. Fortunately, my tumor turned out to be benign and my first novel was published after I wrote it. But if I hadn’t had that wake-up call, who knows if I ever would have dared?

In your opinion, what are some challenges that are unique to women of colour writers?

Stereotypes are still persistent and, alas, they often sell very well. So in addition to having to write really, really well (as all writers should do), we also have to battle stupid notions of what we should be writing about and how we represent ourselves and our characters. It’s really insulting, for example, to be told, “Your English is too good!” I’ve heard that criticism because some people in publishing think Asians need to sound like fortune cookies. Fortunately, I do think the stereotypes are changing. But I’d be lying if I said the stereotypes weren’t a problem.

What are some tips you have for young women of colour writers? What are some resources they could use?

Don’t give up. Read, read, read. Know your field. Read the classics and contemporary authors. Read world literature. Make connections to other writers. If you find a writer’s work you like, write to that person and say so! It’s easier to fight the stereotypes when you have friends helping you, so reach out to others. As for resources, there are some great blogs out there. For example, I love Angry Asian Man and Disgrasian. They have tons of news and make fun of the stereotypes about Asian Americans, which helps. SharifWrites and LargeHeartedBoy have interesting interviews and essays by all kinds of writers. [My own] blog -www.jroselkim.wordpress.com -is a great resource!

What are you working on at the moment? Where can people find updates about your upcoming work(s)?

I’m working on a novel about a man who uncovers a terrible crime but can’t reveal it outright because he himself is involved in shady activities. It’s still considered “literary fiction” as opposed to a straightforward detective or crime novel, and it features people who have to leave their home and hide in a faraway city. Somehow I just can’t leave that “migration” theme, can I? For updates, readers can always check my blog.

1 Comment
by RK on February 10, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in literature, race politics, women in art
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Posted by RK on February 10, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/women-in-art-may-lee-chai-on-women-of-colour-writers/

Black History Month | Remembering black history in Canada

[originally posted on SchemaMag.ca]

February is Black History Month in Canada and the U.S. While the history and struggles of African-Americans are much more widely known, African-Canadians do not receive as much attention or awareness as they should.

It is little known that slavery did exist in Canada at one point, and that many British Loyalists (who fled to the Maritimes after the War of Independence in the U.S.) were black. Later on, Canada became a haven for escaped slaves, as slavery was abolished by the Abolition Act in Upper Canada (1793), and the British Imperial Act (1833).

It was in 1995 that Canada’s House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month, following the election of the first black woman elected in Parliament, the Hourable Jean Augustine. In March 2008, the first black senator Donald Oliver started a motion to have the Black History Month officially recognized by the Senate — the motion was passed with unanimous approval.

But the work is not all finished. African-Canadians are still the most commonly targeted racial group for hate crimes, according to a Statistics Canada report in 2008. As recently as last year, the home of the only black man in a small community of Poplar Grove, NS, had a cross burned on its front yard. While Black History Month is a celebration of milestones, it should also be a sobering remembrance of the work that needs to be done to address the inequalities that still exist.

Here are my Canadian content recommendations on Black History Month:

Listen: Cadence Weapon’s music is energetic, fun, and irreverent. He’s remixed music for the likes of Lady Sovereign and Ciara, He is also the current Poet Laureate in Edmonton, and contributes hip-hop reviews to Pitchfork. Here’s one of my favourite songs from Cadence Weapon, “Sharks”.

Read: George & Rue by George Elliot Clarke is a novel inspired by true lives of George and Rufus Hamilton, two brothers who were hanged for the murder of a taxicab driver. Through lyrical prose, Clarke explores the destructive consequences of how subtle and overt racialism and racism around them drives the Hamilton brothers to internalized self-hate and ruin.

Watch: Sisters in the Struggle (1991) is a documentary about Black women activists by Canadian poet Dionne Brand. The women share their stories about growing up in different parts of Canada as black women, and the need for black women solidarity. You can watch the film directly on the National Film Board website at nfb.ca.

Donate: A Past, Denied: The Invisible History of Slavery in Canada is a documentary in progress about the forgotten history of slavery in Canada, by independent filmmaker Mike Barber. The film is still looking for more financial support — donation information can be found here.

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by RK on February 8, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in history, race politics, writing
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Posted by RK on February 8, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/black-history-month-remembering-black-history-in-canada/

Groupon is gross

Dear Groupon,

yes, I’m sure that the people of Tibet, who are under serious threat, would appreciate the fact that

a) North Americans appropriate their culture
b) while ignoring the seriousness of the political struggles
c) all for the benefit of a smug, insensitive white man who benefits from getting that Tibetan food in his swanky table in Chicago at 50% off.

After all, minority cultures are only good for making exotic foods, right? As long as they can “whip up a mean fish curry” to serve it to Timothy Hutton with a polite smile! Oh wait…this looks familiar…because it’s colonialism all over again.

Aren’t there “experts” in marketing that are paid to advise you that ads like this was a terrible idea? I have no background in marketing or business myself, but I could’ve told you that for free.

And now I’m seeing that the Groupon’s Facebook fan page helpfully points to a site to support Tibet’s charity. Ain’t that some quick damage control if I ever saw one!

Yours in disbelief,
Me

11 Comments
by RK on February 6, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in gross, racism
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Posted by RK on February 6, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/groupon-is-gross/

Links Friday: more anti-choice crazy, machetes, and fabulous fashion for all

Update on the redefining rape fiasco: the crazy people who initiated this bill have now dropped the issue, only to redirect the anti-woman discourse elsewhere. The “Protest Life Act” overrides the doctor’s responsibillity to save a pregnant woman’s life, if the fetus will die in the process. In other words, saving the fetus’s life always trumps that of the pregnant woman’s. Dear anti-abortion lawmakers, if you are so pro-life, how about backing up accessible health care that would actually ensure the quality of life in the long run? Hmm?

In North Vancouver, two Korean international students were brutally attacked by three men holding machetes. MACHETES. One of the Korean students received such severe injury to the head that he needed 7 stitches and 18 staples to close the wound. Jesus. [warning: the news clip on the link contains graphic images.]

Onto the positive: a wonderful new Tumblr called “Fa(t)shion February” calls for those who identify as femme and fat to post their outfit photos every day. Founder Jessie elaborates on her inspiration for the blog: “I was particularly inspired to create this project as a femme who often doesn’t feel that her body or aesthetic is represented in the fashion blogging that is happening (fat or otherwise).” Even though fashion blogging started as a way to “democratize” fashion and style, there definitely exists a norm on body size and style – as it is with everything else – and I think conscious interventions like this are so necessary and great. But anyone and everyone is welcome to participate!

Lastly, a bit of self-promotion: my post on scars was featured as one of this week’s “lovely links” by the popular blog Already Pretty by Sally McGraw! I love Sally’s thoughtful commentary on body image and am honoured to have my post featured on her blog.

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by RK on February 4, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in fashion, feminism, links friday, sexism
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Posted by RK on February 4, 2011

http://jroselkim.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/links-friday-more-anti-choice-crazy-machetes-and-fabulous-fashion-for-all/

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