“Family albums help to define a personal identity and locate its place within the social order and to connect person to others”. This quote by Gary Okihiro does not simply describe the functions of a photo album, in many ways, it describes the underlying purpose of Asian American literatures. Asian American literatures serve as “verbal snapshots” which allow the readers an intimate entry into a world “suffused with optimism”, a world imprinted with “despair”, and, most importantly, a world which testified the unwavering spirit of Asian Americans. Asian American literatures offer us “intruders” an alternate version of history; they offer us a glimpse into a world which have been marginalized and blocked away by “mainstream” US history. However,
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These “word pictures” help shine light upon a part of history hidden away from everyone, illuminating the accounts of the minority experiences that have been silenced and not represented throughout the scope of mainstream US history. These “word pictures”, like normal photos, capture not only moments of history, but also snapshots of life. Snapshots of intimate moments cherished by the Asian American communities. Snapshots of stories excluded from the “inventory of significant events” (Gary Okihiro, 93). These snapshots tell a firsthand story of memories that evoke feeling of both happiness and sadness. Among these many snapshots are memories of “departures” and “arrivals”, unlike other memories, these memories hold a special place in the Asian Americans’ family photo album. These particular memories allow us to see a version of history from the perspective of the minorities, a perspective which challenges our very understanding of mainstream US history, allowing us to truly understand and appreciate the Asian American …show more content…
I had to hold myself now to keep from dancing. ‘Baban had a stroke.’” (Milton Murayama, 23). Departures recorded in the family album do only consist of departures from ones’ homeland, but also the departure of love ones. The death of baban from Milton Murayama’s “All I Asking for is My Body” started a ripple. A ripple which forever changed the dynamic of the Oyama family. This very death sets in motion the Oyama family journey back into the Kahana sugar plantation, giving us an insight upon the life of an Asian American family inside a Hawaiian sugar plantation in a time where, many, if not all Asian Americans were still living under oppression and scrutiny. On the surface “All I Asking for is My Body” explores the states of the sugar plantation: the low wages, the poor living condition. However, at its very essence “All I Asking for is My Body” is, in many ways, a gateway for us “intruders” to understand how racism really played a role in the life of the Asian Americans in the sugar plantation. More than just the poor living conditions and the low wages, independence and freedom was stripped away from the Asian Americans. “I always thought everybody low on the pecking order hated it. Not so. Not you. You love getting pecked from above” (Milton Murayama, 33) Kiyoshi’s eighth grade professor was left dumbfounded learning about the mindset of the Asian Americans that grew up in the sugar plantation. Asian
These “word pictures” help shine light upon a part of history hidden away from everyone, illuminating the accounts of the minority experiences that have been silenced and not represented throughout the scope of mainstream US history. These “word pictures”, like normal photos, capture not only moments of history, but also snapshots of life. Snapshots of intimate moments cherished by the Asian American communities. Snapshots of stories excluded from the “inventory of significant events” (Gary Okihiro, 93). These snapshots tell a firsthand story of memories that evoke feeling of both happiness and sadness. Among these many snapshots are memories of “departures” and “arrivals”, unlike other memories, these memories hold a special place in the Asian Americans’ family photo album. These particular memories allow us to see a version of history from the perspective of the minorities, a perspective which challenges our very understanding of mainstream US history, allowing us to truly understand and appreciate the Asian American …show more content…
I had to hold myself now to keep from dancing. ‘Baban had a stroke.’” (Milton Murayama, 23). Departures recorded in the family album do only consist of departures from ones’ homeland, but also the departure of love ones. The death of baban from Milton Murayama’s “All I Asking for is My Body” started a ripple. A ripple which forever changed the dynamic of the Oyama family. This very death sets in motion the Oyama family journey back into the Kahana sugar plantation, giving us an insight upon the life of an Asian American family inside a Hawaiian sugar plantation in a time where, many, if not all Asian Americans were still living under oppression and scrutiny. On the surface “All I Asking for is My Body” explores the states of the sugar plantation: the low wages, the poor living condition. However, at its very essence “All I Asking for is My Body” is, in many ways, a gateway for us “intruders” to understand how racism really played a role in the life of the Asian Americans in the sugar plantation. More than just the poor living conditions and the low wages, independence and freedom was stripped away from the Asian Americans. “I always thought everybody low on the pecking order hated it. Not so. Not you. You love getting pecked from above” (Milton Murayama, 33) Kiyoshi’s eighth grade professor was left dumbfounded learning about the mindset of the Asian Americans that grew up in the sugar plantation. Asian