A typical question many immigrants are asked will be “Where are you from?” Even the individual is fluent in American English and well assimilated into American identity, this question is inevitable. As country of immigrants, there is nothing wrong about knowing person’s ethnic background, so we could be less ignorant about the world and appreciate the diversity. However, sometimes question of doubt is replace by question of assumption. An example from my personal experience, many people has asked me “Are you Indian?” or “You guys speak Indian right?” As a Sri Lankan, I don’t get offended by this question because it logical to assume me as Indian from my physical appearance and accent. It also made me realize my assumptions of homogenizing my
…show more content…
Mark Anderson is a cultural anthropologist and a professor specializes in race, ethnicity and transnationalism in Latin America. In both his publication “Black and Indigenous: Garifuna Activism and Consumer Culture in Honduras” and “Bad Boys and Peaceful Garifuna” Anderson presents how this community homogenized by world through stereotyping. He mentions that his interest on this community because Garifuna is rarely understood in Honduras. Their area is depicted as violent place because of the stereotyping of black areas in North America. However, Garifuna also known as “pacificos” humble, peaceful people and unique from other black descendent communities. He argues, transnational political actors are trying to categorize Garifuna as either black or indigenous and forcing this community to fit into either hyphenated identity but not both (Anderson). It is best to identify Garifuna as a unique community because there are have history and experience of both African and indigenous community which is not mutually exclusive. Usually Indigenous community associated with conservative culture and tradition, land encroachment, discrimination as non-Hispanic language and culture, and economic exploitation as a folkloric tourist attraction. On the other hand, Blacks are associated with diaspora, acculturation, and racial discrimination and stereotyping. Garifuna community …show more content…
According to United States census of 2010, Central Americans are reported as 7.9% of total Hispanic population which is a significant number. Salvadorians and Guatemalans have more than 1 million in population. However, homogenizing effect, globalization, and transnationalism and overwhelming majority of Mexican American population are directly or indirectly contributing invisibility of Central Americans among the Latino population. Michael Kearney, an anthropology professor defines globalization as such “More abstract, less institutionalized, less intentional processes occurring without reference to nations” while transnationalism is “cultural and political projects of nation states as they vie for hegemony with other nation-states and their citizens” (Kearney). The globalization and transnationalism are complex forces that shaping the Central American existence in Unites States. Although, transnationalism have increase the interconnectedness of central America and United States, on the other hand globalization homogenizing the central American problem and concerns with the rest of the Latino world. Only the common problems of Central Americans and Mexicans are given attention in political stage, rather specific concerns of Central Americans are often ignored and mostly invisible to Americans. In
Mark Anderson is a cultural anthropologist and a professor specializes in race, ethnicity and transnationalism in Latin America. In both his publication “Black and Indigenous: Garifuna Activism and Consumer Culture in Honduras” and “Bad Boys and Peaceful Garifuna” Anderson presents how this community homogenized by world through stereotyping. He mentions that his interest on this community because Garifuna is rarely understood in Honduras. Their area is depicted as violent place because of the stereotyping of black areas in North America. However, Garifuna also known as “pacificos” humble, peaceful people and unique from other black descendent communities. He argues, transnational political actors are trying to categorize Garifuna as either black or indigenous and forcing this community to fit into either hyphenated identity but not both (Anderson). It is best to identify Garifuna as a unique community because there are have history and experience of both African and indigenous community which is not mutually exclusive. Usually Indigenous community associated with conservative culture and tradition, land encroachment, discrimination as non-Hispanic language and culture, and economic exploitation as a folkloric tourist attraction. On the other hand, Blacks are associated with diaspora, acculturation, and racial discrimination and stereotyping. Garifuna community …show more content…
According to United States census of 2010, Central Americans are reported as 7.9% of total Hispanic population which is a significant number. Salvadorians and Guatemalans have more than 1 million in population. However, homogenizing effect, globalization, and transnationalism and overwhelming majority of Mexican American population are directly or indirectly contributing invisibility of Central Americans among the Latino population. Michael Kearney, an anthropology professor defines globalization as such “More abstract, less institutionalized, less intentional processes occurring without reference to nations” while transnationalism is “cultural and political projects of nation states as they vie for hegemony with other nation-states and their citizens” (Kearney). The globalization and transnationalism are complex forces that shaping the Central American existence in Unites States. Although, transnationalism have increase the interconnectedness of central America and United States, on the other hand globalization homogenizing the central American problem and concerns with the rest of the Latino world. Only the common problems of Central Americans and Mexicans are given attention in political stage, rather specific concerns of Central Americans are often ignored and mostly invisible to Americans. In