Michelle Wang-Monkey Dance and Laotian Daughters Blog

Monkey Dance Film:

The Monkey Dance film  discusses Cambodian immigrant families settling in Lowell, MA and  the immigrant families’ narratives. The Cambodian families sought refuge in the United States due to war, poverty, and the Cambodian genocide. Like many immigrant families, the Cambodian immigrant families had to assimilate to United States and the younger generation dealt belonging issues, hardships, and grew up in underrepresented communities. These Cambodian immigrant families experienced isolation and displacement from their family and culture. In addition, the youth Sam, his siblings, and the community in Monkey Dance struggled economically. The community worked in the labor force, service jobs, earned low wages, and were the working class. Because the Cambodian youth grew up underserved communities, Sam’s siblings did not even receive a high school education because of a lack of resources and support. This contradicts the stereotype that “All Asian Americans are privileged and excel in academia.” Even though the community experiences economic hardships and expected to assimilate, the Monkey Dance connects back to Cambodian culture and focuses multiculturalism. The community was able to preserve the Monkey Dance, and the dance represented cultural authenticity. The dance fuses break dancing and monkey dance allows many Cambodians to reflect on the beliefs and values.

Laotian Daughters:

Shah’s work, “Laotian Daughters: Working toward Community, Belonging, and Environmental Justice” allows me to understand “the second-generation Laotian women’s activism undermines dominant model minority” (80). The article allows me to understand the narratives behind the Laotian community as I am still learning more about the Asian Pacific Islander community and its diversity. The Laotian women’s work represents  activism from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and is coalition building towards focusing on sociopolitical issues that benefits the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community and society. This contradicts with the notion that “Asian American Americans are reserved and the API community lacks participation in politics and activism.” In addition, Shah’s work allows me to understand the motives behind the Laotian women’s activism work as these women believe that “We would never want to work against other races, especially other people of color, because that divides us” (71). Even though the activism addressed disparities among the API community specifically the Laotian community in Richmond, CA, the Laotian women focused on coalition building with other communities and solidarity as other minorities and communities can relate to.

Question: How can social justice and community empowerment be strengthened through activism?