In the video about Orientalism, it elaborated on how the term represents misconceptions and ideas imposed on another group of peoples, therefore taken as truth. Something that came to mind is how Asian restaurants or stores still use this term. Whether they are unaware of its origins or are attempting to rebrand the term, it is still present in society today. In San Francisco, there is a restaurant called "Oriental Seafood" which sells a variety of Chinese foods. There is another supermarket brand or shipping company that delivers to Asian markets called "Oriental Trading Company." I wonder as to why brands keep these names and don't bother changing them.
“Because you’re a girl, you have to cook, you have to clean! Go do the laundry! … On Sundays they [her parents] take me to the Laundromat and I have to do the laundry alone. So, it’s like, [laundry for] eight people.” I can’t speak for other cultures, but I know in Southeast Asian cultures as well as Chinese cultures, there is a high preference for males, compared to females. Examples include the One Child legislation in China, where they limit families to having one child. This is the case because of the high number of females being born and unwanted. There is an association of males being more of a good financial investment, whereas girls are seen as a burden and cost to the family. These gender roles prevalent in cultures lead to socialization and attitudes of how a specific gender should behave. Although outdated, there are still implications present in modern society.
These norms are more prevalent in developing countries, rather than industrialized ones.
For example, in the United States, people try to navigate away from these gender stereotypes. However, given that this country is a “melting pot” and home to many immigrants, what follows them is their beliefs on what actions and duties a specific gender should perform. Traditionally, girls are expected to perform household chores such as cooking and cleaning, whereas men have less rigid expectations. These outdated assumptions don’t translate well into our postmodern society. These attempts of socialization are difficult to be imposed onto younger generations as they are raised in an environment that doesn’t share the same set of values. Rather, younger children of immigrants are balancing the socialization from their homes as well of those that their parents wish to preserve. There is no single right way to act or behave, rather this article sheds light to the intergenerational conflict.
“Because you’re a girl, you have to cook, you have to clean! Go do the laundry! … On Sundays they [her parents] take me to the Laundromat and I have to do the laundry alone. So, it’s like, [laundry for] eight people.” I can’t speak for other cultures, but I know in Southeast Asian cultures as well as Chinese cultures, there is a high preference for males, compared to females. Examples include the One Child legislation in China, where they limit families to having one child. This is the case because of the high number of females being born and unwanted. There is an association of males being more of a good financial investment, whereas girls are seen as a burden and cost to the family. These gender roles prevalent in cultures lead to socialization and attitudes of how a specific gender should behave. Although outdated, there are still implications present in modern society.
These norms are more prevalent in developing countries, rather than industrialized ones.
For example, in the United States, people try to navigate away from these gender stereotypes. However, given that this country is a “melting pot” and home to many immigrants, what follows them is their beliefs on what actions and duties a specific gender should perform. Traditionally, girls are expected to perform household chores such as cooking and cleaning, whereas men have less rigid expectations. These outdated assumptions don’t translate well into our postmodern society. These attempts of socialization are difficult to be imposed onto younger generations as they are raised in an environment that doesn’t share the same set of values. Rather, younger children of immigrants are balancing the socialization from their homes as well of those that their parents wish to preserve. There is no single right way to act or behave, rather this article sheds light to the intergenerational conflict.
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