Journal Entry #10: Lowe & Kurup

                When Lowe discusses the story, “The Oriental Contingent”, I understand what she was trying to reach across to her readers when she brought up how Asians have internalized a cultural definition of “Chineseness”. When reading that I was co0nfused because how can one internalize a culture that is native to them? But through Diana Chang’s story, I understand the personal apprehension one might have when thinking that they are not culturally as authentic as another individual. Also, Lowe’s reading gave me more insight about hegemony. I think prior to reading this I had a more confined idea of its definition. Lowe expands on Gramsci’s thoughts by also stating that it is never absolute or exclusive.

                Kurup’s reading definitely conveyed the heavy pressure that immigrants feel to quickly assimilate, and what kind of struggle that causes for the group. Asian American live in a way that they are essentially torn in two directions: being heavily coerced by society to assimilate, and trying to hold on to their native cultural roots. It is difficult to handle this dichotomy, and I feel like, especially personally, it is extremely difficult to manage these diverging directions of cultural identity.