Ms/Mrs. Joan May T. Cordova writes in an email to the AAAS where she asserts that the decision to give Blu’s Hanging the AAAS book award contradicts the “interests and welfare of Asian Amercian Studies and Asian Americans”. I would ask then, what exactly are the ‘interests and welfare’ of Asian American Studies or Asian American communities?
I think that is very hard to answer given the diversity within the Asian American community. I think one important thing Yamanaka does in her novel is to give readers a better idea about the different Asian American ethnic groups in Hawaii and how these communities interact with each other. The world that is depicted in Blu’s Hanging is a pretty dangerous place where racism and sexual perversion are common and Yamanaka sheds light on this world, perhaps a world similar to the one she grew up in. I would argue that maybe it is in the interest and welfare of the AAAS to encourage Asian-American writers to write freely so as to give a glimpse to readers about the condition and culture of Asian Americans, in this case in Hawaii.
I do agree with Augusto Espiritu’s claim that the controversy about Blu’s Hanging has also something to do with money. Giving Yamanaka’s book recognition and an award will lead to material benefits for the author and its up to the Board of the AAAS to decide whether it wants to give support to books promote ideas and visions that may be seen as problematic to some communities of Asian Americans.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Blu's Hanging Controversy response
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I agree with your idea of a complex, multifaceted structure of the Asian-American identity and how this complexity challenges the idea of uniform interests. I feel you are correct to question the welfare of these ethnic groups, and support it well. It would appear as if critics are overly-concerned with a moral high-ground, unwilling to admit that there are communities where Yamanaka's characterization holds true.
ReplyDeleteI believe the AAAS is quite explicit in their interests. If you go onto their website, the mission statement claims that the AAAS seeks, "promoting better understanding and closer ties between and among various sub-components within Asian American Studies." If this is true then perhaps Yamanaka's novel would not be the best fit to be represented by the AAAS. I would not agree that the book should be censored in any way at all because it does shed light another world for those who did not grow up in Yamanaka's culture, but I might have to side with Cordova in this instance and agree that maybe Blu's Hanging is not the best book for the AAAS to represent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your view that Yamanaka's books sheds light on Asian communities in Hawaii. However I don't agree with the statement about the controversy having to do with financial support of problematic ideas from Espiritu. I think the controversy is all about control and censorship which I feel they would find ways to do if the book wasn't producing financial gain but still present in schools.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that the "interests and welfare" is a very broad term regarding the goals of the AAAS. Especially because there are so many ethnic groups to please within the American Asian spectrum. I think it is in the interests of Asian-Americans to be able to write freely as Ravi argues. However, in another article it says that the AAAS's goal is also to create a bond between the Asian groups and the controversies surrounding the award are problematic.
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