Blu's Hanging Controversy

I agree with the article Lois-Anna Yamanaka and the Non-Award a Postcript. Yamanaka's work allows her to relate to students about "things that are important to them". She encourages them to write about what they are interested in and not hold back. Her writings are powerful and give a voice to Hawaiian people. Yamanaka's work does display profanity and vulguar situations but it's real life. No matter how parents and administrators try to shield their children and students from controversial writings they can't always protect them from the cruelty of reality that can bring pain if their not aware of it.

I disagree with Augusto Fauni Espiritu who wrote to the AAAS Board. He claims that Yamanaka's writings are racist sterotypes that represnt him personally in a "unacceptable manner". I believe that Yamanaka presents the issue of racism between the people in Hawaii that already exists. Her writings bring racism and sterotypes that are common to the forefront so that they can be faced, discussed, and revealed in the public eye. The writers choice of content has the power to relate to a wide audience in different ways, it causes the reader to self evaluate and consider the perspectives of others that are different from them in status,economics or race.

Blu's Hanging Controversy response

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.

Yamanaka Controversy

I agree completely only with Yamanaka's will to write uncensored and unafraid. Writing with truth means pulling from our deepest roots and beliefs which usually comes from experiences in an unjust world. Negative emotions flow from negative experiences, including racism, and are part of a whole truth we as humans experience. However, if the private institution (the AAAS) decides that giving an award conflicts with their beliefs and goals, they are certainly allowed to not give the award. No matter how much anyone could despise the decision to revoke the award from Yamanaka, the decision was for the AAAS to make. Award or not, however, I think it is clear what literary genius Yamanaka has achieved with Blu's Hanging.

Good Ol Blu's Hanging- Zach Caballero

Often critics absorb a wide spectrum of things, and then hone in on what sticks out to them, and in some cases, it is completely arbitrary. The members of the UH Pamantasan Council claim that Blu's Hanging is indecent and offensive, and yet it lacks the fundamental grace to recognize that indecency and explicitness are the only avenues which lead to honest writing. It seems that the main concern of the UH Council is more concerned with cultural falsities as oppose to a holistic appreciation of the novel which is unapologetic to several cultures, not just Filipino culture. Blu's Hanging is not devoid of praise nor merit simply because it may or may not misrepresent a culture or a subset of ethnicities.

On the contrary, I do strongly favor the position taken in the the article Lois-Anna Yamanaka and "the Non-Award" -a Postcript. Despite the vulgarity and freedom of Yamanaka's writing, it offers substance, a valuable lesson to students and teachers on how honesty can be inspiring. Though concern on the level of honesty often presents itself, especially with protective parents, it can nevertheless be said that Blu's Hanging and the influence of Yamanaka did an enormous job in inspiring her own students in writing fearlessly.

Thu's response to Blu's Hanging Controversy

While I respect Yamanaka's critic's opinions and I can understand that there is some merit in their claims, I don't agree with some of their actions. In the "No Talk Stink" article, Choo writes about the time Yamanaka wasn't allowed to do her book reading in a high school because the administration didn't approve her books even though the students all had permission forms from their parents giving them consent to attend the reading. I find that banning something like this is completely counter-productive; the kids will either miss out on a cultural experience or they'll be so curious, they'll go out and read it on their own. I was also appalled by the reaction of her challengers at the ceremony where her former students accepted it on her behalf and the guests turned away!

I disagree with the members of the UH Pamantasan Council on their idea that even though "it's the author's prerogative to be culturally insensitive and disrespectful...the board should reconsider its award to Ms. Yamanaka and honor the dignity of all human beings." I think this group missed the entire premise of the book and focused solely on a fraction of it. With her background of helping at-risk Filipino children, I don't think it was her intention to be disrespectful to anyone.

Blu's Hanging Controversy

While the UH Pamantasan Council's concern over Yamanaka's portrayal of Filipino culture is understandable, the assessments and insights offered in their criticisms are shallow and ill-founded. The boldest of their claims,"Her one dimensional characterization of Filipinos," assumes an absolute Filipino identity- a fact that is simply untrue. It is clear that Council's beliefs are directed by the notion, "a good Filipino, or no Filipino." More clearly, the Council appears to hold the Filipino character as a morally flat, unchanging identity. This is ironic, as assuming the Filipino character to be composed of only moral goodness (if Yamanaka's portrayal is entirely wrong) parallels Yamanka's alleged crime. The only variance, Yamanaka is accused of negatively polarizing Filipino culture, while the Council affords the opposite view.
Additionally, the Council's belief that awarding Blu's Hanging with the AAAS Fiction Award "demonstrates insensitivity and disrespect" is an overreaction. The Council's inability to see Yamanaka's literary purpose, and decision to immediately scapegoat her characters due to personal offenses, reveals their inefficiency as critics. It is foolish to believe the award praises Yamanaka solely for her portrayal of Filipino culture.
Conversely, the critique offered by Simpson, Chung, Eng, and Ho is more appreciative of Yamanaka's novel. The ability of this assessment to see beyond the racial and gender divides demonstrates a literary fluency, unlike the Council's aforementioned response. More so, this cluster of authors is able to speculate Blu's political commentary, in a more rational and reasonable form of discussion. Unlike the Council, these author's concern themselves only with the book's own identity (as a political statement, a response to imperialism, etc.) rather than nit-pick at the novel piece by piece. In short, to appreciate the novel, all personal bias must be set aside.

Controversy

I disagree with the UH Pamantasan Council’s claim that the AAAS award for Blu’s Hanging should be revoked because it “contributes to the pervasiveness of destructive and stereotypical views of Filipinos in particular.” Ivah’s world is filled with evil characters: pedophiles, dog abusers, cat killers, and malicious teachers. However, these characters are not all Filipino and I do not believe that Filipinos are singled out in this novel. The Reyes family was not portrayed in a good light, but they were not completely “one-dimensional” because Yamanaka created feelings of sympathy for the two youngest Reyes sisters. Her book is filled with racial controversies but they do not all revolve around Filipinos.

Cordova’s argument that the principles of the AAAS are to “represent the interests and welfare of Asian American Studies and Asian Americans” is a more sound reason as to why the reward should be rescinded. Regardless of Yamanaka’s intentions (which I think were innocent), her work upset and disturbed many Filipino readers. This controversy alone goes against the AAAS’ goal of unifying and creating a bond between Asian Americans.

Blu's Hanging Controversy

Personally, I feel that Yamanaka did a great job with this book. It showed the harsh realities of a family in poverty and did not try to sugar coat any material in the book with censored anecdotes. Choo talks about how Filipinos have been outraged by Yamanaka's uncensored style of writing. He says that according to some Filipinos, Yamanaka has even come up with her own racial stereotypes. I tend to disagree; I believe that Blu's Hanging would not have been as great a book had it not been for the powerful and fearless style of Yamanaka.

I agree with Espiritu's claim that the award should be rescinded because it is just causing too much controversy with the book. I feel that not everyone will ever be fully satisfied with the work of Yamanaka because every single individual has his or her different opinions on it. I find this claim more convincing because it takes both sides of the controversy into consideration without turning one or the other down.

Response to Contro. Readings

Although Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s Blu’s Hanging is an acclaim worthy, potent piece of literature, I agree with the decision to revoke the AAAS 1997 Fiction Award presented to Yamanaka. The article “Locals Must Listen To Locals” most eloquently describes the position of local Filipino/as in regards to the novel. The AAAS was founded with the means to fortify racial ties within communities, and the novel does not, in any way, display signs of racial respect. This being said, it is only fair to point out that there are very few positive figures in the novel, and the purpose of the book was not to enlighten readers about racial ties or brotherhood, but to shed light upon the coming of age of a responsibility-laden pre-teen, whose family strife and dangerous environment surpasses that of many modern-day “standard” American families. If the AAAS’ sole purpose was to promote powerfully beautiful literature that illuminates cultural differences in Asian American communities, then there should be no delay in bestowing many awards of praise onto the cover of this novel.

This is a main reason why I disagree with Joan May Cordova’s letter of disapproval to the AAAS. Her letter bashes the novel, suggesting that it is a volume of “racist, sexist, homophobic literature where stereotypes abound”. This brazen claim seems rage-driven, almost discreditably so. While the novel does encompass these themes in it, they are the motifs that Iva has to face in her day-to-day life. Yamanaka was, by no means, praising these reoccurring happenings, but was showing that being able to convey and express ideas and feelings about these events, in any form, can help individuals cope in a healthier way, and as a result ultimately help people move on to a brighter future, as Iva did.

I agree with a claim written by Augusto Espiritu that the book should have the award rescinded. I agree with his particular argument because the book itself is a great piece of literature that should be studied in classrooms and read by many, which he makes sure to state. However, its message and the idea of “institutional racism” is a very controversial one, therefore should not be endorsed by the group that is there to represent and promote closer ties between Asian Americans. I disagree with a claim made by members of the UH Pamantasan Council that says the book should not be given the award due to the fact it “perpetuates a negative stereotype of Filipino Americans”. As a reader, I did not stereotype Filipinos as a whole just because there was a link between certain Filipino characters and sexual predators. To me, they were just characters to help shape a story, and did not define the book. That also should not be the determining factor of whether a book receives an award or not.
Espirtu’s claim is more convincing because he disagrees with the complaints that the book victimizes Filipinos and make sure it is known that he thinks Blu’s Hanging should be read and studied. The Council is proposing that because of the perceived racial injustice to one group of people an award should not be given. I do not think this is not a grand enough reason. However, Espiritu’s claim that giving the award to Yamanaka contradicts the job of the Association, because it is not bringing Asian Americans closer together, is a good one and makes his argument more convincing.

Blu's Hanging Controversy

I disagree with the UH Pamantasan Council's argument to strip Blu's Hanging of the AAAS's award for fiction. Their claims make it look as though they are overlooking the main point of the novel. Yamanaka's intention was not to be racist or insensitive. She is conveying a journey of a preteen girl and her family trying to rebuild themselves after the death of their mother. I can understand why the council may see certain aspects of the novel as "culturally insensitive" especially if they are using Uncle Paolo as an example but to say that that makes the entire novel not worthy of recognition is unfair. If that is the case then The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be stripped of its praise. The claims of racism all lies under personal interpretation and to use only that claim as an argument should have been worthy enough to take away Yamanaka's award.

Blu's Hanging Controversy

I must say that I agree with the revocation of Blu's Hanging's 1997 Fiction Award from the Association for Asian-American Studies. As an organization that supports unity among the Asian-American community, awarding a novel that paints a negative portrait of almost all of the non-Japanese characters certainly does not support its goals. As Augisto Espritie writes in his letter of protest to the board, Blu's Hanging is not Yamanaka's first instance of unfavorable depictions of Filipinos and others, and by awarding Blu's Hanging the fiction award, the AAAS is condoning this portrayal.

Yamanaka Controversy

Blu's Hanging is obviously a somewhat disturbing book, but it is written with the intention of bringing certain disturbing realities to light. Many people stop listening as soon as they hear something they don't like. Books are banned usually because of content that is deemed "inappropriate" by certain groups, despite the realism of such content. Yamanaka realized that what she wrote was controversial, but she was in no way encouraging these acts, rather she was trying to give people with no experience or understanding of these conditions a troubling look at the hardships of her characters. I think sometimes people get offended too quickly at so-called "inappropriate" content and shut it out without allowing it the chance to reveal the writers intentions.
I'm sure Yamanaka realized that her novel, and other writings, would be largely pushed aside and opposed by many people, but knew that these things had to be out there regardless. "There were so many stories to tell and you needed to say it in a way that had a lot of impact and emotion"-Yamanaka. In order for her stories to have the change-bringing impact that she hoped, Yamanaka had to use uncomfortable and powerful content that would leave a meaningful impression on the readers.

Blu's Hanging Controvery

The author of Blu’s Hanging had an interesting past that greatly reflected her piece. Her writing style is blunt and at some points uncomfortable because of the explicit dialogue and explanations throughout the novel. Yamanaka has won many awards for her novel and her studies and her experiences helped a novel with great depth and controversy over it’s subject matter. Writing and all other art forms should not be censored in any way because it could take away from the ultimate meaning of the piece. If an individual is mature enough to read the material, analyze it, and get their own personally meaning on it, the “controversial” subjects should not be a problem.

There has been a lot of media attention to books taking out racial slurs in order to keep the context clean and “appropriate” for everyone; recent examples include the novel of Huckleberry Finn . This takes away from the ultimate message. There is a lot of negative, disgusting, and disturbing information, pictures and all other outlets that are easy to see; just simply changing a word does not fix the ultimate concern. Freedom of speech is an extremely important privilege America has, and this falls exactly into this category.

Blu's Hanging controversy.

Lois-Ann Yamanaka has such a real story, a real past, it's not like she appeared out of no where and half heartedly wrote about a vampire that sparkles in the sun, she puts her own voice into her writing which brings herself into her stories. Her writing is raw which of course causes controversy because the truth is we live in a highly controversial world. In the commentary article Locals Must Listen to Locals the authors point out that "In its portrayal of the darker underside of local communities, the novel gives voice to the poveny, immorality, and sexual abuse that go unspoken in our communities, and this is very important". Her book peers into the scary side that is in fact all around us all the time, most of us have just been privileges to be behind our parent's veil which in Blu's Hanging the children did not have due to a dead mother and an absent father.
I strongly disagree with the schools that asked Yamanaka to change her writing or censor her speech because that is what brings to life her characters. The books may not be appropriate for kids of younger ages, in which case elementary schools should not invite her to come read her work. But as kids get older, the profanity and name calling that Yamanaka uses to authenticate her characters is what makes them seem more real. Most kids will not go more than a decade without knowing the full spectrum of dirty/bad words from friends, classmates, or parents, so why should Yamanaka be asked to present her writing as if it were not there? 

Blu's Controversy

It is hard to deny that Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s Blu’s Hanging isn’t highly controversial and truly a profound piece of literature, so when The Association for Asian American Studies awarded the novel with the Outstanding Book Award in 1997 there was obvious contention. So then, where is this divide?

In his protest letter, Allan L. Bergano poses the question, “Does the NAAS literary award promote mutual respect amongst Asian Americans?” Bergano makes a solid point here and upon further research, the mission statement on the AAAS homepage reads that, “The Association for Asian American Studies was founded in 1979 for the purpose of… promoting better understanding and closer ties between and among various sub-components within Asian American Studies.” It is easy to see that perhaps there was a mistake made in the award process because Blu’s Hanging does not seem to promote much of what the AAAS strives toward.

However, while Blu’s Hanging is not quite suited for this award, within such an organization, I do not think that this discredits the significance of the complex and needed drawn attention to such controversial issues. Thus, I would have to disagree with Joan May T. Cordova, a member of the AAAS, in her denouncement of Blu’s Hanging as an outstanding piece of literature. Because, is that not what great literature does? Does it not cause us to leave our shell, our protective bubble and venture out into a place where emotions are split and demand that the reader face the seemingly obvious?

Racism in Blu's Hanging
Yamanaka Controversy

In 1997 Mrs. Yamanaka won the award for best fiction from the Association of Asian-American Studies for her novel Blu’s Hanging. The following year however, the award was revoked because of complaints from the Filipino community about the novels racist portrayal of Filipinos. Were they right in the removal of her award just because racism was present in the novel? That question is a hard one to answer, as racism, while a big part of society, is something most people turn a blind eye too--preferring to pretend that it instead does not exist. Novelists like Yamanaka are in a serious predicament then when writing about racism. Should they write of this idealized perfect world or should they instead write, as Mrs. Yamanaka would say, “without fear”? I for one support and defend Yamanaka. Just because something is racist does not mean it should be censored or taken away. When a writer has to compromise his or her artistic vision in order to appeal to an audience, then we the audience are getting cheated. A recent example of this is the censorship of the n- word from Mark Twain’s classic Tom Sawyer. The replacement of the n-word with slave significantly downplays the bigotry and racism displayed in Mark Twain. We have to see all the messed up things to feel the full effect. The same thing can be said for Blu’s Hanging. The novel itself isn’t racist, it instead just shows racism. Part of the novel’s power is the racism and tension present between the diverse cultures of Hawaii: The Filipinos, The Natives, The Japanese, and the Haole’s. The novel builds around these racist portrayals and shows the reader what the sentiment was at that time in Hawaii through the eyes of a scared Japanese girl who has some racist pre-conceived notions of the islands inhabitants. Racism will always be present, and censoring a book or taking back an award will never change that.