Author: cordosi.2

Text Review Assignment: The Help (movie version)

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The movie The Help is the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel under the same name. This film introduces us to two black women who have spent all of their lives taking care of predominant white families in the 1960s. Aibileen is a made and nanny of 7 children for the Leefolt family. Minny is an outspoken maid and the best friend of Aibileen who often finds herself getting fired. She soon develops a friendship with her employer, Celia, who finds herself very devoted to Manny. We get to know these women as an aspiring white woman, ‘Skeeter’ chooses to interview them. The movie was a huge hit when it was released and continues to be one today, encouraging people around the world to hold discussions surrounding race and power.

Injustice surrounding identity and power are heavy themes in this novel as it does feature black women working for powerful white families. This is where the concept of “othering” can be applied to describe the relationships being had in the book. Aibileen and Minny are seen as the “other” while the white families are considered to be the “one” as they hold all of the power. Working as a maid the employer is already the one in power, but when the issue of racism comes into play the power dynamics are even more extreme. There is also the issue of power within Minny’s relationship with her husband who is physically abusive in their relationship. However, Minny takes control back by getting the courage to leave him.

The message that the writers and directors of this film wanted to share was how racism was involved in all aspects of life during the time and in the setting. People of color were treated as less than by a majority of white people at the time and often faced challenges with verbal abuse. Minny is a woman who was incredibly outspoken and did not face being treated poorly at all, rightfully so. She goes as far as making her infamous “shit pie” for Miss Hilly after she had been wronged. While this movies addresses very seriou topics surrounding race and power dynamics, there is an element of humor laced throughout the plot. This movie is high on recommendation lists and is a great way to drive important conversations surrounding race issues.

Systemic Injustice Showcase: The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Dakota Access Pipeline

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My freshman year of college I took an environmental justice course where we learned about the Standing Rock Sioux and the Dakota Access Pipeline. In 2016, construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline began. This pipeline violated Article II of the Fort Laramie Treaty, which guaranteed the “undisturbed use and occupation” of the native lands surrounding the pipeline. The pipeline was set to run under a Missouri River reservoir which would jeopardize the primary water source for the reservation. In 2015, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe made a statement saying that the pipeline posed a serious risk to the land and to their own survival, and that it would destroy valuable cultural resources. The tribe went to great lengths to protect their land by doing things such as organized runs, horseback rides, and marches. Many outsiders supported the cause as well, including other Native Nations, non-Native allies, politicians, and celebrities. The conditions in the area became very tense when the tribe and its supporters peacefully protested the pipeline. Law enforcement became physically aggressive with the protesters and made hundreds of arrests, and it got to the point that the Natives and their supporters had no choice but to fight back. 

After I had finished the course about two years ago, I still frequently look up the situation to see any kind of updates. The Dakota Access Pipeline was completed in April of 2017, but legal disputes continue to go on regarding the environmental impact of the pipeline. There are issues regarding oil being shipped through the pipeline without environmental studies being completed, the pipeline having poor monitoring systems, and more. I believe this is an excellent example of systemic injustice as the pipeline jeopardized an entire Native tribe as a whole. When trying to protect themselves and their own land, law enforcement became aggressive and it got to the point where they could not stop the problem at hand. I provided a link below that shows the protests turning violent, as security officers threaten protesters with dogs.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/04/492625850/dakota-access-pipeline-protests-in-north-dakota-turn-violent

I believe that this example of systemic injustice relates back to when we learned about systems of power, like in Persepolis. In this book we saw how the regime of Iran used their power to take control of even the smallest aspects of women’s live.  In my writing about the Dakota Access Pipeline we see how the Trump administration used their power to cut through native land. In Marjane’s story we were able to see how she and her family fought for their rights. The protests against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe show the same amount of courage.

The picture I included shows the land belonging to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe where the Dakota Access Pipeline clearly cuts through a small portion of their land, but most importantly their source of water.

Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access Pipeline: Teacher resource. Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access Pipeline | Teacher Resource. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/plains-treaties/dapl.

Employment of Undocumented Asian Immigrants, Workplace Exploitation, and Why They Work Certain Jobs

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In Lisa Ko’s book The Leavers we follow along with the story of Deming, a Chinese boy who is abandoned by his mother, Polly, in the United States. Some themes that come up throughout the first half of this book involve migration, deportation, and Chinese employment. Deming grew up in China with his grandfather while his mother worked in America to save up money. When his grandfather passed away, Deming arrived in America to live with his mother. At the beginning of the story, we learn that Polly wants to move to Florida because she found work at a restaurant. She gets into an argument with her boyfriend who does not want to move. The next day Polly goes to work at a nail salon and never returns. We eventually learn that she was deported back to China.

Labor exploitation in America is something many undocumented immigrants face, and this holds true for undocumented Asians. Many Americans hold the belief that undocumented Asians are successful, law-abiding people who don’t work the low wage “unskilled” jobs that Latinx immigrants face. However, this is a myth. Undocumented Asians do face unprotected workplace exploitation, typically in restaurants and nail salons. One of the largest economic exploitations that immigrants face is wage theft. Examples of wage theft include workers being paid less than minimum wage, not getting paid for overtime, not being allowed to take breaks, or employers taking tips from workers. Immigrants who live in America but are not permitted to work are taken advantage of by employers who know that they are in vulnerable situations. These undocumented Asians work the jobs that Americans typically don’t want to work because it reduces the risk of being discovered as undocumented.

In the United States, 40% of all immigrants come from Asia, and out of the 18 million Asian Americans, 1.7 million are undocumented. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up about 6% of the total population and are the fastest growing racial group in the US. However, these immigrants are deported at a rate three times more than that of all immigrants. Out of the 1.7 million, more than a quarter live below the poverty line. Undocumented Asian immigrants tend to remain in the shadows as researchers or policy makers focus on undocumented Latinx when talking border security. When they are brought up, the media applies the stereotype as them being the “model minority”.

 

Citations:

Akbar, Farah. “South Asian NYC Wrestles with Wage Theft.” City Limits, 1 Dec. 2015, https://citylimits.org/2015/12/01/south-asian-nyc-wrestles-with-wage-theft/.

“Addressing Labor Exploitation: An Examination of Undocumented Asian Americans in the Workplace.” Asian American Policy Review, 3 Sept. 2020, https://aapr.hkspublications.org/2020/06/02/addressing-labor-exploitation-an-examination-of-undocumented-asian-americans-in-the-workplace/.

Kim, Soo Mee. “Undocumented Asians, Left in the Shadows.” Contexts Undocumented Asians Left in the Shadows Comments, 1 Jan. 2019, https://contexts.org/articles/undocumented-asians-left-in-the-shadows/.

“Not Just a Latino Issue: Undocumented Asians in America.” Asia Society, https://asiasociety.org/northern-california/not-just-latino-issue-undocumented-asians-america.