Victoria Olayiwola Blog #9: The Great Debate-Pub vs Pri

 

What is private? Whatever you deem you can’t share with the community, I suppose. 

 And

What is public? Whatever you believe you can share with the community. Your stories, your ideas, your dreams, your hopes, your loves, your hates, your likes, your dislikes…You. Your background, your history. You.

For me, what is private are the things I choose not to share, things that just can’t be shared. Scars that have not healed wounds that are still open and yet with the advice given that sharing helps with the healing process, I can’t bring myself to do it, unless there is a good cause for to share.

  

These are the things that mean a lot to me and can’t be said to everyone and anyone. Other than that I have tried to be as open and as forthright as I can be with the community, even though I was not raised that-to make your information public. I see that the value of being open and forthright far outweighs the value of being conservative and reserved. There is so much power in sharing stories and hearing stories. And there are great lessons to learn from being able to understand another’s story, where they come from and why they think the way they do. Also there is so much potential and scope for shaping one’s mind through the power of words and conversations. Take for example the apartheid system, whites feared the danger potential of blacks and blacks feared the system whites had put in place. Ultimately a system of violence, anger and terror was perpetuated because there was a lack of communication between both sides: whites kept suppressing blacks because they feared the unknown and blacks kept rebelling because of the systems in whites put in place. So you see a vicious cycle emerge where blacks are angry because of the systems in play and not because black people are inherently angry people. If only the white South Afrikaners had taken time to understand their fellow brothers and sisters. If only! That’s all we can say, so sorrowfully.

   

Take for another example…one more personal and private, but I’ll share…a William and Mary student, who I had/ve fallen in love with and because of a serious misunderstanding, our cultural nuances, my stupidity and most importantly a breakdown in conversation…I must now avoid, never approach or talk to. My heart still hungers after x but there is no way of x knowing what x feels, whether x knows how I feel or whether there is a chance of reconciliation. All I can do is see x and think about all the things I wish I had said or could say…but can’t. The communication lines have now closed. Our conversations have been severed. Whatever ties that were in existence have died a long and painful death many weeks ago. The point of this story is to stress communication is crucial; its importance can never be overstated. 

Communication. Its power can never be diminished. 

I prefer not to hold back my views and my stories because I believe that one gives as much as ones takes. If I refuse to share, then others can refuse to share with me too. At the end of the day we will be none the wiser should we refuse to engage in conversations. I do most of my sharing through my blogs. I see them as a great way to release all the feelings and emotions I have during the week. At times I feel like I should hold back or that I have said too much or put too much out there, but after I say to myself no….no I think what I put out there is measured and if it can help somebody then why shouldn’t I put it out there. Why shouldn’t I share the lessons of life I have been opportuned to learn? Why not share my diverse emotions? Why not share the English and African perspectives I have formulated? Why not?

 
 

I feel like the presentations of film choices by those within our community has played a part in revealing a part of everyone’s self and the issues that are important to each person who has presented. Matt, for example chose to talk about illegal immigrants because that is an issue that is close to him- he had a friend who was an illegal immigrant, Matt was opportuned to come face to face with the plight of a family that was illegally in America, opportunity not many of us are afforded.

Sarah chose to focus on Refugees from the Sudan region of Africa. She chose to do this because she had worked with a charitable organization and wanted to share what she had learnt with the community. Lastly; Colleen chose to focus on homosexuality in Iran and within Islam because it is not she felt it is an elephant in the room that is not being discussed in the depth that it should be discussed. But she wanted the community to delve deeper into this topic of discussion. She wanted our views on it.

I feel that as we are getting to know each other overtime and as most people are sharing their views and stories, the line between private and public are weakening and are almost thinning out, so that what was once private has now become public. I also feel that through people’s film choices, they are communicating private matters that are of pertinence to them to us the public, I feel we as a community, through this action, are thus blurring the lines between what is private and what is public and that can only be a good thing. 

I feel like for Americans putting the nation first has always been in the forefront of their minds. I feel like American schoolchildren have been taught in school and at home that they have to be proud of their nation, they have been taught to internalize what it means to be nationalistic and patriotic and loyal. I think the desire for Americans to know their place in the world and the meaning of their country has become all the more important because of world events such as the Cold War, which made many Americans reestablish within themselves what it means to be American and how essential and important America is to their private life.

  

Whereas for me, Britain is not at the center of what I do, the way I think and the way I act. I love my country and being far away from it has only made my longing for it all the more visible to me. But besides supporting Britain in football matches, cricket and ruby tournaments, Britain plays a very little role in my personal life. This view of Britain is only exacerbated  by the fact that I haven’t been taught at school what it means to be British neither has Britain been in world events that have triggered a desire in me to make Britain anymore integral to my private life than it already is.

I wouldn’t die or fight for my country, in America I would be seen as traitor but in Britain some may understand why I have come to such a conclusion. In fact you won’t find many British people saying they will die for their country or asking “not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country".

One can argue that my affinity to Britain is not so strong because my parents are immigrants and so I was never raised with a strong British backbone. I don’t think this is the case. Nationalism and ones sense of nationalistic pride is not and has never been drummed into me. I have never felt the need to be loyal to figure or any government or country and this is because London is made up so many cultures and so many backgrounds. Because of this everyone celebrates their nation how they see fit. This means during the World Cup and/or other tournaments you see many different flags go up and nobody tears them down. Nobody says put up the British flag. Nobody.

However my American friend told me when a British couple moved in to his neighborhood and put up British flag outside their home, Americans got angry and said to each other that the couple is in America now so they should stop putting up that flag. In Britain you don’t have to conform to the norm. Diversity and difference is celebrated and admired by all.

Interestingly raising an America flag makes one look as though they are patriotic but in Britain the same gesture makes someone look as though they are backward, racist and reactionary. Basically being a nationalist in some sense is not a good thing in London.

 

Therein lies the dichotomy. Doing or participating in the same things have different meanings dependent on what country one is in. That is why settling here has been so very difficult for me. I have refused to learn the American way. I have made comments and jokes that are borderline offensive and have never expressed such deep seated nationalistic pride of my country. I have tried to stay away from patriotic and nationalistic students because to me they represent something that is backwards and certainly reactionary. And I disagree with them. America is not the best country in the world it never was and it never will be. Each country should be admired for its differences and for the value it brings to creating the international global community, one in which we all, regardless of background, skin, color or social status should strive to do the best by.

 

Hegemony

To be frank, I cannot think of any personal experiences that I can hold as an strong example in regards to the question.  My mind wanders over to conversations I have overheard from other people.  Mostly minorities who feel the dominant class have resorted to social pressures which are near undetectable to reinstate the discriminations laws now undo.  At work or school are where the largest amount instances occur.   We love to believe all classes are fully capable of besting adversity through sheer will and perseverance.  Nevertheless, they claim this is not the case.  They claim the fight is almost never-ending.  I presume it is not all people in position of power but it really only takes one.  The anticipatory actions invoked tend to be subtle and guised discreetly among normal supervisor/employee interaction.  I imagine the discrimination operates in general behavior, the mood, the body language, the meanings in-between the lines.  I say imagined because for as often as I have heard these conversations I cannot actually say I have felt the same way.  That is not to say it does not exist, that would be immature but it makes me wonder when I will encounter these situations.  

Truthfully, I wonder will it ever happen at all? Interestingly enough, I feel that last statement was born and bred in my acceptance of the “American Dream.”  No, I am not interested in a white picket fence.  The dream I am referring to leaves me free to pursue any profession I please without  a constant miasma of dissention pertaining my lifestyle choice from the people I meet. (And  don’t meet.)  My mother always says she will do anything it takes make sure I get what I want. (And no one will stop me if she has anything to say about it.) I always think, “who the hell is going to stop me, but ok.” I will be working soon enough and really I want to see this phenomenon for myself.  I am sure it’s real but to what extent is what truly concerns me.  Then I will know what is the “anticipatory actions” of a dominant class trying to remain in power are.

The best example of this in Amigo, the general’s anger when he returned to find his soldiers partying with the locals. He quickly disbanded with the cohesive atmosphere the soldiers had developed with the locals.  He thought coexistence without fear was a betrayal to their duty as American Soldiers.

Women and Womenhood

The colored Museum

The colored museum is a great collage of what influences the modern day individual via a '90's perspective.  It is outlandish, entertaining, immensely colorful and intricately presents the complicated state of being an African American.  The varying scenarios outline primarily different aspects of black culture.  It addresses the core identifiers that help to define our collective identity, one of the most important of which is our black women, our black hair, our shape, our outlandishness.  The film also explores the difficulties that also come with black culture.  It always seems to be in conflict with the prevailing culture of the US., of what is most acceptable to a white society.

 The scene with a woman arguing with herself and her wigs.  Which wig was more acceptable her natural Afro or more European looking hair.  Even more so illustrative of the difficulties women face is the sketch done in drag with Ms. Roz.  The skit extrapolated all of what "Ms. Roz" felt affected not only women but men as well.  It is interesting however, that a woman was the chosen vehicle of analysis.  The actor, a man, could have done the show as a man.  He chose a woman.  Women represent the beginning, from where all life starts.  They represent the focus of the center stage spotlight.  The character is bejeweled in bright colors with her muscular figure most visible and a vestige of strength emboldened by confidence.  Though it becomes clear as the skit rolls on that this body, this personality and identity have be struggling to emerge whole against continuous opposition.  Ms. Roz speaks about the fight and her refusal to accept anything other than the right to enforce her own defense and be respected for doing so.

Black Girl
    The most important scene in this film occurs when Diouana decides to redo her hair in a native style. It was incredibly striking because what she did was what I do with my own hair.  I am unsure if anyone has noticed but I always wear hats.  The truth is my hair is in plats, those braided spiky locks Diouana constructs for herself in the scene.  It really is a great moment to see her re-embrace her heritage.  After everything that has happened with the family she recognizes that her original and true identity is embedded in her Senegalese culture.  Still, the obstacles that affect women unfortunately extends across social and economic boundaries to further negatively affect womanhood.  The relationship with the wife seems to be the most pivotal connection for Diouana.  Particularly since her suicide speech revolved around wife’s faults and lies.   Their womanhood, their connection drastically changed as the societal roles each was expected to play came into greater conflict.   The dream was to become more affluent for each, more western and successful but those new spheres came with unexpected obligations that heavily poisoned their relationship.  The functionality and mutuality of their womanhood became ineffective with the move to France. 

Blog #4

As an immigrant, I have always thought of myself as a Jamaican first.  When I first arrived the simplest things seemed incredibly odd.  Something as ordinary as drinking orange juice for breakfast was unusual.  As a British descendent, we drink tea, like the Queen.  Cold substances are thought to give you stomach aches so early in the morning.  In general, I ascribed and still prefer my own Jamaican culture first and foremost.  I am of course very biased towards my own culture which I suppose is the entire point of Anderson’s chapter on Creole Pioneers.  He discusses the struggle of how and what criteria people should use to define their existence.  Once they have done so, the next question is to incorporate the various restriction imposed on our identities by our social environment.

He mentioned if the father was not in Spain when the child was born, he would be considered creole.  Even though in truth he may well be otherwise indistinguishable from a regular privileged Spanish born child.  Anderson said, “Yet how irrational his exclusion must have seemed.”  I agree.  To be excluded from an ancestry that one’s birth, station and patriarchy tells you is yours based on your father’s location.  It seems ridiculous from my own perspective. I couldn’t imagine how incredibly illogical it must have seemed to those men who lived during that time.  It is safe to say, for the amount of emphasis given to one’s birthplace, other people who were fortunate enough did not easily forgive this oversight.   

Blog #3

Over the past ten to fifteen the US has had an evolving atmosphere to the inclusion of non-English speakers.  I remember often non-English were greeted with forcefully in an attempt to deride their willingness to come to the States.  The general consensus was if you wanted to come to the US, one should first learn English.  However as time progressed and the demographic changed, the prevailing attitude had become more welcoming.  Some may say for more political reasons than for genuine acceptance.   There are signs, labels, company standards of procedure written in Spanish.  Being able to speak Spanish can be the difference in whether a candidate is hired at all.  I believe Anderson would agree due to the changing demographic of Latinos in the US.   At one time, Latinos were greeted with intense fear. 
 Their importance has now been an indisputable fact that comes with many political consequences.  It was often said during  the last presidential election that the republicans would never win again without being more inclusive.  Becoming more flexible on issues like immigration could greatly affect how our leaders are chosen.  Anderson speaks about the idea of imagined communities and these changes in the US almost mirrors the demise of one community (all white majority) to the growing reality of a majority minority amidst the graying of America.   Anderson said due to the printed word there was a shift in how people viewed their world.  It added the dissemination and flow of info across all boundaries in time.  Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense that was able to inspire a nation to revolution.  In our own time the internet has had the same effect on our population.  The internet can be seen as this intense paradigm that can expand the world of billions of people simultaneously.  It can provide insurmountable amounts of knowledge and yet there a people without access.  There are still people who are illiterate. Are people too concerned with with their own success to worry about others?  I have certainly been guilty of this in my own life.  I also think it is safe to say the rioters in ‘92 were guilty of this as well.

Where are you from?

I immigrated from the country of Jamaica when I was 12.  When I first arrived, most Americans looked identical.  Although I grew up watching television, with a predominantly white cast, it never registered the subtle differences that manifested between each person.  Green eyes, blue eyes, blond hair, brunette, the only idea that registered was they were not like me.  I had black hair and dark brown eyes and frankly so did many people I knew from childhood.  As diverse as Jamaica is, with its Asian and Latin Jamaicans these traits were more or less indistinguishable to me. 

Upon moving to the States, these traits became more defined and exotic.  They were all exotic except it became increasingly apparent that I was the foreigner.  I spoke differently, I spelled words using the Queen’s English, I had no inkling for their social cues.  All of the material things they sought after with such reverence was not something I shared.   I often asked myself why?  In Jamaica, being the smartest was the way to becoming popular and being sent to a bad high school was equivalent to death.  For the people I met, wearing $200 Jordon’s (shoes) seemed much more important than being able to pay $1.98 for their lunch. 

In Twilight: Los Angles we saw many people looting that rampaging through the streets fighting and injuring themselves and others for “free” goods.  People running through the streets with flat screens, shoes, clothes jewelry, food in vengeance for what happened to Rodney King.  George Bush said, the riots were not about King and were simply people misbehaving with King as a good excuse. He said “the LA riots are not about civil rights.”  While the makes of Birth of a Nation dubbed the riots as the LA Rebellion.  Both of these comments carry a lot of implied understanding.  They carry a certain perspective intrinsically linked to each person’s socioeconomic experience and overall grasp of life’s available opportunities. As a “black” American, it is incredibly difficult to judge nearly 20 years into the future the actions of rioters.  The level of violence during the so-called rebellion against innocent bystanders and other rioters alike one can definitely assign partial blame to all those involved. 

Anderson states one of the ideas that lost hold on society recently is the idea that society should be organized around “high centres—monarch who were apart from other human being…” The LA Riots, I believe, at least embodies a rebellion against this conception.  I believe, they saw particular groups of people who benefited from the disparity between groups.  Some sought to rightfully so to address these issues but were unfortunately underrepresented in media due to the riots.   KRS-One said in Birth of a Nation, “strengthen your community by protecting it.”  The problem is how does one do that in a  fragmented community one understands from experience is completely belied with injustice?

What makes a nation?

The ability to define one’s borders and support its inhabitants that share a culture is what makes a nation.  The presence of severe discord does not obstruct this definition but is calls into question the nation’s identity.  Worlds are divided into 1^st and 3^rd  countries based on its resources and the global value of those resources.  I don’t believe anyone honestly configured the idea of such an integrated world market that currently exists.  But I do believe the purpose was to gain holdings that could guarantee the success of a nation’s people.  That success can only be achieved through an appropriate foundation.  What is stronger than being able to confidently express where you come from?  It is a way to pin-point one’s existence in a very big world.  Nathan definitely had trouble understanding where is it he belonged and why.  Being Asian in an all-white community today seems and comprehending one’s different , to us, is instant.  It doesn’t  necessarily incite insecurities within ourselves.  Not when everyone we know wants to be different. 

Where are you from Des?  

Jamaica.

Oh that’s so cool, are you going back?

Uh, no.  I live here.

I will not forget the girl who always asked her mother why other people thought she was different but she herself could not see it.  She would ask how they knew.  And to see that as an adult she still struggled with that is utterly fantastic in its purest definition.  It goes to show the power of the psychological and its importance.  Something we cannot see has such a great impact on how we envision ourselves.  A mirror does not see everything there is to a person.