Summary:
In many works, Asian American characters grapple with self-hatred. This essay compares and contrasts the portrayals of this self-hatred. What do the novels post as its source? Why do the characters experience this self-hatred and how does it manifest? Do the novels offer resolutions of ways to counteract the self-hatred?
Reflections in a Foreign Mirror
After reading the novels assigned in this Asian American class, it seems that many Asian American experiences are similar. One similarity that is outstandingly prominent is how an outside culture impacts either directly or indirectly a foreign society. Often, the influences of the powerful yet glamorous American lifestyle lead to self-hatred of one's own society and culture. We see this in "Obasan," by Joy Kogawa, and in "Dogeaters," by Jessica Hagedorn, where many of the characters cease to acknowledge their own identity by living vicariously through movies, music and other American influences. In this essay, I will compare and contrast the portrayals of this self-hatred, and analyze how America influences it. I will also discuss resolutions, or escapes that these characters use to counteract this self-hatred.
Self-hatred of the Filipino heritage is.....
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