Global Sex Trafficking (The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World 56-57)

I found this entry in The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World quite interesting especially with the illustration of the map and the way it was color coded. A lot of the things I read in this chapter of the atlas made me think a lot.

I thought it was interesting that a lot of the countries that traffic people out are part of what we categorize as the "Third world", while a lot of the countries that receive people are what we consider the "First world". My final presentation is about sex trafficking, but more specifically mail-order brides, and to read the quote about Western men wanting a more "traditional" companion kind of made me feel disgusted. Western ideals have become very global and it seems like everyone is catering to the Western world so much. The "First world" countries are appealing to mail-order brides because of the economic stability compared to their country. It puzzles me how people can still buy other people. I thought slavery was done with, but in the sex industry, it happens quite often.

It makes me sick to think of people taking advantage of others, especially when they are young. I wonder why men are almost always the ones who are the consumers in the global sex trade. Is it a biological urge or is it something else in the culture that pushes them to buy, buy, buy. It also makes me scared to think that people in my community could be consumers in the global sex trade industry. If they are going to foreign lands to exploit young children, what happens when they are back in our country? There can be pedophiles living in your own neighborhood without your knowledge. It is a scary thought and I wish there was a more effective way to cut down the global sex trade.

Racial and Ethnic Interpersonal Violence (IVUS 275-299)

Bias crimes are just another way for people to feel like they have control and more power over other groups of people. I will never be able to fully comprehend the mind and thought process of someone who participates in hate crimes. When a bias crime occurs in recent times, it makes me feel like we haven't made a lot of progress as humans. Are we letting bigotry run rampant? This chapter from Inequality and Violence in the United States makes me think of local instances of bias crimes. Just this school year, we've had instances of people being attacked for their affilitation with the GLBT community, and other instances of racial comments being written on doors or even as graffiti. It is disappointing to know that these things have occurred here at the WSU Pullman campus because I feel like others see it as a reflection of the values and thoughts of our community. I also think about the responses to bias crimes. I think that making people aware of what happens sort of gives satisfaction to the person behind the crime to know that it has caused a stir, but at the same time, it makes the community pull together to take a stance against the crime and it gives the community an opporunity to be proactive about preventing bias crimes from happening. Racial and ethnic interpersonal violence happens around the country and may never fully be abolished, but by pulling together, a lot can be done to reduce the amount of occurences.

Upcoming Public Lectures

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know about upcoming public lectures that might be of interest especially for us since we are in a women's studies course focusing on power and gender. On Thursday, April 16th, 2009, Delia D. Aguilar will be giving a public lecture in Todd 230 at 5:00 pm. Her lecture is entitled "Teaching about the Social" and she will be focusing about the need to connect the individual narrative with the social (the larger social system). A little tid bit about Delia D. Aguilar is that she is a former WSU professor of Women's Studies and Comparative American Cultures. Then, on Friday, April 17th, 2009, E. San Juan Jr. will also be giving a public lecture in CUE 203 at 3:00 pm. His lecture is entitled "Race or Class?" and he will be reflecting on the critical race theory and the question of the empire. Both former professors of WSU be back here at Washington State University to share her knowledge with our community during the 2009 NWFASA Conference: Knowledge into Action.

I hope you all consider attending these scheduled lectures!

Facilitation Two

Hildegarde Velasco
WST200 -- Gender & Power
Spring 2009
April 13th, 2009


Facilitation: “Domestic Violence and Asian American Women (2002),” Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives Fourth Edition, Lora Jo Foo, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007, 273-279.

Key-words: individualism, tolerant, sexism, racism, homophobic, ostracize, coalition, disaggregate,

Key-phrases: institutional barriers, language capacity, social practices, “save face”, same-gender relationship violence,

Key-organizations: Asian Task Force against Domestic Violence, Apna Ghar, Manavi, Nav Nirmaan Foundation Inc., Raksha, Pragati, Sakhi, Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS), Asian Health Services, Boston Asian Task Force, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Asian and Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Institute

Key Ideas:

1. Cultural differences and laws contribute to the domestic violence problem for the Asian community. Language wise, the problem is often not interpreted because of language barriers. There are also laws that prevent some women from wanting to find help.
2. The need to “save face” and keep the family unit together is greater than individual needs. Women are encouraged by cultural norms to endure domestic violence to keep the reputation of their family.
3. Organizations are taking action to protect these women through legal matters and through changing the cultural norms.

Questions & Quotes:

1. Domestic violence is also gendered. Women are automatically assumed to be victims, and men are assumed to be the abusers. What happens to the men who are the victims? How would our culture perceive them, and would these help organizations reach out?
2. Could these social norms confining these women to these abusive relationships ever be changed? Is this idea of “saving face” and keeping the family together too rooted to change?

“Asian American women, the majority of whom are foreign-born immigrants with different languages and cultures, experience numerous institutional barriers to seeking safety.” (273)

“The notion of having to preserve the family and “save face” often makes Asian women more hesitant to leave and break up the family. Women in abusive marriages are frequently blamed for not behaving or told to tolerate the abuse in order to save face for the entire family or clan.” (276)

“Even when abused queer Asian women seek help, they find that the vast majority of domestic violence agencies are not able to meet their needs…The mainstream domestic violence movement understands violence as a patriarchal phenomenon, deriving from sexism, with men using violence to control women…women can be survivors and batterers.” (277)

"Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People?" (WL 61-72)

Although this reading was assigned a while ago, I've found this question hard to answer. There can be so much to say, but it's been hard to even start.

After reading "Identies and Socia Locations", I started quesitoning where I, myself, am located in my own perspective, in others' perspectives, and ultimately, in the world's perspective. I enjoyoed how the text described identity as "fluid" which gives me flexibility allowing me to hypothetically change my social location if I wanted to do so. Identity and social location isn't only dfined by ourselves, but other's perspectives are factors too.

In my own perspective, or what we could call the micro level, I am shaped by me personal experiences. The micro level is a level of self-awareness in which we are set apart by the personal experiences we've had in our lives. For myself, was born and raised in Hawaii where I experienced growing up and being surrounded by the "aloha spirit". That environment was all I knew until last year where I chose to go to school here at Washington State University. I realize that my experiences are different than those of people I go to school here with, and vice versa.

At the meso levels, others categorize us. We are somewhat defined by our physical appearance which the text says separates people into being "one of us or not". Instead of being looked at individually, we are looked at as groups or categories. I am a first generation Filipino-American which explains the way I look. My mother and father came from the Philippines to Hawaii and raised me to be proud in what I am. I speak English, yet i can also understand the languages my parents speak. I have dark hair, dark colored eyes, and tan skin. I am from Hawaii which I will always consider my home. My upbringing has taught me to value my friends and family.

In the global level or the macro level, we are defined by social categories which keeps a "social order". Almost every category has a dominant and a subordinate group. In the gender category, I am a woman, a female. Based on the race and ethnicity category, I am a person of color who is not European but Asian. I am a heterosexual and I am in my youth.

After thinking about what the text meant, I was amazed at how complex our identities are. Because of the complexity, no two people are exactly alike. We can share some of the differences we have, but ultimately, we are individuals that make up the whole. I also understand that I will never be able to have a complete answer to the question of where I am socially located because there is so much to say, and things can change because of that flexibility. I tried now, but who knows, in ten years, some things could be completely different.

Facilitation One

Hildegarde Velasco
WST200 -- Gender & Power
Spring 2009
April 8th, 2009

Facilitation: "The Care Crisis in the Philippines (2003) Children and the Transnational Families in the New Global Economy," Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives Fourth Edition, Rhacel Salazar Parrenas, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007, 416-425.

Key-Words: transnational, egalitarian, OCW (overseas contract worker), remittances, estrangement

Key-Phrases: care deficit, "stalled revolution", collective mobility, family solidarity, nuclear household, extended kin, nontraditional gender roles, "ideological stall", public accountability, familial responsibilities

Key-Names: Rhacel Salazar Parrenas, Fidel Ramos, Rosemarie Samaniego, Ellen Seneriches, Jeek Perenos, Rudy Montoya, Armando Martinez, Theresa Buscara, Jason Halili, Arjun Appadurai

Key ideas:

• Gender ideology in the past has assumed women to be care givers and men as the providers. However, in the Philippines, economically, women have been shown to be the main contributor in these transnational families. The government has in turn spoken out against the migrant mothers, in essence trying to put them in "their places" in their domestic jobs at home.
• Media influence has stigmatized transnational families through biased reports. These reports have created an image of abandonment and exaggerated suffering of the children of these families.
• Men also have responsibilities in the family. The gendered roles of giving emotional care does not only fall on women. Gender egalitarian views place accountability of care not only on mothers, but on fathers as well. In addition, roles of motherhood and fatherhood should be seen as both providing for the children.

Questions & Quotes:

1. How much power should the media play in portraying the effects of these transnational families? Should there be some regulation to the media, and who would be in charge of regulating?
2. How is migration gendered in this article? Who should be allowed to migrate?
3. After reading the narratives of those who are part of transnational families, who is strained the most? Is it fair for women to leave their children behind?
4. Seemingly, why is there no attention to fathers taking responsibility while their wives are gone?

"If we want to secure quality care for the children of transnational families, gender egalitarian views of child rearing are essential…Gender should be recognized as a fluid social category, and masculinity should be redefined, as the larger society questions the biologically based assumption that only women have the aptitude to provide care." (423)

"Moreover, calling for the return migration of women does not necessarily solve the problems plaguing the families in the Philippines. Domestic violence and male infidelity, for intance -- two social problems the government has never adequately addressed -- would still threaten the well-being of children." (423)

WST200 Midterm Assignment

Part I:

Source One: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2007/4/absolut-pregnant-man.jpg

In Absolut Vodka's "In an Absolut World" advertisements, the company asserts their power by claiming to be able to make a person's dreamworld. In this specific advertisement, they are portraying the ideal world for a woman. Although gender roles have evolved over the years, stereotypes still exist. Women have the expectation to be the care-givers because they are biologically built to carry children and are assumed to have that motherly instinct. On the other hand, men have the expectation to be the bread winners and thus the head of the household. In this world, the men have the upper hand. In the dream world this company creates, the gendered roles switch. Men are the care-givers and the women are the bread winners. The power shifts in favor of women. The woman in the image is significantly happier than the man who has a rather stern look on his face. We assume the man feels a burden with the heavy weight of child breaing while the woman is happier with her choice to wear whatever she wishes and drink whatever she wishes. This can be seen as a spin on the nuclear family. There is a mother, father, and child in what we assume a white upper middle class suburban neighborhood based on their appearances. The woman labors at the workplace while the man presumably labors at domestic chores. Are the terms "mother" and "father" the same although the roles have switched? Do men finally feel what women have felt for centuries? Perhaps, in an Absolut world.

Source Two: http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/absolutperfect.preview.jpg

Another one of Absolut Vodka's advertisements in their "In an Absolut World" series is this image. The woman seems to have ordered the "perfect" male who is strong, smart, romantic, talented and professional. It seems to portray the iamge that women aren't capable of being independent and seek the company of a man who can be what she perhaps lacks. The image does not show how women can be strong on their own. The power is still in men's hands because they are the ones who women are searching for. On the other hand, the image also treats men as commodities that can be ordered and delivered to the front door.

Source Three: http://www.highsnobiety.com/uploads/RTEmagicC_nascover.jpg.jpg

Controversy was stirred up when the image of Nas' shirtless back appeared on the cover of his album. The lash markings on his back are in reference to slavery and the mistreatment of slaves by their owners. This is part of labor history in the United States. Many slaves wer transported from Africa to the Americas as commodities, not even thought of as humans, yet rather as mere objects. The power was not in the slaves' hands, but the hands of the owners who were the cause of the lash markings. This image is a bold statement of the history of African Americans in the United States, how this history has laid foundation for our country, and where we have come thus far.

Source Four: http://www.rebeccawilsonlundin.com/TWTPortfolio/Benetton.jpg

The powers between light and dark are linked in this image by Benetton. The image shows a balanced power between black and white under the forces of the law. The cuffs on the hands of these men assert the equality between the two. The uniformed clothing of the two men gives a sense of one-ness despite the pre-existing color binaries. Overall, this print advertisement asserts the equality in humanity despite the binaries created thus far.