4/25 Monkey Dance Film Response


In the film Monkey Dance, we are shown a lot of Asian-American families who are living in communities of poverty. By living in these lower-class communities, we can see first generation Asian-Americans fall victim to gang violence, crime, drugs, etc. By living in these communities, we also see how much parents give up for their children because they do not want their children to live the lives they had to back in the home country. A lot of these Asian families are built on pride for their family. By bringing pride to their family, they get a good name within their community and other relatives. We see the Asian-Americans in the film acting in forms of resistance who also try to bring a good name in their family. One example is how the girl works extra hard in school and dance in order to carry her family’s name after her sister was sent to jail for murder which according to the girl, the parents were shamed and looked down upon. By dancing and working hard, she resists the pressure put on by other people in her community of seeing her as a failure or someone who won’t graduate. The film tackles many ideas of resistance in a way that gives themselves a good name and also their families as well.

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