4/27 M.K. Gandhi's and C.L.R. James's Readings

4/27 Angel Truong Journal M.K. Gandhi’s and C.L.R. James’s Readings

            The two articles provide examples of how English’s colonial power is demonstrated through their products. First, M.K. Gandhi’s reading introduces a form of cultural resistance against English colonial power. His form of cultural resistance involves having Indian people boycott English materials such as their printing press and clothing. He mentions that by untying the economic dependence between England and India, India will be free from Western’s cultural and political power. I support this form of cultural resistance because by neglecting the Western products, the Indian culture will rise through the revival of their cultural materials. Moreover, C.L.R. James’s readings reveals English cultural imperialism in the West Indies through the sport cricket. The English sport cricket dominates West Indies culture. As a person of color, cricket player C.L.R James exposes how the English sport becomes a form of power because it determines who is considered a legitimate cricket player thus creating a racial hierarchy. I found it amusing that James points out the irony of how the fight for the Caribbean’s independence is from the British sport culture itself. Therefore, both readings express how culture materials can be political and what we do with them can make a political impact as well. Reflecting upon my life, I learned that maps are a product of power because in America, maps are based on the perspectives of European Americans. Thus, by using physical and electronic maps, we assert their cultural dominance by accepting their Eurocentric views of the physical world.