5/9 Maira Sunaina, Edward Said

Both Maira’s and Said’s article revolve around the idea of “orientalism.” Orientalism to Said is defined as “the study of the great Asiatic mystery, which includes Arab, Indian, Japanese, and Chinese civilizations.” It is a style of thought that clearly states the distinction between the “Orient” and the “Occident.” Maira’s article speaks of how non-South Asian women in America are seen to adapt a trend called Indo-Chic. The influences of different cultures are seen to bounce back and forth with each other can relate to the previous article in which speaks directly about Vietnam Idol and how it takes concepts of American culture. I personally have been very consumed by American culture and thinking to the point where my Taiwanese entity is starting to fade. The power of how the people around us take other cultures into their lives is powerful because it allows these ideas to spread. We can see how people in the United States take in other cultures such as Asian cultures. We see Asian culture impact our society though trends such as KPOP, food, religion, etc. I personally think it is important for people to learn about different customs and cultures because ideas like orientalism are what help people show some form of representation.