5/11 Kurup & Lowe

In Immigrant Acts, Lowe discusses the terms that define Asian American culture and  how it establishes a rigid, hegemonic nature. There are multiple factors that go into shaping the Asian American experiences, besides the general notions of hierarchal, familial, dominant, or minority. The Asian American identity is constantly shifting and stemmed from a historical context of a intermingling of cultural identities, ideas, manners, and more. Professor Maira explained in class regarding her writing Alien Encounters, cultural authenticity is hard to establish when taking into consideration the idea of "polyculturalism". Culture is not singular, but is historically mixed because of a history of trade and miggration. There is a blur of cultural boundaries. As for the Asian American identity, there is a need to retain cultural authenticity, but identity is fluid and ever-changing.

In Assimilation, there are multiple narratives that define different experiences of resisting  or allowing assimilation in America. All of the narratives showcased distinct occurences that happen to many people of color in America. Also, the narratives reveal the stark social, political, and cultural differences, as well as the negative racialization and fetishization that many folks have to deal with when coming to in America. I can resonate with these narratives in some forms because my identity is often invisiblized or fetishized .