Homage to Exotica
This past week, through Deverell’s Whitewashed Adobe, we have been delving deep into the raging violence brought to by America’s expansion and the subjugation of the Mexican-Americans by the Anglo-Americans. More specifically, we discussed how the Anglo-Americans quickly outnumbered and schlepped the Mexican population into one deeply diminished cultural space. The line between Mexico and America remained blurry with faint distinctions of what is “ours” versus what is “theirs.” The Anglo-Americans wished to transform Los Angeles from an agrarian, Spanish-speaking town to an industrialized, predominantly White city.
In this first chapter, we also read about Mr. and Mrs. Los Angeles, an “ideal” 1920s couple, who thinks about California’s past through the midst of romance and loves to go to Olvera Street “for the hilarities of Cinco de Mayo.” I suppose I am wondering when their views shift from anti-Mexican to admiringly viewing the “ancient era of Mexican California shimmering with romance” to something that they want to experience firsthand, and why is that?
Rather than having an “us” and “them” mentality, we have come to an understanding of our shared identity: our Los Angeles identity. Why are people curious to know more about minority culture and how our cultures coincide? We strive to look at the similarities between cultures rather than the differences. Coming from Chinese descent, my mother used to tell me how people used to call her an “oriental” and how she was found to be attractive because she was an “exotic beauty.” However, around the time that she was in high school or going to college the use of “oriental” and the idea behind Asian women being “attractive” solely for their foreign roots became no longer politically correct due to obvious reasons. At what point does minority culture transform from something exotic and extra-terrestrial to something that is part of the shared Los Angeles identity and why does this happen?
I think that the transformation of a culture from the “other” to becoming apart of the wider cultural fabric of a place, in this case LA, has increased in the modern era compared to any other point in history. Unlike the 1920s in the 2000’s the internet and its wide spread adoption has allowed many people to share their personal ethnic, sexual, gender, or regional cultures with the world much easier. The only difference between a minority culture and a majority one is in my opinion the differences between them. Eventually the differences in a minority culture are seen as new elements that are not present in a majority one, and as a result the majority culture often picks and chooses the aspects of a minority culture and adopts them. In the 1920’s it was Olvera street and Cinco de Mayo as a destination, in the 1990’s it was N.W.A sharing an unseen part of Compton to the rest of LA and the US, and today the list of things that are absorbed, consumed, and taken by popular culture is so long I dont think I could write them all.
ReplyDeleteA person is no longer an "other" when they are understood. By creating spaces in which someone can immerse themselves in a culture they are unfamiliar with, they can begin to gain compassion and acceptance towards people of that culture. As immigrant groups moves to America, they too want to eliminate the alienating title of "other" placed upon them. By showcasing their cultures in ways that others can interact with, outsider groups can soon become part of the inside. "The grass is always greener on the other side" is a saying that perfectly reveals human nature. Humans are curious creatures, and want to experience all aspects of life. When romanticized depictions of cultures are brought to the public eye, people want to immerse themselves in those cultures to quench their curiosity. They want to see how great, wonderful, new, and magical life can be. After a while of presenting new cultures, the cultures soon become old. Those cultures are no longer a strange, otherworldly idea. They are no longer myths or legends. The magical cloak around alien cultures is soon taken off. The cultures become part of the larger culture that is the Los Angeles identity. Time can make anything no longer special.
ReplyDeleteBecause I am part of the cultural majority in Los Angeles, I find it difficult to comment on this question as obviously it is decisions made by people of my cultural identity in the past that have created problems with cultural appropriation. As such, I feel as though any opinion I give would essentially be doing the same thing: a white person deciding what cultural elements are acceptable to co-opt, and which are not. However, I will try my best to answer the question. To be frank, I think minority culture shifts from something exotic to something normalized when the Anglo-Americans decide it is worthy of being co-opted. Obviously, this evaluation of “worth” is meaningless and arbitrary, though it happens nonetheless. When Anglo-Americans decide that there is a part of a minority culture with which they would like to participate, it feels as though they “neutralize” that cultural element in order to themselves not feel or be perceived as exotic when they decide to take ownership of it. I do concede that on some level, this may be a true move towards interculturalism, however, historically, things have not been that innocent. Especially when we discuss the “intercultural engagement” that arose from the 1920s, I think we have to admit that this was not primarily an act on behalf of the Anglo-Americans to try and encourage multiculturalism. Based on everything we have discussed in class, I am not sure that a “shared Los Angeles” identity should be the end goal. I think we should instead aim for understanding and acceptance rooted in respect and knowledge, rather than one homogenous culture.
ReplyDeletePeople tend to follow the interests of the masses and I think the media can play a crucial role in swaying peoples opinions. In the early 1920s, it was harder for news to spread than it is today, so once someone formed an opinion, it would take much longer to refute that opinion and develop a new one. Once Mr. and Mrs. Los Angeles jumped on the anti-Mexican bandwagon, they could not jump off until it was deemed “socially acceptable” by the news and their neighbors to appreciate the Mexicans and their culture. However, I’m not sure how the news and the neighbors transitioned. I think people are curious about minority culture because it is usually something different from their own or it is different than one that is constantly being represented in society. When something is being said over and over, people tend to get bored. But when that is switched up and something new is being said, people tend to pay more attention. People like to look for things they have in common with others. People find comfort in something they already know or recognize when they are experiencing something new or unknown. I don’t know if there is a specific point in time where minority culture transforms from something exotic to something that is part of the shared Los Angeles identity, but I think part of the transition may come when it is realized that everyone shares at least one thing in common with someone else. People share a lot more in common with others than they originally think.
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ReplyDeleteEven though some white Angeleno’s started viewing Mexican-American culture and traditions as something they want to experience firsthand, that didn’t stop them from discriminating against people of Mexican descent. In other words, I don’t believe their views ever shifted from anti-Mexican. I believe that some white Americans just started gravitating toward Mexican culture and traditions because they viewed it as aesthetic.
I think people are curious to learn more about minority culture and how our cultures coincide because learning about other cultures is enriching. Learning about different cultures brings everyone closer together and creates solidarity.
I believe that minority culture transforms from something “extra-terrestrial” to something that is part of the shared Los Angeles identity once it becomes more mainstream. This process can occur when people meet people from specific cultures and get to learn more about their culture. I think this happens because it is natural for humans to be curious and want to learn more about other people’s cultures.
I agree with Aidan in that a given culture loses its "exotic" label once it is understood by the majority of people. To me, when someone calls something or someone exotic, their use of the word seems mostly out of confusion. When people don't comprehend what someone's values are, they can't truly form a complex opinion about them; therefore, that person judges them based on the fact that they can't seem to be understood. When society labels something exotic, they have never seen it before-- they are not comfortable with it. For some, this is why people are curious to learn more about various minority cultures. In an effort to gain some kind of understanding of the culture, some people will immerse themselves in it. With this immersion eventually will come some feeling of familiarity and the loss of the "exotic" label. For others, however, the presence of something exotic will drive them away. So that people can stay within their comfort zone in their bubble, "exotic" people, often newly immigrated communities, will be shunned and ignored simply because of the unique and unfamiliar qualities they possess.
ReplyDeleteBeing a 6th generation Angeleno of Mexican descent, I have toiled with the American (and LA) opinion of Mexican culture since I was first able to comprehend it. I have yet to definitively discover why people in Southern California view Mexican (and Latin American) culture in fragments. What I mean by this is that I feel as though there are aspects of my culture that people find appealing, and others that people find odd, even dangerous. For example, people tend to love Mexican food. Of course to me, its just food. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas and meat & veggie bowls have become as mainstream as burgers and fries around here. On the other hand, because of local history, people appear to be afraid of the white-shirted hispanic male walking down the street. It was not until around sophomore year that I discovered why I retreat to the grass if somebody is walking in the other direction on the sidewalk, why I always stand as far away as possible from others in tight settings such as elevators, and why I never have my hands concealed in public: to make sure that the (white) people around me don't feel afraid of me. Why Angelenos have chosen to pick apart which parts of my culture they respect and which ones they don't continues to baffle me. As far as peoples interest in learning about other cultures - it seems perfectly natural to me. Human beings are, by nature, explorative and curious. It makes sense to me that we want to learn about the lifestyles, world views, and customs observed by our peers in order to better understand them, and society as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI think at a certain point white Americans wanted to stop conquering other races and instead adopt them as a form of entertainment and tourism. Leaders in Los Angeles saw an opportunity to profit from the abundance of minorities and formed an old fashioned Epcot. I think there still was an anti-Mexican sentiment, but as long as they stayed in the areas “they belonged” they would be able to coexist. Moreover, I think this phenomenon was the case with many of the minorities during this time. Redlining would become prominent in Los Angeles, and an abundance of cultures would be detached from other sections of Los Angeles. The process of something exotic becoming commonplace in Los Angeles is difficult and opinionated. I think there’s still a prominence of people visiting places such as Chinatown and Olvera street due to it being “exotic” to their LA experience, yet to others passing through these places is an everyday experience. Who truly decides whether something is exotic to Los Angeles or not?
ReplyDeleteI would argue that Los Angeles’s reputation as a tolerant and accepting place is very new. Originally, the people inhabiting Los Angeles were very racist and discriminatory towards the Mexican population. However, especially with the new “culture” around Los Angeles along with all the social media, Los Angeles has grown into the place we all know and live in today. Due to social media, more cultures, people, and beliefs are being embedded in Los Angeles which is making Los Angeles more accepting and tolerant of everyone. Previously hesitant people are now accepting different cultures and people are gaining a new interest and desire to learn about these different cultures. The new trends are spearheaded by members of minority groups so as they grow in popularity so does the levels of acceptance and tolerance in Los Angeles. And yet, Los Angeles is still heavily populated with people containing racist and discriminatory beliefs so while minority culture is changing the overall culture in Los Angeles, not everyone is accepting this change.
ReplyDeletePeople are inherently fascinated by what is “different,” and we have seen throughout history how different ideas and cultures will initially be shoved away and then embraced when it is deemed “interesting” or “acceptable” by those in power. In the case of Mexican culture in California, in class we talked about how Mexicans were originally corralled and separated into “Mexico” within Los Angeles, then acknowledged when it was convenient to the enjoyment of Mr. and Mrs. Los Angeles. At first, I think it was less of an appreciation for culture and instead a usage of it to advertise the city itself. Today, I think that has changed, people are interested in learning about things different from themselves, but selectively. People will only learn about the components of culture they are comfortable with and they will rely on what is most readily available to do so. Because of that, only certain components of various cultures go into a collective Angeleno culture. Other parts are left out, causing a disconnect between people in Los Angeles and a lack of understanding.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick in that the internet has made knowledge of other ethnic groups more accessible, thus leading to the shift of more cultures being incorporated into the wider culture of LA. That being said, I do not think the internet has completely eliminated cultures from being labeled the “other.” In reality, the majority of a place gets to pick and choose what they want to incorporate into their lives. I think full incorporation of foreign cultures into US cities is nearly impossible because the majority gets to choose what they want to accept and what they don’t. In LA's case, I think the great food and the unique music lured white americans to “experience” Mexican culture, but in reality they only experienced the parts of Mexican culture that they could find entertainment from. I don’t think the incorporation of Mexican culture into LA came until there was such a large population of Mexicans that their culture couldn’t be ignored. I think, for the majority, people want to learn about new cultures because they want to be educated. Learning new cultures can add so many perspectives to one’s life, and I think that is why most people try to learn about new cultures. I think as the population of minority group grows, it’s “exotic” factor decreases.
ReplyDeleteI think in the historical case, people changed their mindset when they realized they could benefit from having Mexican culture in their city. I think that people in LA changed their mindset when they realized that the "other" was not a threat or a disgrace, but instead had a history that they could intellectually and emotionally benefit from. This somewhat ties back to the ramen in little tokyo discussion, and not to open that can of worms again, but I think that people historically go to experience different cultures when it is fun and easy for them, and I think the case with Olvera street in the 1920s is no different - going to visit Olvera street was simply a fun thing to do. I think in terms of when minority culture loses its "exotic" appeal, that shift happens when it is no longer abnormal to people. What may once be culturally shocking to outsiders eventually becomes assimilated and recognized as the norm, or at least close to it, so it is no longer viewed as an "other" and rather just a part of a culture that is present in LA.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I think that minority cultures become incorporated into the overall community fabric of a town or city when it is convenient and beneficial to the majority group. From our readings thus far in the course (along with miscellaneous pieces of outside knowledge I have), I have the unsettling impression that, in most cases, minorities are only accepted into a certain community once the majority group reaches a certain level of control over their minority counterparts. This control or power could manifest itself in a variety of ways, including general political clout, high social status, and financial dominance. A prime example of this pattern of majority control is the history of African-American oppression by white people in the US. From slavery, to Jim Crow, to the War on Drugs, to modern-day mass incarceration, African-Americans grew more and more “accepted” into society as time progressed but only when the people in power (mainly white people) had some mechanism to perpetuate the oppression. To me, this idea of acceptance with “prerequisites” is similar to the conversations we’ve been having in class about the general do’s and dont’s of LA cultural engagement; you can’t pick and choose when to show up, speak up for, listen to, and respect a minority group. It’s not always going to be smooth sailing for the majority of minority groups, and majority groups and the individuals that belong to them have a moral responsibility to continuously and conscientiously advocate for minority groups from a place of privilege.
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