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Notebook 5

This entire class as a whole has been a really good experience for me and has personally developed some new ways of thinking about society critically. At first it seemed like this class would just be another obstacle in the way of getting my degree, one that I didn’t care about or had no interest in being super involved with. That is not to say that I didn't agree with the motives, but more so that I would just be bored by them. To my surprise, and I’m sure many of my classmates, this class was more than just one we had to get through. It was a growing experience. The ‘zine sounded ridiculous at first because for me, I always have really good intentions of working hard on a creative project and making something really well thought out, but for some reason they never turn out how I intended them too. I felt that this would be the same scenario. That I would work on this project and just turn it in like it meant nothing to me to create it. The ‘zine however, ended up being very personal and though time consuming, one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on. I’ve never had the chance to express what really interests me, and this project really gave me an opportunity to convey something that holds a very important part of my life.  I have thought about my project a lot before I even knew that it would one day be an assignment, but never to the point where I was critically analyzing aspects of culture through class. A research assignment, to get a better understanding of societal norms and subliminal appropriations that I had never realized existed. Not only did this assignment, and class, teach me new ways of looking at my surroundings, but also how to do practical things such as research on a topic and how to write in my own voice rather than the one I believe other people want to here. I guess that is a big part of why I enjoyed it, was because it was an individual effort, and taught us to embrace our differences and listen to what other people has to say about a certain topic. This class as a whole has taught me more than any math or physics class could and I really enjoyed broadening my interests along the way.

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1st draft of 'zine

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The whole point of this ‘zine is to show the connection between the “nem nuong” as a symbolic representation of the Vietnamese diaspora into the U.S, specifically in refugee areas such as Little Saigon. The main focus is surrounded how this type of food cultivates and follows the culture of the Vietnamese and provides a sense of community amongst those who have been displaced. The ‘zine looks like it will be interesting in the sense that wasn’t picked at random, but has significant value to your culture and shows some insight into what it looks like to be a refugee in the U.S.

(Image 1) This quote by Andrew Lam identifies the struggle of coming as an immigrant to the U.S, but gives a powerful motive of community not only amongst other refugees, but as an American. We are built on the backs of immigrants so their struggle is our struggle. Even in recent times with out president elect making some… choice decisions, we still fight for the betterment of others and equality for all. This could be incorporated to the theme of the recent drops in Vietnamese immigrants access to citizenship. 

With further reading about the subject, one line that struck me was “Camp newsletters and refugee pamphlets with names like New Life and New Horizon provided lessons on “American Ways” of body language, conversation, and customs. They stated that the best way to express gratitude for America’s generosity was to assimilate into the new society.” (Phuong Nguyen). It really speaks to how the U.S treated the situation, especially in the assumption that everyone would gladly come to America and leave their ideals/culture behind. It seems like a very “American” thing to try to get other cultures to assimilate to what is perceived as “white culture” and get rid of values.

(Image 2)  This photo of Vietnamese refugees arriving in the U.S shows the look of confusion as they step into a foreign land. They will have to assimilate, and fend for themselves to succeed in a new way of life.

The intersectional analysis of Asian-Americans as the “model-minority” group is really sound and well thought out. It could use a few more examples as to what made them models, and in relation to Black-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. It provides some context into different minority groups instead of grouping all Asian-American minorities.

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The start to a cover

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Black in America

http://makemag.com/in-the-wake/

Notebook 3

My object is still highly focused on the djembe drum, however I’ve found so far that it is much easier to write about it’s influences in other subjects rather than solely talking about the drum. My main national point continues to be circulations of blackness and the effects of black culture in our society.

I was going to change my object to the song “The Blacker the Berry” by Kendrick Lamar, but I figured I could make the same sort of analysis and connections but finding the relevance of the djembe drum on the song, and as a result, issues in the U.S. Kendrick proves his genius yet again over a simple boom-bap beat on this song. With the djembe influences all throughout the song, and Kendrick’s social ties to racial injustice and “being woke”, this art piece is a big part of how he interprets hypocrisy through the black community. With lines like “I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015, once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean” in the beginning of the song it is unclear what he is trying to say by being a hypocrite, and is left to interpretation by the listener. The very last line of the song however make it clear that Kendrick sees a different side to this hypocrisy. He mentions how he grieves over Trayvon Martin but has killed another black man as well. This line takes an entire different take than the rest of the song in saying the moral decision to take a man's life is complex and and the very people who are in outrage of the killings of black people in the U.S are also contributing to the hurt.

The djembe drum has had major impacts on the hip-hop/rap world in how sounds are created, and how rhymes flow over a beat. With this branded a new culture in the U.S., one in which gained more and more popularity as time has gone and has picked up such high momentum that there are hints of it in most genres now. The after effects of this new culture are present in the “popular” mainstream now and many people embrace the black culture with no intentions on keeping it around. There are some who partake in the active fight for equality in black America, but the majority love to take part in what’s popular and not the importance of why these lyricists are talking about how bad the life of a black person in white America can be. The perpetual fear of losing one’s life for walking down the street or being put in prisons as a crime of being black are everyday realities. This doesn’t discount those who are trying to help the cause, but this music/lifestyle has created a way for black Americans to find a way out with all of the force from institutions doing their best to keep them in. Resistance is key, and changing minds one at a time will eventually cause an outcry that these institutions can no longer ignore.

https://genius.com/4869068

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The Blacker the Berry

Notebook 2

I really didn’t make any big changes on my object or the trans-national focus I am using. The setting for “djembe” starts in Western Africa during the Mali Empire and leads all the way into 1970’s New York. My actual line of thinking for this connection is how the djembe drum has influenced modern hip-hop/rap music and culture in the U.S. as well as referencing circulations of blackness and society. The djembe acts as a rebellious device for slaves in the South. Not only were they not allowed to use the instrument, but any notion of community singing of hymns and dancing was strongly discouraged. Black people in the U.S were slaves and property to their masters. The term “African-American” really doesn’t even apply in this context because the notion that they were American is completely false. They were objects, tools to be used for a capitalist country that’s only concern when a slave died was how much money they lost. This idea that slaves were used as tools gives the intersectional idea that there was no gender. Women and men alike were expected to work the same, be treated the same, and be punished exactly the same. The only difference in this analysis is the women wore used as sex slaves, forced to bear children every two and a half years for their slave masters to gain more slaves without spending more money. All of this pain however, lead to the birth of a new culture for black people in America that some years later would start to have an influence on everything popular from music, to fashion in the American eye. The djembe plays a vital role in modern hip-hop/rap music in that the style of the beat is derived from it as well as the rapping portion. One notable example of its influence is in the song “The Blacker the Berry” by Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick flows over a simple beat with a traditional African sound and speaks on life as an “African-American” as well as social issues in the present day. One of the lines from this song is “You hate me don’t you? You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture”. From this line he is describing the “White” view on popular culture. The music, the slang, the fashion is all loved by the populace, but envied and hated simultaneously for not being a “white” creation. Another one of his lines from the song states “Institutionalized manipulation and lies, reciprocation of freedom only lives in your eyes, you hate me don’t you?”. This is a direct engagement to those who believe we now live in a post-racial society, that believe racism doesn’t exist and to try and combat it is unnecessary. To sit back and take in all of this culture, while also turning one’s head to the social issues that are presented in rap music is hypocritical to the highest degree.

https://blogs.uw.edu/ses9/hstcmp-358-spring-2015/body-for-trade/traditional-gender-roles-and-slavery/

https://genius.com/4869539

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Djembe

http://www.africaresource.com/arts-a-culture/hip-hop/217-hip-hop-black-cultural-expressions-with-roots-in-africa

Notebook 1

Music serves as a way to express ourselves as individuals, cultures, nations, and is present in our everyday lives. It connects us as humans, and though language is present in most situations surrounding music, the melodies and inspiration from which it comes from has no barrier. The “djembe” drum, (which translates to “everyone gather together in peace”), is derived from West Africa and has been dated back to 1200 A.D. It was originally used in the Mali Empire, but due to its widespread attraction was dispersed all throughout Africa. It has ties to traditional dances in Africa such as the Diansa which is still practiced today. The instrument serves as so much more than just a drum, but as a way of life. It is used in every ceremony and is seen as an emotional connection to these celebrations as it is played during birth, funerals, weddings, and so on. The djembe isn’t just a sound as some instruments are, but a feeling. The heavy bass that is played moves through one’s body and when complimented by its high notes, makes dancing almost a necessity. The two main connections the djembe makes is to the Circulation of Blackness, and Citizenship. As said before, it is used during ceremonies and acts as a way of life. Included in that way of life comes all the pain and mistreatment as well. Take this example for instance, it’s 1789 and you’ve been kidnapped from your home and sent to live as a slave in the U.S. It wasn’t long before slave masters realized the significance and connection that the playing of the djembe has caused and quickly banned it. African slaves however decided that for the time, beating on their chests and hymns would have to suffice. The same beats that this drum had back in Africa was now a form of rebellion and community in the U.S. This deep-rooted community would have to wait some time before they were able to play the djembe again, but it’s influence was still essential to their daily lives. This instrument was later vital to the creation of genres such as Jazz and Rock. Fast forward to the early 1970’s where the birth of hip-hop started. The beat of this once “ancient” drum was replicated often to rhyme over as new “emcees” started to emerge. The question of what it meant to be a “citizen” was often in the poetry and social issues were almost always the subject. These new sounds were a way to express the lives of many Black people in the U.S at the time as race relations were still shaky. This genre was not just a type of music, but a culture. From it stemmed new fashion icons, slang, and media. As it started to get more popular, it was no longer just Black Americans that this music represented, but inner-city kids to the popular media outlets.

http://blog.africaimports.com/wordpress/2009/02/the-importance-of-drums-in-african-tradition/

http://www.music-mosaic.com/articles/african-drum-music.htm

http://www.jamplay.com/articles/1-general/161-the-powerful-influence-of-african-culture-on-modern-music

http://revive-music.com/2011/07/05/evolution-of-the-instrument-djembe/#.WIqVzFMrLIU

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710011449.html