A Mix of Two

In Orientalism Edward Said describes Orientalism as the patronizing view the West, specifically America, takes on the East. After analyzing the argument, I realized that myself and many of my peers are guilty of the same attitude. All too often, we view the United States as the center of the world and the place to be. There is often a blatant disregard for other's cultures and when different cultures are brought in, they are "Americanized". Miles provided a great example in class about Disney world and how Eastern culture is brought into Epcot. Throughout this experience I cannot help but think of my aunt.

My aunt is Japanese and married into my family. She taught me how to make Sushi and other aspects of Japanese culture. However what sticks with me the most are the stories she tells about her mother. Her mother was forced into a Japanese internment camp located here in the United States. My aunt tells me about how the camp was located at a racetrack and how the conditions were absolutely horrible. She ended up getting married to an American soldier who rescued her from the camp. This had a unique impact on my aunt's childhood. It was constantly split between Japanese culture and American culture. She was able to hear about political conflict from many different perspectives as well. I thought that this story really connected to Said's argument and the discussions we had in class. Everyone has a different perspective and a different story to tell and that absolutely fascinates me.