LYNCHED FOR ANYTHING OR NOTHING

After emancipation, as ex-slave men/colored men were entitled to vote and some other legal rights, defending dominant-race power involved the construction of a racist discourse -- black and white masculinities and feminities through “the language of body”.  By identifying black male sexuality as dangerous to white womanhood, it began a dreadful period of lynching and radicalism against black men.  According to what we learn from previous chapters in Through Women’s Eyes, we acknowledge that interracial marriage was forbidden by social authorities during those eras.   Any sexual contacts between black men and white women were strictly monitored and disciplined; however those white men who involved with black women were overlooked. From my own perspective and through reading the Red Record, lynching was a way for white society to show their disapproval and their way to “talk back” to a “mess” of social order.  Wells-Barnett through the Red Record also mentioned that lynching’s main victims was African American men, colored men who were worthy of kindness and protection. When we think of lynching, we usually think of evil, dangerous person who harms other people physically, however according to the Red Record, these poor colored men was lynched for everything “anything or nothing”. They were lynched for stealing hogs, for wife beating, for a quarrel, even for no offense. Just because those poor belonged to minority society, just because of their races, they couldn’t prove for their innocent, and their precious life was totally ignored.

Prostitution in New York City, 1858

Definitely there will be someone out there who would argue that it is women’s responsible for their entry into prostitution. It’s their body, either they take control of it or get loose, however I agree with Sanger that it highly unlikely that women ever are responsible, but there are more that pushes women into that path. One of most visible reason is economic issues. Money is scary; lack of financial support could really turn an angel to devil in just a snap of finger. I have seen a lot of news regarding prostitution in Asia countries, mostly in India and Thailand; parents would sell their children into prostitution for money and many devoted daughters would sell themselves in order to help their money and take care of their parent.

 When people meet the barrier between life and survival; pride, self, or reputation don’t mean anything. In the document Prostitution in New York City, 1858, Sanger also mentioned a similar story a woman who got no money but rents, bills and many more to pay. Under these circumstances, there is no POSITIVE way for her to turn but sold her body.

There will be no prostitution if no one BUYS it. I don’t want to put the blame on men; however that is how I feel. There always is a cause and effect; if there is no demand, there will no supply. Sanger also stated “man is the aggressive animal, so far as sexual desire is involved” (pg. 221), it is injustice to put all the blame on women. Excluding those women who enjoy doing prostitution, women are the victim due to lack of financial prospects or other reasons. No one wants to live and work as prostitute, they all wish to have stable life with their love ones, but then again life is unpredictable and biased and could really force someone into dangerous track; hence it will be rational to look at them and understand them with kindly heart.

Gendering Images of Revolution

“Women could make noise that no sound would be heard” women’s role in the revolutionary era was to stay as housewife, husband’s shadow and they were not supposed to involve in political events. , “a Society of Patriotic Ladies” (1774) was painted to ridicule American protest’s credibility by proposing that those women had neglected their job as being a woman and since they “weren't” ladylike, their proposal were just meaningless. It would give a totally different emotion if men were painted in the picture instead of women. It would reassure the message since men were meant to be a controller/stronger gender and it was their “job” and English people would feel more threaten by it.

Women weren't supposed to bear arms, however in this picture “Miss Fanny’s Maid” it was totally against that idea. We don’t know whether it was a true woman or cross-dressing, from my own perspective, it showed how determined it was for Britain regarding the fight between two countries. Women as a weaker gene would readily support and join the army if the country needs them.  I think it was a good method to boost British army’s willpower and alert their enemy. If man was used in this picture, it wouldn't give the same effect because it was a norm for man to join army.

 During the war time, everyone suffered, however I feel woman was the one suffered the most; they gave up their man, their son, their brothers and their dad to country. As we know, the love of a woman are eternity and they would do anything to protect their son and their family. The picture “banner of Washington’s Life Guard” showed the strong bond/ teamwork, reliance between the commander and his military men (the woman). His military men would always their for him, be his body guard, love and trust his word and would sacrifice for him.

It was nice to put an image of woman instead of man to show the strong-bond between General Washington and his followers. Since man is known for insensitive (stereotype), and lack of emotion. It wouldn't show the feeling to attachment and the affection/friendship between two men aren't comparable with the relationship between a woman with her man, or her son/ her dad.  

As I have mentioned above, Britain “obeyed” the norm as undermining women’s work, however the Union-America used woman as in the picture to show the liberty. What is the liberty? It is a freedom. In my opinion, woman was used as a figure to reflect the Union’s unique value and will earn the freedom from Britain with their own uniqueness. 

White woman was a free-man however SHE was treated as a slave with all the inequalities, no voice and no involvement in everything. The message that I see from this image is, woman, she broke out from that model, trying to teach others to be like her, encourage these African-American to have better live, and teach them how to achieve that goal.

European Images of Native American Women

According to what I read from other sources, in most Native cultures, Native women were considered equal to men. Even though, Native societies was the sexual division of labor; Native women were respected and valued for their contribution.  Because it was a culture where men and women created equally, Native women engaged and participated in term of helping the survival of family. Their knowledge, their skill to find/reserve sustenance and their voice in family matters was all appreciated.

It also was a culture where women were in charge for educating the future generation. “She” was responsible to past down the practice/custom, knowledge and keep the tradition move on 

 It was a good place for women to live until the Europeans came and “awake” America

“American Natives were uncivilized, barbaric, and cannibalistic” (pg.37) and chose to portray a New World as a woman—European society and values about women were very “modern” (woman was to be a subject to serve man, powerless, inferior, etc.).  These were a promotion, self-supportive to chase, take over other’s place.  With the invasion from Europeans, the life of Native Americans became dark, especially Native women.  From the culture where they were respected, they struggled with sexism, even with her own people, thanks to the influence from European’s culture of the past.  “Woman and man do not created EQUALLY” Native women all of sudden sat at the bottom of the social hierarchy. They got abuse from man, and had no voice whatsoever in politic matters

Blues music and Janis Joplin

What do Chinese’s fortune cookie and blues music have in common?
Both carry the hope for the future and a way to express misfortune, inequality and regret of both early Chinese immigrants and African-American in the 19th century. To anyone’s knowledge, there is a similar/intertwined between Blues and Jazz music; some even argued that Blues was just another form of Jazz, It's understandable that people would get the wrong idea and assume since the birth of the Blues was not far away from the Jazz’s, in the Mississippi Delta which just upriver from New Orleans. When we think of blues, usually the feeling of sadness is the first thing that comes to mind for instance, blue day, blue relationship, etc., undeniably it’s a right expression for the Blues music. EX-slave and the descendants of slave whom invented the Blues sang blues to express their sadness; it’s obviously that we could learn more about African-American stories/lives through Blues music than any all word, huge history books, however they didn’t just sing it to feel it, but they sang Blues as the way to overcome those misfortunes (consider to release stress), hence the Blues is more upbeat with drum, revivalist hymns, and country dance music.

As much as Blues music to African-American, it was also Janis Joplin's way to express her feeling and a way to speak out for herself. I think a lot of beauty and pain in her voice got to do with all she went through as a young person growing up, for example she was voted in high school as an ugliest guy on campus and many more incidents; Janis Joplin put it into music which we can really hear her stories through her songs.

SNL Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin

What do black and white share in common (not racist way)?

Both are color (obviously) and it tends to go with anything. Usually we have a habit of/like to look at the differences between objects or people but not as a “similarity”, however that “similarity’ tend to be a problem/topic that we need to focus on. The skit about Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin (SNL) is one of those examples.  They are running for President/Vice President, using different campaigns with different objectives/ideals to serve the country.  I find it interesting to see them standing side by side and mocking each other, using the stereotypes that people give it to them to address the sexism in presidency campaign. While Sarah Palin shows her female role and identity by dressing/acting in feminism, Hillary Clinton is more like independent/masculine type of candidate who would fight for equality if others refer her as week woman. No matter what media portrayed them, either a serious politician who would put politics on top of everything or a lovely, supportive housewife, Sarah Palin, I feel powerful as more women are engaging in politics, hopefully we will have female president like South Korea and other countries in the near future.

American Women in the World

Globalization : “the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets.”  (Merriam-Webster). At some points, globalization has been good, also considered downside to women. Obviously, globalization has created many jobs for women. Women worldwide could keep in touch and get closer to each other through the advance technology and communication, which also help to reduce the unfairness and the isolation. However globalization has increased the distance and inequality among women as well.

“The benefits and human costs of these exchanges are distributed unevenly, both among nations and within them,” (pg.789) today there is hot topic regarding business’s ETHIC, in order to gain more profit and revenue, many of the manufacturing jobs have moved and located in a cheaper foreign market such as Asia and Latin America. These poor women have to work under a worst working condition as they work for long hours and get paid for less than $ 1 per hour, with no benefits or insurance while U.S or other “rich” nations, women enjoy their goods and benefits from work with more than $ 10 per hour.

however there is what called TEAMWORK or FIGHT OR FLIGHT actions when someone couldn't take the bully anymore. Many of Latinas and Asians women have stood up for justice and voice their concern to world; at the result, working condition gets better and women at these developing countries seriously have upgraded a lot.