Thursday, April 24, 2014

Entry 5: Empire of Death

Sean Guntvedt
A07


The "Empire of Death" was perhaps one of the most uncomfortable articles I have had to read in a while; serial killers and the vivid details of their motives, I guess you can say is not my cup of tea. However, if there was one thing that I was somewhat pleased to learn about in reading this essay, it was the observation that war overseas has significant repercussions to the mainland of the US—specifically consequences which perpetuate racist attitudes and objectification of certain peoples. Hamamoto, the author, brings up several accounts where veterans serving in conflicts across Asia return to America along with their convoluted perspective toward Asian people. I found Sergeant Reeve’s story among the vilest. I specifically find it difficult to believe how seemingly “human” individuals can somehow lose their humanity even when returning to society.
           
            Though many cases are not as appalling as that of Sergeant Reeve’s, Asian Americans still might be affected by the aftershocks of the Vietnam and Korean wars. Day Above Ground’s music video, “Asian Girlz,” sparked controversy through its objectification of oriental women. War might not be the medium for pervading racism toward Asian people these days, but America’s penchant for the Internet certainly poses a problem when satirical videos, like these, go viral and spread at an alarming rate.

Questions: Where do you see racism against Asian Americans covertly spread these days? How can you combat this?

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