Kimberly Pariyavanh

ASA 02, A03

22 November 2015

Blog 10

Response to “Teaching Justice and Living Peace: Body, Sexuality, and Religious Education in Asian-American Communities”

            Before reading this article I was already familiar with some of the Confucian values related to what it meant to be a “good wife”. I never thought that a woman’s sexuality could be controlled or the property of her future husband. I did not think that one’s sexuality mattered to anyone else. After reading that it contributes to the maintenance of the patriarchal control, it made sense as to why the virginity of a daughter would be highly valued.

            It was also interesting to read that in Asian-American communities, sexual and ethnic identities are often thought of as different.  I did not realize that this separation existed. After reading the article, I can see why it would be beneficial to have discussions on these topics, although it may feel a bit intrusive, awkward, and difficult. The sexual aspect of the human is normal and it would probably be detrimental to act as if it did not exist. I would hope that these discussions can become more accessible and that the Asian-American community can become more open-minded towards it.

Question: If sexual and ethnic identities are though of as two separate components, are there any cases of Asian-American parents opposing sexual education being taught in schools?