Movie Monday: "Cats of Mirikitani," a film by Linda Hattendorf, 2006.

I saw this documentary several years ago and then rediscovered it again this last weekend. The messages of this film, for me, stand as an important reminder not only of significant events in American history, but also as a mirror for our preconceived notions on the stories of the countless homeless.

The film takes place mainly in Manhattan over the course of a couple years, beginning in late 2001. Tsutomu Mirikitani lives along a wall near a Korean Market on McDougal and Prince Street, creating artwork each and everyday. His mobile studio includes pens, crayons, chalk and paints, and his canvases include cardboard and scrap paper. With the events of September 11, 2001 breaking around him, he continues doing what he does best, creating memories through artwork. Shortly after 9/11, Ms. Hattendorf invites Mirikitani to stay with her for a period of time, to avoid the choking dust and debris still permeating the air around the World Trade Center site.

Over the course of the film, Hattendorf uncovers more and more details of Mirikitani’s life, including his birth in Sacramento, California and experience growing up in Hiroshima City, Japan. He returns to the US shortly after the opening of World War II. In his early twenties, and as a lawful US citizen, Mirikitani entered Tule Lake Internment Center in Northern California, where he signs a government document revoking his US citizenship. The film follows not only the story of his relationship with his new friend and documentarian Ms. Hattendorf, but also unveils some of his backstory that led to living on the streets in NYC.

The important messages of this film not only center on the plight of the mobile homeless, which continues to be an issue for social services nationwide, but also a reminder of the dark times in US history and of justice deferred. Far too easy to dismiss the internment of Japanese American citizens during WWII as history and not applicable today, one need only review the rhetoric of political demagogues against our Muslim citizens to realize such events could repeat themselves. Mirikitani expresses his anger and lingering, seething disgust at the events of World War II, and memorializes his experience in the internment camps through his artwork. He neither asks for nor wants anything from the US government, even as Ms. Hattendorf and her team work tirelessly to recover Mirikitani’s citizenship information and secure more public assistance for him in his advanced years.

The latter part of the film is lovely, as Mirikitani and Hattendorf slowly bring his story into the present moment, and realize that he is not alone in this world. Over time, family members are found and Mirikitani sees opportunity to work past what happened, and truly begin to see his life in the present moment.

Nancy Wong via WIkimedia Commons

"Janice Mirikitani in front of the International Hotel in San Francisco, January 1977"

The film is not always easy to watch, particularly at moments when Mirikitani’s cantankerous attitude aims at the filmmaker. I sometimes felt like Mirikitani didn't appreciate some of the kindnesses the filmmaker expressed, but after realizing his long history of being outside normal social channels, I feel more kindness towards his perspectives. Even though he sometimes criticizes the filmmaker’s decisions, once reprimanding her when she goes out to a movie and comes back to her apartment far later than expected, he does so because of worry and care for the young woman. Other moments legitimately made me tear up a little, particularly when the film explores recollections of the camp experience and of lives lost.

I encourage everyone to check out this film when given the chance. It is rather short and moves along at a good pace. It successfully introduces audiences to one story that helps humanize the events against Japanese American citizens during WWII that may only be known through textbooks. It also humanizes the ongoing social issues surrounding homelessness and our own personal notions of just who the homeless are.

Purchase "The Cats of Mirikitani" via Amazon

My Winning Submission: EDSA/People Power Revolution Essay Writing Contest

EDSA/ People Power Revolution Essay Writing Contest, sponsored by Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA) Inc and the Philippine Consulate of San Francisco


To My Grandparents,

How did you feel when Marcos’ government fell in 1986? What went through your mind when you heard the news? Were you happy that a regime that took so much from the people was gone? As Ilocanos, were you upset that a man who began with big promises for the people was unfairly slandered by opposition forces and unlawfully deposed? Were Ferdinand and Imelda your John and Jackie Kennedy? Were the people right in their revolution? What did your families say when they sent letters, or did they mostly ask for money? I wish I had asked before you went to God’s side. I knew of you, and spent time with you, but never had the chance to really know you. I was so young, and knew nothing of death. I felt you would be around for a long time.

I wish I could have asked you about your life in the Philippines. As a young child, I never learned about our Filipino culture and our Ilocano language. Now that you are both gone, I’ll never be able to recapture your unique stories. As an adult, I can now read about the conditions Filipinos faced in early twentieth century America. Having read America is in the Heart, I can imagine a little of what you, lolo, went through on your journey to Hawaii and California. Did you, like so many pinoys, come to the United States in hopes of a better life? Did you see so little opportunity in your home that you felt a long voyage across the sea would open the doors for your success? What made you decide to purchase one hundred acres of Central Coast farmland with your brothers? How were you able to purchase the land, at a time when Filipinos were still looked at with suspicion and prejudice? So many questions, and yet so few answers.

How did you feel about your children? Were they raised to be wholly American, with so little expression or knowledge of their Filipino heritage? I know among many immigrant parents it was better to cultivate the American culture, in order to assimilate more completely, and draw less attention from the government officials who tried to expel “illegal” workers and “lawfully” exclude Filipinos from free access to all being an American national meant. Were you proud of your children? Did you feel, as so many parents do, that there was more you could have done to make them even more successful?

How did you feel about me? A third­-generation Filipino American with so little knowledge or cultural ties with our family’s Filipino culture. A young person who must rely on books, secondhand stories, and friends’ families to learn anything about our Philippines. Who knew so little that, prior to this assignment, didn’t even know what the 1986 People Power Revolution referred to? I knew who Ferdinand Marcos was, but only as a dictator who styled himself a political playboy. I knew of Imelda Marcos’ shoes.

How can I recapture that narrative which, through my and my parents’ upbringing, was so quickly lost within two generations? While I feel so blessed to have unrestricted access to a wealth of virtual resources I can use to study our culture, they are not you. They are not your individual stories. How can we; young, third and fourth generation Filipino Americans with, at times, so little connection with our Filipino heritage, recover a lost history that’s so often ignored in our American and World history courses? We must ask questions and take action.

Would you, our manongs and manangs, be proud of where we have come? We have a TV show that depicts a Filipino American family sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner without over-­the-­top stereotypes. We fought to rename a high school after two of our most prominent, but largely forgotten, labor union warriors in Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz. We produced a documentary that introduces so many of our own to the fight in Delano, and its role in the great labor battles of the twentieth century. We’ve done much but, like those who came in support of their personal values and rights as citizens on the Epifano de los Santos Avenue, there’s still much work to be done. Neither the Filipino people or we are truly free of the status quo.

Ours is not a physical conflict against an individual regime or tyrant, but a cultural struggle against anonymity in history and invisibility in society. Our conflicts are not waged in revolutionary language with great public displays, but with a quiet determination in the halls of government and behind our cameras. In speaking with you and your children, and telling or retelling the story of our people, we honor our culture and those who fight for their beliefs. We are the offspring of Filipinos, but we are also Americans. Our charge may not be to overthrow a government, but like the Revolutionaries we must change minds and hearts of others who do not know about us. We must save our cultures from disappearing into the shadows of history, lest we ourselves forget. We owe our lives to the sacrifices of men and women like you, lolo and lola. Without you, I would not be here, able to enjoy the benefits of this great country. I hope our young people are up to the challenge of honoring the lives of our grandparents and great-­grandparents, and honoring the spirit of those who fought for a better life for themselves and their families on the EDSA in 1986. Though we are in different arenas, we both fight for our right to relevancy and visibility in our national stories.

To my grandparents, I hope I made you proud. I wish we had had more time to get to know each other, and share our stories with family and food. I look forward to showing you more about my life when I see you again.

Love,
Your grandson

See Positively Filipino Magazine's article on the contest here.

Movie Monday: "Ilo Ilo," a film by Anthony Chen

This week, I wanted something that was completely different for me. I happened to find just this in Anthony Chen’s “Ilo Ilo,” a slice-of-life drama showcasing life in Singapore c. 1997, during the great economic crisis in Asia. I also reveals the dynamic between different ethnic groups within South East Asia, and hints at the relative hierarchy of each group. The relative economic differences between, say, Singapore and the Philippines is also shown through the characters’ relative situations, however it doesn’t reflect on which characters are “good” or “bad” in the traditional sense. Many of the actors are unknown to me, and likely many in Western cinema. The screen time is generously shared among the four main characters, so establishing who the “lead” is is problematic for Western audiences. Singaporean veteran actor Chen Tian Wen captures the hardships inherent as the struggling family patriarch Teck. Yeo Yann Yann plays is wife Hwee Leng, who is pregnant with a daughter and dealing with the stress of a hard marriage and a hard job. Newcomer Koh Jia Ler plays Jiale, a parent’s nightmare. A young man faced with his parents’ rocky marriage and hard life, he acts out at school and captures the challenges of any young boy learning for himself. Finally, we have Angeli Bayani playing Terry, a migrant Filipino housekeeper and maid. Bayani’s facial expressions, I think, capture the sort of “I must endure it” attitude necessary when faced with such hard choices as leaving your home for work, and the inherent, though not always obvious, prejudice against Filipinos among other South Asian groups. Many of the performances were spot on, and arguably very little could be added to improve the feel of the film. I appreciate that stereotyping wasn’t as prevalent in this film as in some American-made films, which often portray Asian characters, even in 2015, as martial arts masters, wise teachers and dragon ladies.

Jiale (Koh) is a troubled young man. He acts out at school and is constantly studying gambling odds when he should be focusing on his school lessons. His parents Teck (Chen) and Hwee Leng (Yeo) are at their wits end, finding their own stresses at work while trying to make allowances for their son. Finally, they decide to hire Teresa (Bayani), a Filipino mother looking for work in Singapore to help support her young infant son back in the Philippines. This film shows hardship piled on hardship, and helps introduce Western audiences to a different world that may be more similar than we’d think. There is good material here for looking at the ethnic hierarchies within South Asia, as well as the relative economic positions of immigrants relative to the majority. There is also just a good, quality film that is different than much of what comes out of Hollywood.

I found this film to be eye opening. Specifically, I have not seen many Singaporean films, nor have I had access to many films not made in China, Hong Kong, Korea, or Japan. It is refreshing to see films that showcase something different, without devolving into a kind of “poor me” attitude that is easy to take when showing non-Western films to Western audiences. The characters do not ask for your sympathy, but seem to say “see my endurance.” In the end, however, the human element tries to ensure we do feel for the characters, even troublemaker Jiale. Viewers will likely relate to the economic hardships the characters face, as much of the world emerges from an economic depression unseen for decades. Even when things get rough, however, the characters face their troubles as best they can.

This film is powerful, almost overly so. There were many moments where I felt “wow, I didn’t know it was like that.” The plight of Filipino immigrants trying to send money back home is a familiar situation with many Mexican immigrants looking to feed their families back home, especially here in California. This is not ancient history, or likely even history, as much as it is a reflection of what still happens today. While there is value is realizing what was during the 1997 economic downturn, analogies can be made today, and likely will apply in the future as well. Anyone interested in seeing something different (for me), and seeing a different world outside the most common depictions of Asian cinema would do well to check out “Ilo Ilo.” I wasn’t disappointed.

Stream / Purchase

Points of Interest:

Filipino women as housekeepers and maids, jealousy of relationships with children

Ethnic relations within East and Southeast Asia

Singaporean culture as it relates to other neighboring nations

“under the table” work of worker immigrants

Corporal punishment in cultures

Movie Monday: "Picture Bride," a film by Kayo Hatta

Wikimedia Collection

Hatta, Kayo. "Picture Bride," starring Kido Yuki, Takayama Akira, and Tamlyn Tomita, 1995.

It was by chance I happened upon “Picture Bride” at the library and was moved to rent it. A riveting historical drama, "Picture Bride" depicts the life of a young Japanese immigrant woman working on the sugar cane fields in Hawaii during the early 1900s. It shows how both characters used deception to improve their chances of sealing the arranged marriage. Photography innovated the “picture bride” system that initially relied on written letters alone or face-to-face meetings. 

This film provides a solid script for strong performances that make the film particularly moving. Lead actress Kudo Yuki gives picture bride Riyo the emotional expressions that capture the apprehension and exhaustion a newly arrived city girl experiences under field conditions. Actor Takayama Akira ably expresses the hard life and defeatist mentality many bachelor field hands experienced under the Gentleman's Agreement of 1907 and prejudicial labor relationships. Finally, Tamlyn Tomita supports the leads with her capable performance as a strong young picture bride who must take on the roles of mother and mentor. One important aspect is that the cast are all capable Japanese and Japanese-American actors, a novel circumstance given the recent controversial casting choices in 2015 Hollywood.

When Riyo (Kudo) first arrives at the immigration office on the shores of the territory of Hawaii, she meets her husband for the first time, a field hand (Takayama) almost two decades her senior. This fact, not shown in the youthful photo he sent, sets up tensions from the start. The various hardships the two newlyweds face include prejudicial ethnic conflict with white overseers, labor conflicts with fellow Filipino field hands, as well as the appeal of gambling as a downtime activity. Couple this with the relationship built on lies and the film contains plenty of tension and conflict. The challenges these characters face will illuminate an almost forgotten historical exchange network that greatly disrupted immigration to the United States.

One of the strongest aspects of this film is the human element that makes it so relatable to a variety of viewers. Many of us can relate to the class challenges of trying to get ahead in a tough work and social environment, particularly when it seems like the paychecks are never quite enough. Viewers may relate with the ethnic conflicts that plague both historic societies and today. For me, this film made me realize how blessed I am in my own life, particularly the great physical toil these characters face each and everyday, and how they manage to find positives.

Overall, this film is a great peek into the historic condition of “picture brides” under the Gentleman's Agreement of 1907. Not only does it depict the ethnic conflicts Filipinos and Japanese field workers faced, but also the different ethnic hierarchies that native Hawaiians felt in relation to the Anglo landowners and European (Portuguese) overseers. While the film does slip into too much pathos at times, the narrative does manage to express an accurate depiction, perhaps less intense than some authentic experiences, of Japanese immigrants under an inherently prejudicial legal and social system. If you’re a fan of historical dramas, this may be the film for you. Please post comments or suggestions below, and what films you'd like to see reviewed in future posts.

Purchase "Picture Bride" or stream via Netflix here.

Historical Notes for discussion in the comments:

• The “picture bride” system for skirting the Gentleman's Agreement of 1907.

• Ethnic interrelationships and labor: Anglo and Euro owners vs. laboring minority; labor vs labor between Filipinos and Japanese

• Labor conflicts, the company store, $1 fee for lack of work, $. 65/day and $300 to go back to Japan

• Bachelor Societies: both Chinese and Japanese, Filipino immigrant men

• Aspire to be Rudolph Valentino, but Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa came beforehand, but not in the dominant history

• Asian, mainly Japanese and Filipino actors cast in the film, Japanese language used instead of English (think Sayuri/Memoirs of a Geisha)

Film Review: Wang Xiaoshuai's Beijing Bicycle

 

By Scottmeltzer (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

  Wang Xiaoshuai's film Beijing Bicycle covers a number of themes which other films within modern Chinese cinema tackle in various ways. The challenges brought about by change, modernity and commodities, the divide between the city and the countryside, personal relationships between classes and sexes, and the state of social structures within modern China are but a few. Taken on its own, this film is a powerful commentary on a number of institutions of modern China, but also focuses on the very human element of struggle.
  One theme which is apparent throughout the film is the challenge of rural migrants when confronted with urban living. As Barme says in the article “Bike Envy,” the film “portrays the young men and women from the country[...] as quiescent and dumb.” On a superficial level, the viewer sees Guei's character as weak in the face of adversity, in that he doesn't speak up when spoken down to. However, I believe a more sophisticated analysis coincides with Wright's view, namely that the silence of Guei, and to a lesser extent his older friend, reflects “his difference and wonderment at the city.” Furthermore, I would argue that it reflects the breakdown of communication between the two classes of “urban dweller” and “rural migrant,” in that the migrant will speak, yet no one will openly listen. It's as if the arguments would not only fall on deaf ears, but that the sheer fact that they are arguing the issues stems from an inherent characteristic of the “backward” rural population. This concept of the backwardness of rural workers segues into the concepts of stubbornness, which many people use to describe Guei.
  Stubbornness is a characteristic reflected within a number of characters within modern Chinese films, like Teacher Wei in Not One Less, or Qiu Ju in The Story of Qiu Ju. In Wang's words, the idea of stubbornness is what pulls the people through the challenges of city life. Furthermore, it reflects the harsh realities that rural people face when they move into the city. The fact that such a determined spirit is what is needed just to maintain a meager standard of living, namely for Guei to acquire and keep his bicycle and his job, reflects how stratified the economic systems have become between urban and rural areas. Similarly, we are left with questions of whether or not such a method for dealing with life is really productive. In Not One Less, the audience is left to wonder what the fate of the village chief will be, and how Qiu Ju feels about her experiences with the modern Chinese system of law. In Not One Less, the students are given new chalk, as well as some funds to (possibly) fix up the school and provide some new resources for their education. However, the audience is again left with a sense of incompleteness. Though they got a small donation, what of the rest of the time? Will the funding continue, or end when the story is no longer important? Like these characters, Guei's determination ended up getting him beaten, bruised, and his bike broken to pieces. However, it also allowed him to survive through the whole ordeal, and he did get his bike back. On the subject of the bike, the audience is left to wonder what the importance of the bike is.
  The bike represents some similar and different qualities which are important among the two boys, Jian and Guei. For Guei, the bike reflects his status in Beijing as a real resident, in that he has a job and he has some status among the urban dwellers. It further represents his livelihood, and a material good which he earned through his own hard work. Jian also uses the bike as a tool to gain status, among his friends and his girlfriend. Though he does push them away when he loses the bike, his status is severely decreased when he can't get it back. Both characters see the bicycle as a material possession, although they see it from different points of view. Additionally, the bike reflects Jian's desire to be associated with a pop culture, namely the X-Games style tricks on the bike. The materialistic and consumer society both characters face in another topic taken up within the film.
  Jian also treats his girlfriend as a material possession, completely ignoring her presence when in the arcade. In a way, both characters attack the perceived usurper of their material possession (with a brick). Guei attacks the thug who is destroying his bicycle, and Jian attacks the “Oakley Guy” who “stole” his girlfriend from him. The reflects both character's reactions to material culture, as well as their relationship to material goods. The commentary seems to be the attraction the youth have to material and consumer goods, whether it be for livelihood or entertainment. As we see with the characters of Unknown Pleasures, Jian seems to question what to do once he has all that he would want. When he is alone with his girlfriend, he attempts to get close, but can't seem to pull himself to make a move. Similarly, Guei is silenced throughout the film by the urban dwellers who challenge him. While not exactly reflecting his reactions to all his desires being met, it does reflect the arresting feeling he has at the new lifestyle.
  Beijing Bicycle was a challenging film to watch the first time through. I happened to catch it on the IFC channel long before attending this class, and didn't know what to make of it then. Now, with the benefit of practice at film analysis, as well as further knowledge of the kind of material the director wants to comment on, and the three-peat screening, I believe I have a good idea what the film was trying to say. I imagine further viewings will offer different commentaries, or a new discovery. But the film offers a great analysis of the challenges and changes happening within modern China.

US Cold War Containment Policy

By Catechetical Guild (Catechetical Guild) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

After the conclusion of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two “superpowers” whose economic, social, and cultural influence would long influence what historians later refer to as the Cold War period, roughly from 1945 until the 1990's. Alongside the rising international power of these two nations, each took on official policies to try and influence proxy states to adopt their own domestic governments allied with the two economic regimes, either Democracy or Communism.

Two regions, East Asia and Europe, were greatly influential in the United States' Cold War policy of containment, and felt the consequences of the worldwide contests between Soviet and US-backed governments.

After the war, Japan was essentially a nation rebuilding itself from square one. Much of the country had been destroyed by the Allies and many people were without basic fundamental services peacetime, first-world citizens take as given. The occupation by the United States also ushered in a period of demilitarization, and the reestablishment of fundamental government structures. Given this circumstance, the United States could, in essence, build a democratic nation, providing significant military and economic backing, and ensure that Japan could be relied upon as a “buffer” against the spreading of Communism from Soviet and, later, Chinese influence. US Cold War policy demanded a protected Japan.

In Korea, with the solidification of Chinese Communism to its West, and the influence of the Soviet north, a movement towards a Communist Korea swept through and built up a power base in the North of the peninsula under Kim Il Sung. Sung wanted the official military backing of China and Soviet Russia in order to take the South and make Korea a Communist nation, but was largely left wanting. Syngman Rhee, a national conservative politician of the south, kept the US interested and worked to encourage a US Cold War policy that ensured Korea would not fall to the Communists. The Korean Conflict was largely an expression of Cold War policy by the two dominant powers to create a sphere of influence in East Asia, with the US seeking to continue its Cold War policy of containment. Though some efforts were made to take the entire peninsula for the South, the US ultimately failed and the modern de facto borders of North and South Korea were established along the 38th parallel line. Partial Cold War containment, however, was a success in Korea.

In Vietnam, the Communists began efforts to unify the country along Communist lines under Ho Chi Minh, while the Southern Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem was supported as a nominally democratic government, although displayed dictatorial tendencies. In some parallels to Korea, Vietnam became a proxy war that escalated to a direct conflict for the United States. 1968’s escalation under Lyndon Johnson resulted in over 500,000 US troops committed to South Vietnam. Efforts at US Cold War containment were in full swing in Southeast Asia,

Post War, Germany was a country divided, both ideologically and literally. Eastern Germany was established as a Communist satellite state, and West Germany a democratically aligned state. Indeed, Berlin itself was divided along Democratic-Communist divisions, and later a wall. The US Cold War policy committed to the protection of Berlin and Germany specifically because of the limited successes in the Korean Conflict, which spiraled out of control. Berlin and Germany were influential in the developments of the Cuban Missile Crisis, as one of the key considerations for Soviet Russia was the inability of the US to simultaneously defend West Germany and Cuba with their military. The presence of missiles so close to the US mainland negated any advantages the US held by stationing military forces in, and thus militarily advantageous, Europe. This was the closest the world came to a third World War, and total nuclear conflict. Fidel Castro was committed to the Communist cause, and when Khrushchev decided to back down in the face of a US blockade and ultimatum, Castro felt betrayed. Thankfully, however, it avoided a nuclear war between the periods’ two superpowers.

Recommended Films: Dr. Strangelove and Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick; The Manchurian Candidate, John Frankenheimer; The Bedford Incident, James B. Harris

World War II, Anti-Communism, Women's Liberation Movement

By CIA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Two prominent circumstances greatly affect the politics of America during the latter half of the 20th Century. Taken together, it can be argued that US Cold War policy, Anti-Communist sentiments in the West, and the movement for women’s liberation resurrecting during World War II had direct influences over modern world circumstances as divergent as modern feminist movements, the presence of the Chinese Communist Party, and the Japanese State as a victim of nuclear weapons.

First we look at the Anti-Communist sentiments arising during the Second World War. Towards the end of the war, the United States and the Soviet Union were both working on, or completing work on, the development of the first nuclear weaponry. The United States, in part as a demonstration of international military might aimed at the Soviet Union, used the nuclear weapons “Fat Man” and “Little Boy” on the two cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945.

Scholars still debate the military, political, and social implications of the decision to use the bombs, from the argument that they saved both Japanese and Allied lives by avoiding a direct land invasion, while others claim the war would have ended naturally as dissidents within the Japanese leadership were already wavering on the war effort.

In hindsight, however, it is clear that the decision to use the bombs was, in part, influenced by the perception that there would be a continued conflict, whether cold or hot, between the two political systems of Democracy and Communism.

Second, we can also look at the diplomatic efforts of George Marshall to develop a unified government in China after World War II, and avoid a civil war between the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai Shek and the Communist leadership of Mao Zedong. When this mission ultimately failure, and civil war occurred when neither side willingly negotiated a suitable agreement, American politics trended towards a US Cold War policy of containment via international cooperation with Western Europe and East Asian allies. While the United States desired a more Nationalist China, they were aware of the Kuomintang’s shortcomings, and held no negotiating power over the Communists. Additionally, with the US Cold War policy of containment came the rise of the National Security State and Total Mobilization, where drills like “Duck and Cover” were commonly practiced by students and office workers. The development of the National Security State after WWII gave rise to many modern Federal departments we take for granted, namely the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

The rise and fall of the Cold War, and Anti-Communist movements spearheaded by the United States, greatly affected the modern makeup of the US Federal Government, the Chinese Communist government, and the status of Japan as a victim of nuclear weapons.

A second movement which greatly affected the politics of America was the continuation of the women's’ liberation movement, with beginnings largely in the 19th century, and arising as a sort of second wave in the 1970s, which still continues today.

During the War, with men being drafted into battle in Western Europe and the Pacific theaters, manufacture of military goods, consumer goods (what little didn’t go to the miltary), and work within factories fell to the large female population left. This gave rise of women as workers, personified in the ideal “Rosie the Riveter” image. The employment women gained during the war largely dissipated after the end of conflict, with returning veterans replacing the working women, and the manufacture of munitions and war-time production greatly reduced. Alongside this small taste of economic ability gained during the war, societal norms had to reconcile the tyranny of Nazism, it’s holistic influence among the population and their lives, and address domestic relations between and among the powers and the women and the segregated ethnic groups kept under their heel. The seeds of change were there, but would largely remain on the back burner until the 1960's and 70's, when the Civil Rights Movement, coupled with the counter-culture movement and a shedding of the 1950s norms of the nuclear family gave rise to a stronger motion for equality.

The circumstances of women as economically independent, or at least less dependent upon a man for sustenance during WW II, and the movement towards equality among the various ethnic groups AND gender groups during the 1960s and 1970s, still have repercussions today, where salary gaps are generally narrowing and sports develop leagues to accommodate women and men. The changing politics, commanding equality of ethnicity and gender in the workplace, can trace their development to the circumstances of women’s liberation.

Anti-Communist movements and the women’s liberation movement greatly affected the shaping of modern American politics in the 20th century. As the United States looks out towards the world, and the conflicts brewing in the Middle East, it will be interesting to see how the American movement towards liberation of gender will affect the development of politics in that region of the world.

Recommended Films: Grave of the Fireflies (UR), Isao Takahata; Breakfast at Tiffany's (NR), Blake Edwards; Barbarella, Roger Vadim (PG)

Book Review: Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, Susan Ware.

[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons via http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/

Book Review: Susan Ware. Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 1993. $19.13.

Susan Ware’s book Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism argues that Earhart, while most certainly an exceptional example of young womanhood during the 1920's, was definitely a product of time and place. Earhart reflected the rising understanding of liberal feminism, specifically that by showcasing the talents and abilities of the exceptional individual, the entire gender would adjust minds by “proving” the category “woman” held no inherent handicap in achievement.

Ware’s strength is in her choice of chronological structuring of her text. Earhart’s philosophies seem to develop organically, particularly between the period of 1928-1937, although not limited to this range. By taking a chronological approach, Ware is able to build the drama of the tale, though we all know what the outcome will be. Nevertheless, Ware’s narrative is not about the end result, but the significance of the journey and the substance of Earhart’s life. Chronology also allows Ware to showcase, in her chapter “Popular Heroines/ Popular Culture” other women who occupy the same exceptional, liberal feminist pantheon of legends, particularly Katherine Hepburn, Dorothy Thompson, and Eleanor Roosevelt, to name a few. These case studies further emphasis on individuals as exceptional examples of possibility for women.

Ware structures her argument organically. This emphasizes clarity in understanding in a linear fashion. One strength here is this very clarity and understanding, as we understand time moving in a linear way. A weakness may be the temptation of thinking the events of Earhart’s life and philosophy were inevitable, or though the author goes to lengths emphasizing at different levels when things may have taken a turn (such as Earhart’s choice to marry G.P. Putnam, or her decision not to have children, or her choice of doing a world-wide flight in 1936-7).

Ware successfully utilizes primary source documents, particularly the words of Earhart herself, to emphasize her brand of liberal feminism and how her words and deeds sparked the imagination of possibility among vast numbers of young women. Ware’s argument suggesting how Earhart’s words and actions supported her aims of expanding women’s access is further supported through her use of unpublished primary source documents like private correspondence, that further emphasizes not only Earhart’s steadfast support of liberal feminist philosophies (avoiding sex-based laws of help or hindrance) remain behind the cameras as much as before them. Even given the limited availability of other primary sources, due to fire at Earhart’s home, Ware does successfully utilize the sources available and seems to mine them very well to emphasize her arguments.

This book encourages the reader to not think of Earhart as a legend, though she certainly was an exceptional individual and a fantastic self-promoter (also thanks to G.P. Putnam. Ware wants us to consider her as a product of 1920's liberal feminism, and as a larger-than-life hero to so many young ladies who see the possibilities within the context of this specific society. Earhart represents these possibilities, and showcases, as the main thrust of this book emphasizes time and again, that women of the 1920's wanted an exceptional example of what women could do, and women like Earhart, Roosevelt, and Hepburn reflected this want. It also emphasizes that liberal feminism was the vogue way of looking at  women’s roles within society and the workplace (among white, middle-class women and their fans). It wasn't sex that one should focus on, but the individual ability and talents, regardless of sex. Nevertheless, the book does not gloss over Earhart’s limitations, nor the limits of liberal feminism. Both Earhart and liberal feminists were largely white, middle-class or upper-middle class, individuals with exceptional talent and exceptional opportunity. The plight of minority women, particularly African-American women and economically disadvantaged women, whose options to excel seemed particularly limited.

In conclusion, Ware’s book expands upon the understanding of Earhart as feminist, and avoids further expansion on Earhart the legend. Ware succeeds at contextualizing Earhart, which is the main emphasis of her text. Earhart was reflective of liberal feminist thought, her contributions unfortunately overshadowed by her unsolved disappearance. Ware ends with a treatment of why Earhart might have taken that last flight, as a publicity stunt for a slumping career or as an answer to the social shift away from 1920's feminine heroes towards 1940's suppression of mass feminist movements. Earhart’s potentialities were not diminished had she successfully returned from her flight, and Ware wonders whether she would have taken a post at Purdue as a researcher or counselor, or taken another aviation-oriented “second career.” One wonders whether or not we would even be studying her had she not disappeared!

Ware’s case studies of other women further places Earhart within a context, although does not bog the reader down in details unnecessary for her main purpose, which is greatly appreciated. It is a fine example of blending narrative and scholarship to produce a product that will appeal to academic and layman historian, although academic historians will likely find particular points of critique, as with any text.

Hungry History: Chicken Cracklings (Chicharon Manok)

Filipino health food at its finest!

Had discarded organic chicken thigh skins from a successful slow-cooker chicken adobo and decided to try a chicharon manok recipe from Filipino Chow.

Was a little skeptical due to the simplicity of the ingredients, but that is the magic. Just a little salt and pepper to taste, and you have a delicious, indulgent snack.

Try it with a nice vinegar to get a balance of salty and tart.

Chicharon is a type of pulutan, or "finger food," in the Philippines, that takes a wide variety of animal cuts and fries them to a crisp, golden brown. Often these snacks are eaten with a form of alcohol, from beer to a favored liquor. The concept is similar to Spanish tapas or American appetizers or snacks, although the cultural meaning is a little more nuanced than "snacking."

Influenced by the Spanish culture that colonized the Philippines in the 16th Century, Filipino cuisine is a wonderful blending of Malay, Chinese, Spanish, and American influences. While some of the ingredients may be new to the American palette, Filipino cuisine really embraces the belief that a careful chef will use as much of the animal as possible when cooking. "Waste not, want not,"

Look to the "Hungry History" post each week to find links to new recipes from a variety of cultural influences.