Transationalities through Commodity Culture Stephen Dimal Blog #9

The concept of transnational space in Claire Dwyer's article is a very interesting discussion which has ties to the present happenings going on UC campuses across the state. With everything that is going on right now with the "Compton Cookout" at UCSD and the hate crimes at the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender resource center here on our UCD campus, one now has to wonder about the idea of race and culture and how it is being played out in our so called "post-race" era. For those that do not know, the LGBTRC was vandalized with discriminatory words that were spray painted onto the door of the LGBTRC. In a letter written to the general campus community from the LGBTRC they discuss how "This vicious hate crime demonstrates the need for community centers like ours to exist in order to offer a safe space on campus and combat the homophobia, discrimination, and hate that is still prevalent within our society" (The California Aggie February 26 2010). Because of the fact that many countries, especially the United States are now products of transnational movements and exposure to different cultures, many people in the U.S. naively believe we live in a "post-race era," exemplified by the election of President Obama. As Dwyer pointed out in her article, "transnational commodity culture emphasizes that this is a space which is inhabited by a whole range of differently positioned actors including producers, wholesalers, buyers and retailers, cultural intermediaries as well as a wide array of consumers in a wide range of places" (Dwyer, p. 62). As transnational movements continue to grow, one must wonder about cultures will be portrayed or be accepted into new cultures across world. Now cultures continue to be commodified as they begin to be integrated into the popular culture of America.

However, we cannot believe that people are truly comfortable or accepting of all new cultures or new perspectives which must be integrated into their culture. For example, at UCSD there was a noose that was hung up in the library by students who were responding to the Black student union at UCSD. With the commodification of culture and the transnational relationships which are being built, people are having to deal with cultures, beliefs, and practices which are not their own. WE must continue to push forward and move beyond these uncomfortable feelings in order to really begin to accept other cultures and other races. This is related to fashion, because we do not want to see the commodification of our races and our cultures in life or in fashion. In fashion, often times cultures are commodified and taken advantage of and we no longer can pretend that this diversity really exists in peace.

Here are pictures of what happened at the LGBTRC.




Works Cited:
Aggie article: http://theaggie.org/article/2010/02/26/letter-lgbtrc-vandalized

Dwyer article: in Class reader: "Tracing Transnationalities through commodity culture" Transnational Spaces New: York Routledge Publishing, 2004. 60-77

Pictures are from my Friends from Facebook.