Aung Lin-Week #3 Be Green Challenge-Blog#3

Aung Lin

ASA141-Valverde

Be Green Challenge

Blog #3

Week#3

          This is the third week of the Be Green Challenge and by far the hardest. This Friday is the Thanksgiving black Friday and everyone wants to shop for clothes or shoes until they go broke. I only have two pairs of old tennis shoes and I want to buy two new ones from Macy’s this Friday but I can’t because I cannot break professor Valverde’s rules. I never bought any of my clothes and my mom buys all of them for me. I already told her not to buy anything for me this black Friday because it would be considered cheating. What I’m struggling with is nothing compared to my classmates that are addicted to shopping.

            I used to be a big fan of Abercrombie and Fitch all the way until I became an ASA major. I learned in my ASA classes about how Abercrombie made fun of Asians in their t-shirts, don’t hire employees of color and don’t treat them equally. My professors talked about this over and over again in class. It’s been so many years since I went into Abercrombie store at the mall but I remember one thing clearly. All of their models are white; every single one of them. They don’t hire models of color. For this assignment I went to www.abercrombie.com and did my research online about ads and found out that all of the models Abercrombie hire are still white and only one out of a hundred is black. This shows how racist they are. After I read Jenny Strasburg’s article under week 8 reading, I heard the exact same story that I heard from my ASA 155 class. Abercrombie went way too far when they made fun of Asians slanted eyes on their t-shirts. Asians demanded apology but they think it’s funny and don’t take it seriously. I think situation like this should be settled in court. I read the yellow.org article under week 8 reading in my ASA 155 class. I can’t believe Abercrombie don’t hire people of color as staff, don’t treat them fairly and had them do cleaning jobs. I think this $40 million dollars pay to employees of color is a well deserve punishment. Ever since I learned all these dark secrets about Abercrombie, I will never shop at stores like them.   

Asians protesting against Abercrombie for their racist t-shirts

References

Strasburg, Jenny. “Abercrombie and Glitch: Asian Americans Rip Retailer for Stereotypes on

            T-shirts.”

Yellowworld.org. “Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit.” 

Be Green Challenge Week 3: Justin Truong

My current mood for the be green challenge, anxious to buy some new clothing especially since "Black Friday" is around the corner. But I am going to be strong and not buy materialistic things until the Fall Quarter is over. Whether its shopping for clothing or electronics, this tradition for many people has turned into a mayhem every year. The reason being is because I feel that nowadays people are leaving their "Thanksgiving Dinner" and cutting short family time just so they can get their hands on the latest deal. As I got older, the prices of certain items are not very cheap by much. Instead, I feel that more people putting their lives in danger when they camp out. In a way I am glad to say that I will not participate in this years " Black Friday." I would rather save my money and invest in things that are more valuable to me throughout my life such as property or a relaxing vacation. Clothes and electronics "come" and "go" since they change their style or they add new features. I am very grateful to even have multiple pairs of shoes, hats, sweaters, etc already. There is no point of filling up my closet with even more clothes. I plan to stay indoors and sleep in on Friday while i know that others are going to wake up early so that they can save a couple of dollars for a product that they see has value to them. By all means, its all preference for different people.

Below is a link of "Black Friday Walmart Fights"

Panhia Vang - Go Green Challenge Week 2

As Hmong New Year is coming and going throughout California, my Hmong clothes are out of the closet and in ready to be worn. Coming into the second week of my go green challenge, I found that it's more easier than I thought. I notice that I don't buy clothes unless I really need them; but since it's New Years season, I won't be needing new clothes. It's the season to go to Hmong New Years - which I already have too many Hmong outfits for!

This past week in class, we learned about Hmong textiles and fashion. Coincidentally, while reading about Ava's article "Speaking Through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Arts," I had my Hmong clothes here in Davis with me. Eva talked about Hmong clothes in relations to the Hmong New Year and ball tossing. This year, I am excited about the Hmong New Years and my new clothes that my mom made for me. In the Hmong culture, fashion is decided by the women who decides what's beautiful and what they'd like to see their children wear. My mom sews me 1-2 new outfits a year. Recently, there are many Hmong women who hardly sew anymore, but fortunately, my mother still does. As a young Hmong girl, I love my cultural clothing. I choose the fabric, color, and design I would like, and my mom sews it for me. Many Hmong girls today don't have the luxury of designing their own Hmong clothes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaiPy0IPeDA
*I can't upload the video onto here.

Like these Hmong designers, some Hmong girls today are able to design their own Hmong clothing. Many times, American clothing are incorporated into Hmong cultural clothing.

Today, Hmong clothes have become so different from one another. The Hmong New Year is almost like the Fashion Week in Paris, but for the Hmong community. I've had many Hmong designers approach me and my cousins to take a photo of our clothing. Many Hmong designers constantly walk the lot of the Hmong New Year to find inspiration to their next designs.

As the Hmong New Year comes and goes throughout California, I am excited to be able to wear my Hmong clothes and not have to think about buying new clothes.

Citations:

Ava L. McCall. Speaking through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Arts.” Reader.

Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaiPy0IPeDA. 

Jillian Mariano Be Green Challenge: Week 2

Week two of the challenge has come and gone, and I remain steadfast in my opposition to consumerism.  I have not bought anything besides food, although I have “acquired” some new boots (I found them abandoned in a classroom and took them under my wing). I have noticed that my vice is actually makeup and beauty products, but I have also not bought anything new in that department.  I have been preoccupied with the Tuition Hike movement and disheartened at the prospect of increasing student debt.  With the incredibly consumerist holidays (Black Friday) looming near, I become more and more weary of the seductive pull of money and the increased privatization of the University of California.  In this day and age, an education is necessary to get any job that isn’t considered manual labor, correct?  Yet every year, this necessity becomes more and more expensive.  As a student, don’t I have a right to speak about this?  As the consumer of this product, should I not be the first person consulted about it?

 No, the students’ voices will never be heard; this system does not serve us, it only profits off of us and points to us to take the blame for the previous generation.  Mainstream media will point to student organizers and slander us as barbarians, “overreacting,” selfish, entitled, and lazy.  I am reminded of Chau Huynh, although this relates only tangentially, as she was also slandered for having the gall to put the South Vietnam flag and the North Vietnam flag together as a symbol for uniting Vietnam.  Of course, she had large scale protests against her by anti-communist Vietnamese Americans, which are the vast majority of Vietnamese Americans and arguably her own kind, but that is beside the point.  The point is that she had good intentions as a Vietnamese woman who did not know that much about South Vietnam and only wanted to unite the two once again, to start a dialogue about healing for the Vietnamese diaspora.   We, too, want to start a dialogue about the university and to be seen as rational and critical human beings, NOT as self-serving buffoons.  However, the time for dialogue is over and the time for action has only just begun.  There will be another action tomorrow, Monday, November 24^th, on the quad.  My only wish is that our voices are heard clearly this time.  This Jillian Mariano is only a barbarian in that she has been backed into a corner, embittered by the system, and desperately pounds on the doors of the administration, calling only for change. 

Graeber, David. "Students Are Right to March against the Markets. Why Can’t Education Be Free?" The Guardian. N.p., 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.

Valverde, Kieu-Linh Caroline. "Creating Identity, Defining Culture, and Making History from an Art Exhibit: 'Unfinished Story: A Tribute to My Mothers'. Reader. 

Be Green Challenge : Mahanaz Ebadi Abercrombie & What!

Mahanaz Ebadi

Blog #3

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/23/abercrombie-fitch-lawsuits-hijabs-head-scarves

Jenny Strasburg. “Abercrombie & Glitch: Asian Americans Rip Retailer for Stereotypes on T-shirts.” Reader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uycWoTOGFOc

As a teen I was introduced to the world of Abercrombie and Fitch.  This brand carried with it a sort of power.  Power that could transform an average girl such as myself into a popular and desirable character.  This is what this industry fed on.  Taking advantage of girls who would go to any lengths and pay whatever cost to look the part and be a generic Abercrombie shopper.  Their overpriced black white Tee’s and tight worn out skinny jeans was the look that rocked consumerism to its core.  It took me years to fully grasp the concept that this corporation made money off of working middle class citizens by overpricing everything in their stores.  Regardless of their overly priced clothing they crossed racial boarders by attaching racial slurs to their merchandise and assumed the public would find it comical.  “Beside the prominent lettering are two smiling figures in conical hats harking back to 1900s popular-culture depictions of Chinese men.” “We personally thought Asians would love this T-shirt," said Hampton Carney”.  This excerpt from Strasburges clearly states how misguided they were in their though process.  The merchandise “was supposed to appeal to Asian Americans with a sense of humor” but how far does a business go before it enters the realm of racism.  This is not the first event where Abercrombie’s name was tied to racism.  In September 23, an individual working at Abercrombie & Fitch sued the cooperation for firing her due to the fact that she chose to wear the hijab.  The courts saw the injustice and the plaintiff won the case.  Continuing back to Strasburg’s article, even store managers were surprised of the new shipment.  “We tried to get them pulled, but we weren't successful," Lee said. "Managers don't have authority.”  This led to me completely boycott stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister.  By being green I’m refraining from purchasing anything for stores such as these, as well as educating my fellow class men and women on the realities of brand name logos such as these. 

Kevin Lee - Blog #2

Be Green Challenge Week 2

            Week 2 of the “Be Green” Challenge went by really fast and without a trace because I was very busy this past week to actually shop for new items. This past week went by really fast and unnoticeable because to be perfectly honest, I forgot about the challenge since I was very busy, but luckily I did not buy anything new during the week. However, even though I was doing so well during the week, that all changed yesterday when I went to SF. Yesterday, I went to SF with my community service organization, Tzu-Chi Collegiate Association (TC), to attend TC’s 20^th Anniversary Charity Concert. Originating from Taiwan, TC is a non-profit organization that helps provide disaster relief around the world, and one way they do this is by raising money and using that money to help the countries that have suffered from severe natural disasters. Since this concert was a charity concert, TC was selling materials to help raise money that would be used to help countries that needed it. The problem was that these materials were all new materials made by TC, and I ended up buying some things which went against the “Be Green” Challenge. Buying these materials reminded me of the time when we watched “China Blue” in class. In “China Blue”, the children were forced to work in factories for many hours in horrible conditions. This made me think that the materials made in those factories in China have no value to them because they were made by children who were forced to work there. However, the materials made by TC are made by people who volunteered to help make them and not forced. Knowing that volunteers are willing to give up their time to help make materials that could help people of the less fortunate makes those materials have more value than those made in China where people were forced to make the materials. Therefore, even though I ended up failing the “Be Green” Challenge for this week, I do not regret it because I know that the money I spent on these materials are going to a good cause.

This week in class we learned more about the Hmong culture and the importance of textiles in the Hmong culture. The reading for this week, “Speaking through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Arts.” By Ava L. McCall, talks about the importance and significance of embroidery in the Hmong culture and how textiles is used to tell stories of Hmong history. Before this reading, I did not know much about the Hmong culture; however, after reading this article and watching the short video of how embroidery is used to tell the story of Hmong history, I learned the importance of the textiles used in Hmong culture. It was really interesting to learn that the Hmong culture is preserved through the use of embroidery because this showed that each culture has their own ways of preserving their culture, such as Native Americans using storytelling to preserve their culture. We were shown pictures of the different textile designs on Hmong clothing in class, and the designs really stood out. So, I wanted to see if there were other designs used things other than Hmong clothing, and here are the items I found:

Shoulder bag:

Wallets:

Cushion Covers:

It is really interesting to see that Hmong culture is not only preserved through the clothing but also through the different items that are used every day. Learning about the significance of embroidery and textiles and how they relate to culture taught me that the designs on clothing or any material might not just be design but a design with deeper meanings to it. Therefore, the next time designs on a piece of clothing/item is being discussed or criticized, ya’ll should stop and think to see if there is some deeper meaning to those designs.

Sources:

China Blue Dir. Micha Peled 2005

McCall, Ava L.. "Speaking through Cloth: Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Arts." Reader.

http://tw.tzuchi.org/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=166&lang=en

Be Green Challenge Week 2- Alicia

The second week of the Be Green Challenge has come to an end and, as expected, I didn't buy anything but food. However, with Black Friday inching closer and its commercials popping up everywhere, I'm starting to feel the pressure to shop.

It's weird to think that a meaningful holiday is used to "get the best deal of the year", especially for clothes. In class, we learn how the Hmong take months to make their own clothing and their clothing holds cultural meaning and is a way to pass down history (McCall). But our definition of holiday clothes are the new clothes we bought at a "holiday sale". It's like the sentiment of holidays have been lost and replaced with dollar values. Well, we already do that with people (i.e. a person's net worth).

Shouldn't holidays be spent with people that you care about? Isn't that what Thanksgiving is for?
But stores are open on holidays and family dinners are missing a table setting because someone has to work the "special 24-hour store opening" so that someone else can get a flat screen for 40% off the retail price. Why do we care more about getting a cheaper price than getting to spend that single day we get off with the people we love?

             

Have we forgotten the reasons for holidays? Or do we just not care? Just like how we don't care about sweatshop workers or migrant farmers? Adam Smith explains why someone would want to work on a holiday, such as circumstance or pay and Karl Marx talks about how consumers become obsessed with products but I still can't accept this as a full answer. They don't address how we've lost the meanings of these special days and how consumers disregard laborers. Maybe I'll read have to read some more books on economic theory or consumerism or at least wiki it, but, for sure, the commercialization of holidays does not sit well with me.

Sources

McCall, Ava. "Speaking through Cloth:Teaching Hmong History and Culture through Textile Arts." The Social Studies, 90, 5. Sep/Oct 1999: pg 230.

Smith, Adam. The wealth of nations [1776]. na, 1937.

http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/adam-smith/wealth-nations.pdf

Marx, Karl. Capital; Volume: 1 A Critique of Political Economy. na, 1867.
http://archive.org/details/MarxCapitalVolume1ACritiqueOfPoliticalEconomy