Here are some 'prompts' that you can respond to, expand upon and debate among yourselves. Please use this as an exercise in analyzing the film in the way you might write a paper on a film for this class (i.e. we are not looking for opinions of the 'I like/I don't like' variety, but substantive comments that connect the themes of the film to the readings and lectures for International Communication this semester, ok?) Here goes....
What does this film say about national boundaries and culture, globalization and national identity, immigration and the United States? Do you agree with what the film seems to be saying? (How does the film 'frame' the immigration issue? Do you agree with this framing? Would you prefer or suggest another framing? Be specific.)
How does the film portray (or 'frame') social and economic hierarchies and what does it seem to say about them? Do you agree? (please say why or why not to any of these "do you agree" type prompts)
What is the conflict between traditional and modern culture in the film? What theories have we read about, or what other transnational situations have we discussed that could be referred to in order to help understand what the movie is 'about'? Do you have any analogies to the situation portrayed in the film that you want to share?
What kinds of resistance to media images occur in the film? What are the effects of media on the minds of the different characters? Do you think the resistance to media in the film is an effective one? Why or why not? Which theoretical perspectives would you use to advance your interpretations (or disagreements with other people's interpretations) here?
So, the idea is that you will make an initial comment and then make several comments about other people's comments and we will have a nice dialog to read and learn from. Check the syllabus for the due dates and when the online roll call will happen!!! If there are other things you want to comment about regarding the film please feel free. Enjoy the virtual class!
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Greetings to all from Elise
The film uses Ana's family and the neighborhoods as models for the world. Rather than a melting pot, the US is framed more as a tossed salad. Each ingredient retains its identity. The distance between el barrio and Beverly Hills feels a lot farther than the actual miles involved. The immigration issue seems to be confined primarily to el barrio. However, the film only really shows us the two above identified worlds. In Ana's classroom she and Mr. Guzman appear to be the only non-whites. And they are the "acceptable" sort of non-whites--highly intelligent and driven to succeed. I believe this depiction is a necessary simplification. Boundaries are not as clear cut in real life. Rather there are amorphous transition zones (peripheries) between the cores.
Globalization as shown here is not Friedman's flat world. Instead it is a spiky world. Mrs. Glass' highrise office building is a symbolic spike. Estela's dress factory is outside the spike. Another portrayal of these hierarchies is Ana's bus ride to school. We watch from within and without as the world transitions from el barrio to Beverly Hills. The sense of distance is conveyed by how far Ana must walk to catch the first bus and then walk again to catch the second bus to school. The fact that we are entering an alien world is conveyed by the duration of the shot on the entering Beverly Hills sign. I got the feeling I should have a passport to enter that world.
The social and economic hierarchies are illustrated by Estela's almost obsequious behavior toward Mrs. Glass when asking for an advance. It evokes the relationship between colonizer and colonized--"I believe women like me should help women like you, but you have to help yourself, too." Look at all I'm doing for you (buying your hard work for $18 per unit which will ultimately sell for $600 per unit). You should be grateful I took a chance on you. How dare you ask for more in the form of an advance? Estela agrees and is angry with Ana for daring to rise up against the master. Dependency theory? Sounds like it to me. Mrs. Glass is setting the terms for trade. She dominates Estela's market.
Another example of these hierarchies is seeing Jimmy's Volvo parked in el barrio. I was struck by the incongruity of the image. This vehicle is in stark contrast to Ana's family's stakebody truck and the condition of Estela's car.
I got the feeling the film was making the effort to pointedly show the discontinuity between Ana's and Jimmy's world. Do I agree this discontinuity exists? Yes. Why? Because I have only to look around my own neighborhood to see the same discontinuties. There are the homeless selling newspapers to people in Jaguars and Hummers. The homeless on Fort St. Mall and HPU students who can in no way relate to that world.
Ana's desire to attend college is one of the conflicts between modern and traditional. Again, a case can be made for dependency theory. Carmen is the colonizer exercising control over her daughter. Carmen says what Ana will do and attempts to mold her into someone who will make an acceptable wife and mother thereby ensuring continued dependency. Smart enough to get into Columbia? Carmen has taught Ana to sew and cook. What more does a woman need to know? Another conflict is Carmen's insistence Ana remain a virgin and then we see Ana buying condoms. Later Carmen accuses Ana of losing her virginity. When Ana asks how she could say such a thing, Carmen says she just knows.
As for analogies, I come from a generation where my one grandmother would tell me to let the boys beat me in games because boys don't like girls who are smarter and stronger than they are. My reply was if they beat me it was because they were truly better. Grandma was sure I would be a very lonely girl. No boy would want me.
An example of media resistance is when Carmen and the grandfather are watching the Latin soaps. When Estela and Ana come home, Carmen starts to tell Estela about a Brazilian soap and Ana is saying what will happen without having seen it. Carmen tells her to shush, don't ruin the story. When Carmen gets to the part where the young woman is decapitated because she didn't listen to her mother, Ana reacts derisively. Is it effective? In a way. Coming from the world I do, I find I side with Ana--this is a heavy handed way to extol the virtues of adhereing to the traditional ways.
Another theory that can be used here is hegemony. As put forth in the handout, "the dominant social group in a society (Carmen)has the capacity to exercise intellectual and moral direction over society at large (Ana).
I bid everyone a good weekend. I'm using the night off to take in the current Viewpoints film.
Aloha,
Spyderlash
“Real Women Have Curves” depicts many of the topics we have discussed in class. This film “frames” immigration in a depressing light. The neighborhoods Ana’s family live and work in are completely unrecognizable as being part of the United States. Her father is shown doing hard labor, specifically, landscaping a middle class family's yard. Estela, Ana’s sister, struggles financially. She owns a sewing factory that Ana blatantly labels as a “sweat shop.”
This movie displays social and economic hierarchies in several scenes. One scene that really spoke to me on this issue is when Jimmy, Ana’s white middle-class boyfriend, speaks nonchalantly about financial issues like going to college. The scene that Ana and Estela request an advance from Mrs. Glass also shows the division of worlds. Estela’s behavior in this situation might be considered as having Marxist overtones of repression of lower classes.
An integral part of the film is the vast difference between traditional and modern values. The major conflict in the film is that Ana feels obligated to help her sister save her business while she desires the opportunity to go to Columbia and gain her own identity. Carmen, Ana’s mother, is by far the most traditional character in the film. Carmen’s only desire is for her daughters to get married. Carmen is so opposed to modern ideas that she cannot bring herself to say goodbye to Ana in the final sequence when Ana leaves for the airport.
The scene in the sewing factory when Ana removes her clothing is a good example of media resistance. Ana defends her own body as well as the other women in the factory when Carmen takes offense to their appearances. Ana is confident in herself despite the images of models in the media. She wants her mother to understand that she is interested in more than being a future wife; she is intelligent. This is an excellent film that represents the duality in integration of cultures that somehow remain separate.
Real Women Have Curves approaches national boundaries and culture in a blended way. Ana lives in a poor area of Los Angeles where many other Mexican immigrants reside, yet goes to school in Beverly Hills, the epitome of upper class elitism in the United States. She, in many senses, lives in two different worlds, both in her tangible, day-to-day life and in her mind and attitudes. This dichotomy manifests itself throughout the film in the situations Ana encounters. Clashing traditional and modern cultures are apparent in Ana’s school life and home life. In order to fit in at school Ana lies about what she plans to do before college (which at that time she does not even plan to attend) and says she will backpack through Europe. Jimmy at one point attempts to sympathize with Ana by complaining about having everything handed to him (school, car) while Ana has to pretend she understand the sentiment.
At home, Ana’s family member all have jobs that Americans associate with immigrant labor. Low wage jobs at factories and gardening/landscape work are the jobs her parents and cousins perform. Her sister does design the dresses they make in the factory but still makes very little in compensation for her work and creativity.
One concern I had at the end of the film was for Ana’s sister Estella, whose struggle at her fashion design business was under constant pressure. Although she made it though the order for the month that the film took place, there was little to indicate that anything would change for her. Will she still be struggling to make rent each month? Will she continue to pay her employees portions of the measly $18 she earns per dress while the shop earns $600? This type of hierarchy between Ana’s sister and the company that buys her dresses is very important. It is absurd that there should be such a discrepancy between the prices of the dresses. However the film ends without a resolution here and we can only hope that after Ana’s education at Columbia she can help her sister and her company earn the level of compensation that they deserve.
On a final note about the shop, it was interesting to hear the different ways they referred to the sisters business throughout the film. The name was Estella’s Fashion Design but it was referred to as ‘the factory’, a fashion boutique, and a sweatshop.
Ana’s modernization and acceptance to Columbia is seen as the pinnacle of progress for her to strive through her poor, uneducated, lower class upbringings to a modern, high-class and educated life in Manhattan. The portrayal is in a way the quintessential ‘American Dream’ where one can work they way up with hard work and make their ‘dreams’ come true. In order to reach her dreams, Ana must shake off her family and especially her mother who are holding her back. She must also break the social norms of a more collectivistic upbringing and wrestle with herself and her own individualistic desires. I, having an individualistic upbringing, certainly agree with the notion of going out on your own, getting and education, and being independent. Furthermore, I could see the benefit to the rest of her family if her education is successful. She could choose to return home and help her sister with her fashion business and using the resources to provide for the whole family.
In one of my experiences here, I met a Hawaiian girl who after much discussion told me that she had been accepted to UC Berkley on a full scholarship but her parents would not allow her to go so instead she attends UH. I was floored when she told me this and almost told her, “Well if you really wanted to go then you would have just went!” But then again maybe her family situation and what she believes is important in life is very different than the way I would think. I believe her family is quite traditional and religious. I have a hard time imagining my parents ever saying no to an opportunity that someone would offer me. But in the extremely unlikely case that they would ever say “no” I imagine I would just do whatever I wanted to do anyway, with little though on the matter. I would not fear any retribution or how my insubordination would affect our future relations. This kind of situation was present when I lived in Japan too. I never could understand how a 30 year old would need to ask a parent for permission to do something and if that parent said ‘no’ they would abide by that judgment.
In many ways her family, especially her mother, are portrayed as silly, yet there is certainly an enduring quality about them and their relationship with Ana. Her relations with her father and grandfather are particularly resonating. It is unfortunate that the movie ends without a resolution with Ana’s mother, whatever that may have been.
There are also conflicts with Ana’s ‘modern’ view of relationships versus her mother’s tradition view. Ana’s mother believes that if she loses weight and remains chaste she will find a suitable husband, something Estella has been unable to do. Her mother believes marriage and hard work are the ultimate goals Ana should be pursuing.
Anna is certainly resistant to the ‘image’ of the slim, sexy girl she is ‘supposed’ to be in order to attract men. She clearly rejects that way of thinking even when her mother pushes it. All the women who work with Anna share her beliefs but until she voices them we have no indicating signs that they actively resist anything. In fact Estella and the women at the factory all design and make dresses that they cannot afford or fit into. Although the specially designed dress Estella presents to Ana could signal a new direction for Estella’s business and creativity.
Hello all, it's Moe.
That was a fantastic film. I enjoyed watching it a lot. The characters were all amazing. America Ferrera, star of poignant "Real Women Have Curves", a voluptuous and incisive first generation Mexican American teen, is at a crossroads, where one fork leads to parental independence and a college scholarship and down the other is the opportunity to remain the dutiful youngest daughter ... she must first come to terms with her carping mom, learn to appreciate how hard her sister works and become comfortable with her ample skin.
Ana refuses to succumb to popular-culture's super-model ideal and struggles to reconcile the virtues and values of her Mexican-American background. This, I think, is in reference to Hobsbawm's "proto-nationalism" in our text book where individuals maintain allegiance to certain mythical beliefs and to political/social institutions even though they crossed national borders. This is mostly seen in Ana's family's ideologies and culture.
In terms of boundaries, I think the film is an authentic portrayal of American life especially immigrates coming to this country seeking a better standard of life.
I think the relationship between Ana and her family is resembled for the most part as the relationships that exist between center and periphery. Ana's family both impedes and enables her movement toward the world of opportunity just like periphery nations impeding their regular citizens and enabling their elites to opportunities and benefits. Center-periphery relations are characterized by domination, control and subbordination. The center dominates and controls the flow of ideologies, economical services and even education (family vs Ana), or periphery-periphery relations (husband vs wife), and that's an indication of the title of the movie where "curves" is more than body curves... It is the curves life throws at us men and women.
The film tacitly tackles the immigration issue and framing by illustrating the general overall status of struggling immigrates. Most are underpaid, thriving and struggling to make ends meet. A good example is the dresses Estella makes; she gets paid $18 for a dress to be sold for $600 at Bloomingdale.
Emblematically, the film tracks and follows Ana from Spanish-speaking ghetto community into the polished world of Beverly Hills High School crossing the class lines and power grids of contemporary Los Angeles. That's an illustration of the pervasive and accelerating influences of westernization and acculturation where the affected society changes or wishes to change toward a more westernized society, in the hope of attaining western life or some aspects of it.
Ana for her mom, just like the nation, is a symbol of purity and chastity. She has to stay the loyal, chaste, all pure daughter waiting for a good husband to come along just like a newly independent nation with enduring traditions and cultures remaining chaste and virtuous.
A type of resistance, in my opinion, that occurs in the movie is that the film avoids a stereotypical portrayal of East L.A.; it's not seen as grimy or violence-ridden... Ana's family owns their own home in a simple quiet neighborhood in simple beauty.
That's all the thoughts for now, folks. I will post more as I get more reflections.
The film brings the dilemma of a teenager to the fore. Eighteen-year-old Ana is torn between her ambition and traditional culture of a Mexican family that she comes from. She identifies more with the US and is hell bent on following the American dream by getting a university degree but her parents particularly her mother Carmen tries to keep Ana under her grip. Carmen tries to put a leash on Ana in the name of culture, tradition and family unity.
Ana is in a fix as she has no choice but to work in a sweat shop run by her elder sister Estela, even when she is awarded scholarship in Columbia University. Ana wants to further her education and career and be a part of the global world but she seems to be stuck in a time warp as her parents want her to be a regular Mexican woman. Her parents are trying to stay within the boundaries of a traditional culture as Ana tries to strike a balance between fulfilling her family’s expectations and chasing her dreams in the US, the land of opportunities. I agree with the movie’s messages and framing of immigrants’ struggle in the US, first/second generation children/ teenagers’ dilemma in finding their identity and realizing their goals in a modern landscape against the backdrop of traditional and cultural ties. The reel movie does bring in a touch of reality although the real world may have a wide variety of stories yet to be told.
On the social and economic hierarchy front, it shows traces of exploitation and the gap between the core and periphery (dependency theory), wherein the bigger and financially strong company (core) purchases a dress for about $18 from Estala’s sweatshop (periphery) and makes a huge profit by selling it for around $ 600. The rich becomes richer, the poor becomes more dependent on the rich. This can also be attributed to Hegemony as the dominant party (company representative) tries to oppress the weaker section of society (Estela) by refusing to give her the much needed advance payment. The portrayal of unjust social and economic hierarchy in the movie is realistic, because the whole world that we live in including the US is indeed based on the unjust class system and socio economic hierarchy.
The conflict between traditional and modern culture in the movies is evident when Carmen wants Ana to play by her rules. She wants Ana to lose weight, find a man and get married while the modern culture entices Ana into following her free spirit and work towards her goals by getting a reputed degree from a topnotch university (Columbia university) away from home. Carmen implies that Ana is becoming more American when she stands up for what she believes in. This particular scene did refresh my memory --- whenever I used to speak my mind and did what I felt like doing (which was often the case) back home, my friends and relatives would call me a westerner.
Ana voices her resistance to thin body images by telling her mother that beauty can not be defined by a perfect figure. A person’s mind could have more depth and that everyone is beautiful the way they are – whether fat or thin. Others in the sweat shop can not agree more. Of course Carmen does not agree with Ana as she comes from a school of thought that believes single women should be slim and trim until they tie the knot with respectable men. Media effects on Carmen seem more dramatic – Carmen relates the story (soap opera) of a woman who dies after failing to pay heed to her mother’s advice; perhaps with the intention of reminding her daughters to listen to her.
Real women do have curves indeed. Are women who fight their own battles, face the world, and overcome obstacles along the way more real? Perhaps
Real Women have Curves was a great movie. The filmed displayed a young first generation Mexican-American female that was torn between following the “American dream” or becoming a traditional daughter following in her mother’s footsteps. This film seems to frame immigration as a struggle in the United States find their own identity in a new culture and a struggle to survive in a new country. This is a national issues that many immigrants in the United States seem to face as they struggle to survive, find stable jobs and raise their family. Their first and second generation children are also faced with a dilemma of finding out who they are in this new culture. Many of the issues that we discussed in class are brought out in this film, such as the traditional versus modern values. I agree with what the film is saying because there is a struggle to find their place in American society. Especially, the first and second generations who are trying to find out where they fit. They need to explore the modern way of life, getting an education, find a job and socializing with people their own age and at the same time follow the traditions of their parents and elders.
The film portrays social hierarchies between Carmen and Ana, where Carmen tries to dominate and run Ana’s life by keeping her in Los Angles and working in Estela’s sewing company. It is true that you should respect your parents and elders, but at the same time have a choice to explore and advance you education at your own will. Growing up here in Hawaii we are taught to always respect your elders. There are many people who I know that faced the same situation as Ana, but it the end the main issue should be what is in the best interest of the child. On the other end there is the economic hierarchy between Estela’s designer company and the “big wig” distributors. Estela struggles to meet the orders placed by the distributors and she gets paid $18 per dress when the stores, such as Bloomingdales sales that same exact dress for $600. What is wrong with this picture? Ana calls her sisters company a “sweat shop” and in a way it is because they are make extravagant dresses, working tirelessly to complete them and in then end basically get paid nothing. Supposedly Mrs. Glass is giving Estela a break for hiring her company to make these dresses just because she is a fellow Latina. It’s a favor that she is doing for Estela, who should be grateful for the opportunity.
I think the main conflict between traditional and modern culture in this film is between the family’s tradition of working, supporting the family and staying close and united, and the daughter (Ana) who wants to follow a modern culture of going off on her own and gaining an education. In a way I think the Modernization theory helps to understand the movie better. Similar to moving the farmers off the farm into the factories and cities, this movie is about a teenage Mexican-American girl who wants to get out of working in a sewing company (family tradition), which she compares to a sweatshop and get an education at a Columbia University. No, I can’t think on analogies at this time.
I think the resistance to media images that occurs in the film is when Ana, Estela and their coworkers embrace the bodies. They resist the typical model body that is portrayed by the media in advertisements, movies and television. I think it was an effective way to show resistance to media as each woman dressed down to their undergarments and began to compare the body types and stretch marks. It showed how they were comfortable with who they are and not going to change to fit the skinny, tall and model image. We all have curves and don’t have that model image that the media tries to portray as the ideal body.
“Real Women Have Curves” was a great film that encompassed a wide variety of communication themes. The film addresses issues such as national boundaries and culture, globalization, national identity, and immigration and the United States. Ana and her family go through various events in their life that highlight the different themes.
The theme of national boundaries is shown in the scene when Ana is riding the bus from her neighborhood to her school in Beverly Hills. The scene emphasizes how far Ana, of Latin American decent, has to travel in order to reach her school, which is located in a more affluent neighborhood. Once Ana arrives at her school it is obvious to see that she and her teacher are the only two people who are not white. This scene emphasizes the fact that in the United States, other cultures are viewed as lesser people.
The difference in cultures is seen when Ana and her friend Jimmy are talking at school. Jimmy asks Ana when she is leaving for Europe, and Ana’s response is that she is not going. Jimmy is saddened by this and makes a comment to Ana that he wanted to go to try something different, because things were too easy in the United States. Jimmy states that everything is given to people in the United States, which is not true for Ana.
Another issue addressed in the film is immigration. Ana and her family immigrated to the United States and the film shows how immigration is viewed in the U.S. Ana’s mother and sister work in a factory sewing clothes that are sold to merchandisers for an extremely cheap price, while her father and cousins work as “yardmen” for the wealthy. These occupations encompass the social stereotypes Americans place on immigrants. This is also an example of the social and economic hierarchies that exist within the film. In today’s society I think this hierarchy still exists. It is difficult for immigrants to get good paying jobs, because U.S. citizens feel they are incapable of being intelligent enough.
The theme of social hierarchies is seen in many scenes. The first example is seen when Ana rides the bus to school, she has to hop on two buses to reach her school, while other white kids take their own car to school. Another example is when Ana and Estella visit Ms. Glass’ office to ask for an advance on the paycheck. Ms. Glass, a businesswoman, refuses to give the advance. Ms. Glass can be seen as the center nation while Ana and Estella are the periphery nations. This shows that social hierarchy between the women. Another example of social hierarchy is when Jimmy talks about how easy things are to get. Although Jimmy feels it is too easy to get things, Ana has to work extremely hard to get what she wants. It was no question that Jimmy was going to college, but Ana struggled to find a way to go. The college situations is a great example of the social hierarchy because Ana had to rely on a full scholarship while Jimmy did not have to worry about how he was going to pay for school.
Conflicts between traditional and modern values are seen in the film. Ana’s mother feels it is more important that Ana learn how to cook, clean, and take care of man instead of going to college to get an education. Ana thinks her mother’s views are ridiculous and she makes that known throughout the entire movie. Ana, who lives in a modern society than her mother grew up in, knows that there is more to a woman than her looks and her ability to take care of a man. It is more important to Ana to receive a college education. Throughout the movie, Ana is always making comments to Carmen about how there is more to a woman than her looks. Another example of modern vs. tradition is when the women take their clothes off at the factory. Carmen believes that they should not take their clothes off because they are overweight, but Ana feels that weight is not important as long as you like who you are. These scenes are also examples of media resistance. Even though the media says women should be pretty and thin, Ana rejects this and is happy with the way she is. I think the resistance to the media is effective because it shows women that they do not have to be extremely skinny to be pretty. Ana, who is plus size, is a beautiful girl who empowers her sister and the other women in the factory to be OK with their bodies and who they are.
The framing of immigration in "Real Women Have Curves" is definitely different than that of our President George W Bush. I notice that most of the time when I see media coverage on the issue, it is suggested that these "illegal aliens" (not persons, but aliens) are coming into America and doing nothing but creating negative effects on society. I was born and raised in Texas, and I can definitely say that I have experienced the "melting pot theory" of life; an ecclectic blend of two distinct cultures interacting as one. I CAN say that I have seen such things presented in the media like gangs, violence, drugs (the Cartel), but I have also experienced great friendship, knowledge and other positive influences interacting with people from south of the border.
Although the movie offers an oppositional reading of what media says about immigration I found it to be quite enjoyable. In fact, I enjoy the fact that the movie is focused on Ana, a smart beautiful woman who can embrace herself in and WITHin her culture. It does not even focus on "the bad" within her society. It allowed me as a viewer to follow Ana's emergence into society as a person, no matter her ethnicity. I enjoyed how the opening sequence shots of Spanish dialect and advertisements etc leads you to believe that the story is in Mexico, but then you see the sign for Beverly Hills and you realize that Ana lives in a border town and commutes to Beverly Hills so that she can get a better education.
The constant conflict of old family traditions with younger evolved ways of thought show a great struggle of how college is not as easy to attain as you think... Even when Ana earns a full ride scholarship to Columbia she must decide if she will go on to college without her family's blessing. I found the film to be a relief, it was nice to see Ana (part of a minority) be portrayed in such a positive light with such a strong mind and drive for success. The word "oppositional" is derived from a very negative meaning, however sometimes something in opposition can present a very positive thing!!!
I found it interesting that that the film --in its first few scenes--showed the journey from Ana's neighborhood to her high school in Beverly Hills. I think this scene was telling in that at first it was hard to tell if she was in Mexico or an area of Los Angeles. One could see the many Spanish and Hispanic influences that surrounded her, but those influences decreased as she arrived to the toney Beverly Hills neighborhood where she went to high school. It was also very symbolic of a struggle to rise up from what might be considered a less than desirable area to one perceived as priveleged. She had to change buses many times, and it appeared that it took a long time to get to her high school.
The issue of globalization arose quickly when Ana conveyed her displeasure at the notion that her sister's business was nothing much more than a sweat shop, and only good for cheap but productive labor. There was even the time when it seemed as though the laborers would be permanently fixed in this world when Ana asked her sister to turn on the fan, but she refused stating that the fan would blow dust on the dresses. It seemed that later in the film, when they started to shed their clothing it was more than just a moment of liberation from the shackling portrayls of a woman's body, but also a way of seeking a little comfort in a stifling envirionment. It should be noted that Ana's mother refused to engage in this symbolic gesture, choosing instead to remain steadfast to her antiquated beliefs of servitude and constant sacrifice.
The social hierarchy of Ana's world is one where women are used in a utilitarian manner. A world Ana seeks to rebel against at almost every turn. Her father and the men were clearly at the top, while the women, though certainly appreciated, were subjected to and relegated to a lesser role. The class and gender roles were clear and distinct. The men made the decisions. When Ana arrived at her graduation party she was led into the back yard by a male, the males played music, and they were even first to congratulate her. The women served... when her teacher came to visit to beseech her parents to allow Ana to go to college, the father spoke mainly, and ultimately, he decided that Ana would stay put. Another example that infuriated Ana, was her mother's quizzical response to a woman even being able to use her mind. She believed that a woman should marry, bear children, and serve the family no matter what the cost, always at the expense of any dreams and goals. Also note how even though the mother appreciated Estella, she pretty much wrote her off as a lost cause, because she was not married and had no family of her own. (Estella's worth was exemplified in the first scene when the mother asked for Ana to come to her instead of Estella, in fact, telling Estella to go and get Ana).
The economic hierarchies follow the same pattern, but with a slight twist. It was Ana's father that loaned the money to Estella... to "save" her in a sense, but it was a female manufacturer who held the fate of the business. This is illustrated in the scene when Ana and Estella went to ask for an advance. The manufacturer weilded all the power, and even lorded it over the two laborers by refusing the advance and even chastising her for asking. She even tried to illicit sympathy by saying that it was she who was making the sacrifice by trying to help women like "them", she actually, however, only came off as pompous and callous.
There were many instances of cultural v. modern tradition throughout the film, but I found one subtle difference that was telling. When ana went to ask her father to loan Estella the money, she went to where he worked... another affluent neighborhood where he worked as a landscaper. Yet, Ana went to him as the authority, even though his standing in the overall sense might be considered menial. Ana's request was not only a benevolent one --in trying to help her sister-- but it was also a test to see how effective she could be in convincing her father to allow her to rise above and perhaps into the socioeconomic world in which he merely worked. Such a move would be a major break from her very traditional upbringing. The other more glaring example would be when Ana sought to engage in sex with her male classmate. She clearly claimed her virginity as her own, and it was hers to do with as she pleased. In fact, she actually instigated and lead the act, by arranging a ruse to meet him, initiating the use of contraception, and by blithely telling him to seek other relationships while away at college. This was not merely an act of love, it was an act of sexual freedom, and no religious tenets or traditional beliefs were going to impede her.
The theory of hegemony is prevalent throughout in the film, but ironically it is the father who ends up --by his actions-- changing the social norms. It is the mother who constantly tries to maintain the order of things (she does not even go to Ana and give her blessing when she is about to leave for school). The mother tries and demands that Ana be compliant to the social hierarchy until the very end, but as illustrated by Ana coming up from the subway (very symbolic) and strutting her stuff down that New York City street, it is obvious that Ana was about to embark on a very new and different journey, curves and all.
Hey, here are my thoughts of the movie..
“Real Women Have Curves” portrays a Mexican immigrant family in a different way than what is the typical “Mexican” in American movies. The story revolves around a hard working Mexican family, but mainly of the youngest daughter of the family, Ana Garcia.
The story shows how different values Mexican immigrants in America have compared to the Americans. It shows how they expect their daughter to follow the Mexican values and traditions, and how this conflicts with their daughter’s American values.
Ana is a smart girl and wants to follow her own wills and go to college. While her mother expects her daughter to start working at her sisters sewing factory. The mother keeps on comparing her self and how she did when she was young to the daughter, and expects Ana to follow her suggestions. Ana refuses to do so, and this is when the generation gap, and cultural differences between the American and Mexican culture really shows in this movie.
While Ana who is born and raised in America, follows the American way of thinking, the more individualistic way, has got a scholarship and wants to go to college. She think that the sewing factory is not a place for her to work, and has put much higher goals for herself. While her Mother which was born and raised in Mexico and follows the more collectivist way of thinking, wants her to put the family first, and has her own thoughts of what she thinks is the best for Ana, she thinks that New York is too far away and feels that Ana cannot abandon the family in this way.
Hello to everyone from Chany
This film speaks of many social issues facing immigrants today. Some of the problems are from a sociatal cause whle others are from a conflict of traditional values and modern values. The movie addresses culture and national identity as well as the immigration issue. Here is a family faced with the challenges of assimilating themselves into a culture different from their own. The conflict of culture is not only displayed in their situation and place in society but also within the the differing viewpoints of Ana and her mother.
Ana's family is a typical Mexican family living in a poor section of town among more Hispanic families in similar situations. The family's station in life is to be cheap labor for the upper middle class, the men as gardeners and the women as seamtresses. While the dresses Estela's factory makes are being sold for $600 at Bloomindale's, Estela is only receiving $18 per dress. We can really see the divide in social class when Estela and Ana goes to ask for an advance; we see they are treated as second class citizens.
The way Mrs. Glass treated Estela and Ana is further reinforced by the submissive way in which Estela interacts with Mrs. Glass. This submissiveness is then reinforced by the conflict of traditional culture and modern culture. Here Carmen is the traditional world trying to enforce a traditional worldview onto her daughters. Estela submits to Carmen's oppressiveness, but we see that Estela does not agree with Carmen, and Ana is the modern culture fighting against the traditional life.
Ana's relationship with her mother represents the conflict of traditional and modern culture. Ana wants to leave el barrio, further her education, and see what the world has to offer outside of her shabby town. Carmen wants Ana to follow in her sister's footstep, work to help the family, and stay in the exact situation everyone else in that community is in.
Ana and Carmen are in almost constant conflict throughout the movie, with Ana giving in to her mother's demand for a time and learning of "her place in life." In the end, though she still wanted Carmen's approval, Ana breaks away from her family to find a place in life for herself. I find that the film portrays a fairly accurate picture of what it is like to be raised within one culture while growing up within another. Ana is not only fighting her mother but the tradition of an entire culture.
This movie also touches on the role of a woman as well as how women are viewed. Throughout the movie, Carmen is telling Ana she is fat and not beautiful. Ana accepts who she is and encorages the other women in the factory to see the beauty in who they are, though Carmen does not come around to this point to view (another example of the conflict of traditional and modern culture). Also, Carmen makes a mention of how Ana will never find a man being as fat as she is. Ana retaliates by sarcastically stating the traditional role of a woman.
This scene hit a cord in me, recently I spent a week just being a housewife and I have to say I enjoyed it. Having always fought to be an independent woman it was strange to find myself liking the traditional housewife role. In the movie, Ana fights to become an independent woman and Carmen is her obstacle with her old world view of a woman's place. Though the movie portrays Carmen as an oppressive old fashioned woman who doesn't want her daughter to move ahead in life, I have to ask, is it really that wrong to want a traditional role?
As for media resistance, this is shown most prominently in the factory where the women are making the dresses for small women. Ana looks at the dresses after ironing them and decides they are not for her because beautiful dresses are not for big women. Her sister sees this and creates a beautiful dress for Ana and tells her that beuatiful dresses are not just for skinny people. Also, when Ana takes off her shirt in the factory and convinces the other women to do the same. Here they are celebrating their bodies and who they are. It doesn't matter that the media doesn't consider them beautiful, they accepts who they are and find themselves beautiful.
Overall I really enjoyed this film and found that it is an excellent example of many of the social conflicts facing our society today. It is also a very accurate portrayal of the challenges many immigrants have to deal with, not just Hispanics.
"Real Women Have Curves" is a trite, chick-flick that exploits young women's body-type neuroses. The story line and acting are pedantic and predictable, however there are some interesting theories that can be applied to the movie. For instance, Modernization theory suggests that underdeveloped countries, are underdeveloped because they had not gone through an industrial revolution. "Curves" provides a clear example of Ana's family as representatives of the tricontinent who are toiling within their own industrial revolution...the sweatshop, the manual labor of the father, etc. While the audience watches the family "modenize" another dynamic is taking place. Cultural and media imperialism is at work. Modernization is a stigma attached to those trying to gain power in a hegemonic society, but the irony is that the host culture will never regard the tricontinental as having "caught up." Now, that's imperialism. Another theory is Dependency. This theory states that tricontinentals will be influenced by 1st world media. Once exposed to the products of the 1st world the tricontinental will begin to adopt cultural normatives that differ from their home country. "Curves" best illustrated this by Ana's struggle with trying to adhere to traditional mexican values while trying to assimilate into a U.S. reality.
Real Women have Curves frames Mexican immigration. Anna’ family moved to the USA. and work to survive. However, the family has their tradition Mexican which frames immigration in the USA. Anna is the third generation who was raised up from her tradition mother, so the nation boundaries are still in her family, of course. It is important that Los Angeles represents civilization, economic, and industry; however, Anna lives in the poor area which obviously has immigration. While Jimmy lives in nice area, has car, and his own room. This boundaries describes the immigrants can not blend to be American. Moreover, the circumstances explain the culture. The Mexican culture is a big family which many generations including cousins live together while the American is a single family. Anna’ family always has their dinner together, talk, and share their story. Although they are the third generation, they have had their own value culture.
Anna’ mother has her own nation identities and try to teach these identities to Anna. Her mother needs Anna to follow the way that she used to be in her age. However, the globalization offers Anna’s mother to have her house and job. She has never accepted everything. Anna needs to have higher education and live in NYC. Her mother can not understand why Anna needs to go there. She thinks she can teach Anna and Anna can survive without higher education. She has her nation identity and rejects the things from the outside as education and living with her daughters. This frame shows nation identity can not fade away although she lives with globalization.
Clearly, the social and economic are framed in this movie because the statues of immigrant and the resident are different. “Cheap labor” is the right word for Anna’s sister who has no choice although she has talent to design. She can not call for advance and raise more the wages. The social statues of Ann’ s sister is understanding to immigrants who are satisfied to her job, and she does not want to lose her job. She thought it was better to not bother her boss. Moreover, Anna’s family is not good in economic, so she needs to apply for scholarship. On the other hand, Jimmy can continue studying the college without financial problem. These interpretations explain the social and economic of immigrant in the USA. which the movie presents the gap, taking advantage, chance between immigrant and resident.
Anna is the conflict traditional and modern culture. It might say she is representative of any immigrant because she was raised up in tradition culture but she lives in modern culture. Many times she rejects to follow her mother to help the cloth factory however, she agrees to help her sister which it is tradition as people in factory do, also. After she figures out that the clothing factory is not her desire. With the freedom in the USA., she needs her own ways, high education and better life. Finally, she decides to have modern culture in her life. She seems happy to live in NYC.
The appearance of Anna is resistance to media image because her shape does not expect in any media as TV and Ads. Anna understands and believes in herself what she is doing and she is. Moreover, she has never been ashamed what she look like. She knows the real women needs, it seems happy and enjoy to work in clothing factory after all of them realize that they are “real women”.
Response to Question 1: This film says people of different cultures can retain their cultural identity inside of a larger culture. This is portrayed through the various travel scenes in which Ana travels out of the Latino district and into the larger city district. Furthermore, it says that the culture you grow up in will be the culture you desire when you are old. This is evidenced by Norma’s Grandmother's desire to return to Mexico with her because she always wanted to return to her village. I did not observe immigration policy issues in this movie but, I did observe the traditional Latino stereotypes. For instance, that all Latino immigrants do yard service work or sew. I do not think these stereo types are the absolute norm for Latino immigrants.
Response to Question 2: I do not think this film portrays anything dealing with immigration issues or policies. I did not agree with the stereotypical framing used to describe Ana’s family. I believe this stereotyping marginalized the Latino community by saying that these types of people could only do yard work and sew. In my opinion, this movie did not an accurate reflection of the abilities and contributions of the Latino community. Furthermore, a patriarchic mindset was propagated in this move as evidenced by Mr. Guzman telling Ana he knew the Dean of Columbia University and that he could probably get her accepted for the Fall Semester. This says that Ana could not get in by herself but needed a man’s help to get accepted.
Response to Question 3: The social and economical hierarchies were stereotyped. For example:
Whites were the rich spoiled kids who take everything for granted and have everything given to them. This is an unfair characterization of white people because there are many poor white people that struggle and go through some of the same issues as the poor in other races represented in America. Poverty is not limited to on specific race.
Asians- Were the land owners and only out to keep the money flowing in. This was generalized with the background scenes of the Asian communities and Estella’s meeting with her landlord. His concern was getting the rent money and nothing else.
Blacks- were depicted as being nonchalant and not really caring about others. This was evidenced with the police officer who in his parting comments to Ana and her mother was “Knock yourselves out ladies.” His body language portrayed the same impression and a lack of understanding the Latino culture.
I do not agree with the presentations of the various races. The movie placed whites at the top social hierarchy and Latinos at the bottom. The relationships of authority in business were ruthless. The hierarchy in the family was elders first and more specifically men. At times, it appeared that the Ana’s mother ran the whole household and the opinions and thoughts that were to be followed. For example, her conversation with Mr. Guzman concerning Ana’s acceptance into Columbia University. She took over from her husband and made it clear that Ana was not going to school. However, in the end Ana went to her Father who gave his blessing and as a result she was able to go to school without her mother ever giving Ana her blessing.
Response to Question 4: The conflict between traditional and modern cultures centers on education and marriage. The mother’s view of education is domestic attributes in preparation for marriage as opposed to obtaining a college education for a career. She did not see the value of a college education and she felt Ana needed to start working since she had been working since she was thirteen. At the same, she expressed dislike of her life with her comment of “what do you expect after sewing for 38 years.” A second conflict is the view of how women should look and act. This is evidenced by the Ana’s mother’s frequent fat remark, her lectures on acting like a lady, her reaction to Ana’s loss of virginity, and her reaction to the women shedding their clothes and working in their undergarments.
Theories that could be used in interpreting aspects of this film are hegemony especially in the business portrayals, the theory of the female nation or saving the brown woman because domestic education was what her mother wanted for Ana and the theory of modernization because it states that media can transform traditional societies.
Response to Question 5: An example to media resistance that stands out to me example that stands out is Ana’s resistance to watching what she called Spanish Soap Operas. She had a disdain for this media and poked fun of her mother for watching them and then re-telling the plot line. Her mother referred to the episodes as not being soap operas and called them Novellas. Her mother found joy or a release from life in watching these episodes. For Ana, the resistance was effective but for her mother Ana’s resistance was not effective and it made Ana appear disrespectful rather than effectively persuading her mother out of watching the soap operas. Finally, theories used for rebuttals of different interpretations can and will be chosen only after reading the various interpretations. However, I surmise the same ones mentioned in my evaluation comments will be the same ones that I used for discourse and discussion.
Many people immigrated to the United State for better life. Ana’s family is a Mexican family and lives in U.S. Her family is a traditional family. Her father is a gardener. Her sister is managing a factory for making dressing with her mother. They are cheap labors in the society because they make dressing for $18 dollars each but the manufactory sells them for $600 dollars. Due to this, Ana family have poor situation. Even thought they are in U.S., they are still in the underclass of the society. Therefore, the immigration has made many problems in United State.
There are many conflicts between traditional and modern culture. Ana and her mother, Carmen, represent different side of the cultures. Ana present modern side and Carmen is a tradition woman. The first, although Carmen loves her daughters, she always uses acrimonious attitude to them. She wants Ana losing some weigh to become a beautiful girl. However, Ana has a strong confident for her body shape. The second, Carmen thinks that finding a job and getting marriage are more important than going to college. In comparison, Ana believes that going to college and continuing education are more important than a job and a marriage. The third, Carmen clams virgin is important thing for women. Yet Ana doesn’t think that way. Although she had sex with her boyfriend, she doesn’t want the boyfriend taking responsibility because he will go to college. However, Carmen is a mother wants her daughters to find a job and lose weigh for getting marriage. Therefore, when the labors of the factory take off their clothes, Carmen cannot accept this.
These kinds of conflicts not only exist in Mexican families of United State, but it also happen in many places such as Taiwan. For example, many souths Asian are going to Taiwan for better job and better salary. In face, they situation are similar with Ana’s family.
Greeting to everyone from Angela,
Galtung dependency theory fits situation of this movie. He bases his interpretation on the World Systems. One of the points he states that there are conflicting interest between center and the periphery and also power and wealth is unequally distributed. There many conflicts going on within the movie having to do with Ana family and American society.
The framing of this movie is that United States looks like Mexico, because most of the filming took place in a rural or barrio areas in America. Unfortunately, confirming that immigration hasn’t been doing their job of controlling the borders. Another example would be Stella’s sewing shop and how Ana kept calling it a sweat shop. Stella doesn’t see it that way but Ana see the big picture.
The movies view on social and economic hierarchies is that it’s socially accepted. Everyone accept Ana doesn’t see there is a problem. For example Ana’s sister who gets paid 18 dollars for each dress she makes for Bloomingdales when she could be charging more for it. Later on in movie she had to talk to the business lady for an extension on date of when the order of dresses was due, this is an example of social and economic hierarchies between Stella and the business lady. For the business lady it’s all about capitalism.
Ana’s family was an example of Traditional and modern cultures. Especial Ana’s Mother who was so set in the idea traditional family culture.
Basically, the conflicting idea of progress and change in a traditional culture is when Ana’s opportunity to get a full scholarship to Columbia University and essential make better life for herself. Mother and the family didn’t want her to go because she was thinking of tradition & culture. Not seeing that Ana would benefit in the end.
The Media resistance in this movie is when Ana accepts her weight and how her mother really patronizes her about her weight. She resists the media’s idea and her mom of being thin as a norm. As a rebellion, Ana gets everyone in sweat shop to take off their clothes and see how beautiful they really are.
Tchau
Angela
Real Women Have Curves is a slice of life peek into the world of Ana Garcia. Produced by HBO Independent, this archetypal coming of age story packed a wallop with American audiences because it explored a multitude of hot button issues that many people could relate to. Ana was a first generation American, her parents imposed traditional values, her sister operated a sweatshop, she secretly dated a boy outside her culture, and she was constantly berated for her independent spirit. Filmmakers tell stories from the protagonist’s point of view but in this case, empathy leaned towards different characters depending on the viewer’s own cultural, social, and economic background.
The film reveals blurry definitions of national boundaries and culture since they are based on collective patterns, values, norms, and artifacts. Ana’s mother Carmen was determined to raise her daughters to become excellent wives and mothers but she felt like she was losing the battle and therefore that she was a failure. Carmen considered her eldest daughter Estela to be a lost cause since she was already 28 and still not married. It was impossible for Carmen to accept the fact that her daughters had created their own way of life in their Latina subculture within a larger, more defining U.S. system. As the women of different generations attempted to explain their viewpoints, it was difficult for them to truly understand each other because each person held components of their cultural interpretations as defined by their own way of life.
Personally, it’s easy for me to relate to Ana’s cultural dichotomy since I am a first generation Asian American and have constantly struggled to carve a niche for myself within a family that cherishes traditional Asian values. From a young age, Americans are taught to question everything around them and to constantly expand theoretical frameworks. This presented an interesting challenge for me within a family that seldom defined or questioned shared beliefs, attitudes, and values. But I have learned to adapt. After all, the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.
Although extremely stereotypical and painfully oversimplified, the immigration issues and socio-economic hierarchies in the film allow for much discussion. The Garcias are framed as the typical family that immigrated to America and is now pigeonholed in their search for a better life. The mother is overburdened with little joy, the older sister is mistreated by corporate America, the father is a blue-collar worker scraping to get by, and the grandfather supplies endless compassion within the household. The problem is that every character seems unaware of their own limitations until Ana indignantly points them out. Ana refuses to be victim of dependency theory, resists the media, and exposes hegemony. She is the heroine of injustice, the leader of the repressed, and the valiant explorer of the unexplored. She represents the American dream.
The building blocks of Latina culture surely is not composed merely of telenovelas, gossip, nicknames, and advertisements but the film does successfully illustrate how this collectivistic and high-context culture values long-term relationships, saving face, and nonverbal communication. Even a viewer who has never studied intercultural systems would be able to innately comprehend these complex concepts within the context of the film and for that, it is a perfect example of the struggle between traditional vs. modern cultures.
The movie “Real Women Have Curves” is about around Ana, a high school graduate, who is trapped between two cultures. She studied hard through high school, and is smart enough to get a scholarship into college. However Ana's mother Carmen is strictly opposed. She doesn't want to break up the family, and wants Ana to help her sister Estela in her sewing factory. Ana and Carmen do not have the best of relationships. Carmen expects Ana to put her family first, while Ana, raised in America, wants to go her own way. She is aware of the fact that she is smart and can go to college. Therefore she doesn’t want to pursue her family traditions, which would be to get married, get kids, take care of her husband and work in the factory. Another topic covered in the movie is that of weight. Ana and Carmen are both overweight, and Ana is annoyed by her mother's continuous complaining over the weight. Ana's relationship with her new boyfriend Jimmy begins to change things. Jimmy helps strengthen Ana's feelings that she is beautiful and that her weight is part of who she is as a woman.
I personally think that the movie portrays very well the difference between the two cultures Ana is trapped in. Her family’s traditions, which she adapted, but doesn’t necessarily follow, are to some extend in Ana’s way. She is more familiar with the American traditions, the idealistic way of thinking and wants to act accordingly. However, even though Ana is an American girl, she is seen by her environment as a Latino and also immediately categorized by society. Ana’s main problem with the traditions is her family, which follows the collectivists way of thinking. Ana has a strong mind and wants to pursue her goals, but on the other hand she doesn’t want to hurt her family. The difference between the social and economic hierarchies can be well seen where Ana goes to school. All the other students talk naturally about going to college and traveling Europe. Nobody even has a though that Ana could be different. The difference is also portrayed in materialistic object, such as Jimmy's Apple laptop and Ana's old fashioned computer, as well as the cars which are shown. Also her family is portrayed as a typical hard working family, with characteristic jobs, such as gardening and sewing.
I find it very interesting to see movies like this, as it shows us that the United States are a big melting pot and that traditions continue to be lived by immigrants even though they might already be in the 3rd generation. Furthermore, it is fascinating to see how people are trying to break out of their family traditions, but fail and how they live a two faced live.
Real Women Have Curves basically talks about the first Mexican generation (Ana’s parents) immigrated to United States who still carry the traditional way of thinking when they nurture their kids. The second generation (Ana and the elder sister Estela) watch the way the parents treat which is totally different from American family, and cause generation gap and culture resistance.
Apparently Ana is a smart girl who is capable of entering to one of the best universities in United States. However, because of family needs, she had to choose staying home instead a better education. The high school teacher thought Ana should go to college for a better future and encouraged her to send out application form. Fortunately, she was admitted to Columbia University, where is the opposite coast from where she lives and it made the family was unhappy to be apart.
Meanwhile, Ana thought she was attractive to Jimmy, who is Ana’s classmate, and even thought she made up her mind to go to Columbia University, she wanted to be in love once before leaving her hometown. Finally, the father’s support let her be a real woman with confidence to talk in Manhattan, which portrays Ana’s ‘American Dream’, and she is no longer a little girl to obey every single word from her parents.
I think the turning point of Ana’s life is when she decides to apply college and grab a college application form from her teacher. The moment makes Ana realize she wants to be herself, create her own future, not lives in a small Mexican town and work in a small sewing shop with mature ladies who always gossipy around and emotionless sister. The circumstance of Ana’s life pretty much represents traditional and modern culture conflict.
Especially Ana is raised (probably burn, too) in United States, she might not understand why her mother treats her differently from other American mothers. For example, Ana’s mother always complains Ana and Estela are fat and ugly. If they can lose some weights, walk more feminine, they would be able to find boy friend easily. However, probably in Mexican culture, parents won’t show their love in front of children, or parents won’t praise their children in front of people. Ana misunderstand her mother, also does not realize that is traditional culture, which makes her frustrated to communicate with her mother.
I agree with the film frame the immigration issue. Even though the family lives in a house somewhere nearby Hollywood, the people live around are Mexican, too. Ana’s parents still watch Mexican soap opera. Mature Mexican ladies work in Ana’s elder sister’s little sewing shop. Different values of gaining higher education, Ana’s father as a yardman, and so on. Those describe immigration frame from this movie.
Hi, this is Madoka.
This movie tries to show 1) that Ana, second-generation Mexican American, is experiencing a cultural crash between traditional concept of value of Mexico and modern concept of value in U.S., 2) that it is hard to receive higher education for immigrants, 3) it is hard to earn much money for them, and 4) the social gap exist between white Americans and immigrants.
Through out this movie, I think the movie implies that concept A (Ana’s mother) is old-fashioned belief where women usually stay at home and support their family, but the concept in U.S. is to provide opportunities to anyone. For example, as the conflict depicted from Ana and her mother, traditional concept shows that women do not need to receive higher education, that women should find someone and get married, and that children, especially girls, should remain at home and work for their family. On the other hand, modern concept shows that women need to be educated and free from restrictions by family. However, the value is acknowledged only by developed countries such as U.S., and people cannot always say that American value is suitable for all. The value can be given or provided but can’t be enforced. The movie was trying to enforce American value and persuade views to believe that Ana should follow the American value. But, I believe their traditional value need to be respected due to their culture and tradition. Therefore, I do not agree with the point.
Although I do not want to accept the way to draw each concept, I agree with the social and economic hierarchies that this movie tries to show because we can still see the those gaps between white Americans and immigrants. For example, when we go to fast food restaurant, most of the workers look like immigrants. We cannot say that those workers get high salaries from that kind of work places. Likewise, this movie shows that immigrants work as “sweatshop labors.” I think the movie appropriately described about the issue.
For this movie, I think we can consider “culture imperialism” and “media imperialism”. By scenes that Ana’s mother tries to force Ana to follow her and her concepts of value, this movie shows as if Ana’s mother made wrong decisions toward her daughter and lets the audiences have bad impression on her mother. The movie also shows how the power of developed countries controls immigrants’ identity. Eventually, the audiences who watch the movie might agree with Ana’s decision and think that Ana can spend happy life by achieving higher education. However, the point of view is only for people in developed countries, and nobody knows if Ana’s decision is right or wrong. Therefore, theories, “culture imperialism” and “media imperialism,” could be referred to this movie.
As I mentioned, I think that media can avoid assuming or implying whether concept A is right or wrong. The movie shows that Ana’s sister seemed to have followed their mother and her concepts of value, but the sister does not live happily due to economic problem. I think the movie could show that the sister lives more happily than other people. In addition, the movie could let the audiences think or consider conflicts each concept value more deeply.
By using modernization theory, I could study how view of developed country side influence and manipulate third world’s concepts and value.
Hi Dr. G,
This movie is about the struggle that Ana, an 18-year-old Mexican-American girl in Los Angeles, has in trying to find self-fulfillment. She is torn between the traditions of her heritage, the obligations to her family, and achieving her full potential. Ana's mother is an embodiment of her Mexican heritage and family obligations.
Mr. Guzman, a Mexican-American himself, is the modern world personified. That is what is brilliant about this movie: the two ideals that the girl must choose between are represented by two different characters. Ana's mother is a die-hard traditionalist. She has seen the world change in her lifetime and she is desperately hoping to save her daughter from this new, scary world. Plus, she wants her daughter to stay at home and work in the family business to help out the family. Mr. Guzman is Ana's High School Teacher. He sees the brilliant potential in Ana and perhaps because of her Mexican heritage, he is very concerned that her bright future will be wasted away if she takes the usual life path that most Mexican-American kids take.
The story of Ana, a first generation Mexican-American teen on the verge of becoming a woman, in Real Women Have Curve is stunning, attention grabbing and beautifully acted with conflicts between her traditional old world family and mainstream ambitious.
It is always difficult to have cultural conflicts with other people but it is even worse when it comes down to conflicts within one self just like what Ana has.
Ana lives in Latino community of East Los Angeles. Freshly graduated from high school, Ana received a full scholarship to Columbia University. However, Ana’s mother, Carmen, does not want her to go for it. She always tells stories of runaway girls with disastrous ends and the admonition, “That’s what happens to girls who don’t listen to their mothers”, she said.
The best scene in “Real Women Have Curves” is when four Mexican-American women of varying sizes strip down to their underwear and compare stretch marks. That accomplished, they remain undressed and get back to work in the sweatshop that employs them, happier now that they've liberated themselves both literally and figuratively.
Regarding media, in this film her eventual love interest is a skinny white guy, unfortunately, media possesses us into assuming that the only types of relationships involve pretty guys and pretty girls.
Generally, I was very impressed with this movie because this is a story about a girl, who values herself, in a culture that values family. This is a good frame of the film – inner strength, genuine beauty of women, and ethnicity.
Hello Prof. G, “Real Women Have Curve” talk about the story of Mexican-American teenager who must compromise between her family’ expectations and her own dreams of attending college. The portrayal of a protagonist who does not fit conventional molds of feminine beauty is at the core of the movie’s unique appeal. At its heart, the movie is about accepting physical imperfections and recognizing that true beauty is inside; by accepting herself as she is and rejecting preconceived notions of ‘beautiful’. Ana is a woman who refuses to be commodified, and made into a Barbie-esque product. This critiques the common stereotype that a desirable woman is one who is aesthetically beautiful, and that a woman’s worth is determined by beauty, wealth, and consumerism. The movie also establishes Ana’s unique identity within the framework of her race, social/economic class and gender. The conflict between Ana’s familial duties and college aspirations is deeply grounded in those intersecting themes; Ana’s mother is unable to see college as a practical and realistic option, and instead wishes for Ana to assume the domestic responsibilities of a traditional Latina daughter. However, it is the climax of this struggle that embodies the depth and poignancy of the rest of the movie.
This film talks about the Mexican culture that is the family’s tradition working. Everybody in family has to help each other. However, Ana want to break the tradition. She does not want to work at sewing factory. She needs to follow her dream that is continued to study college. Then, this film talks about immigrant who coming to this country seeking a better standard of life that is the frame of this film. Most of immigrants are working in low jobs such as gardener, worker in the factory. Therefore, I agree with this framing.
This film has the conflict between Ana and her mother about the tradition’s parents. Her mother possesses the traditional beliefs and roles of a low socioeconomic class and Latino culture asserting that a woman’s destiny is simply to get married, have children and take care of her family. Hence, from Carmen’s perspective college is out, hard work is in. How dare Ana try to break the cycle of working in a sweatshop and dream outside of her mother’s expectations. However, as Ana states ‘women have ideas, they have a mind’. Ana’s mother is a traditional Mexican mother trying to make her daughters fit into the same mold she herself grew up in, however Ana will not accept this stereotypical role of the Latina housemaid or the Latina factory oriented worker.
Structural imperialism and dependency theory are present between Ms. Glass (the dress buyer) and Estela (Anna's sister & the dressmaker in the family “sweat shop”). According to Galtung and our handouts, structural imperialism revolves around the two forms of interaction, ‘vertical’ and ‘feudal’ and the benefits of the system flow upwards from the less developed states to the centre states. In the movie, “Real Women Have Curves” the benefits are the dresses that Estela, Anna and the rest of the women make in the dress shop. They work long hours for little pay to receive only $18 per dress when Bloomingdales in turn sells it for $600. So in this example the women in the “sweat shop” are the “less developed states” and the largest benefit or profit from the dresses move in a ‘vertical’ way right up to the top. Dependency theory is present because of the imbalance in the flow of these goods and services.
With this example, the movie frames economic hierarchy in a negative way. The viewer doesn’t come away with the idea that Anna’s sister (Estella) will ever really make a large enough profit to come out of her lower income level; she will never stop worrying about the rent check every month and not being able to pay her employees. The backdrop for the scene where Anna and Estella approach Ms. Glass (the dress buyer), is a modern high rise. It reinforces the discontinuity of economic power between the two businesses. The overall frame is a Mexican-immigrant’s economic and cultural struggle living in the U.S. In addition to Estella’s “sweat shop”, we see Anna’s father and male cousins having poor-working man’s jobs of landscaping. This is not a job that relies on there knowledge or even education, rather it’s physical labor relying on your body, and your hands, to make a living.
Anna is resistant to media images by refusing to agree with the media when you need to be a size 7 like Estella’s dresses. Anna takes off her clothes at the dress shop to prove to her mom that she’s not embarrassed by her body and instead she’s comfortable being a plus size woman. She also does something that I think few teenage girls would do even if they were skinny, and that’s tell their boyfriend to leave the light on so that he can see her naked while loosing her virginity. She also mocks her mother’s Mexican soap opera while she’s watching it because Anna doesn’t agree with the traditional Mexican culture it represents. The story of the soap opera was a young women who didn’t listen to her mother and ended up pregnant. By Anna mocking the show and guessing the predictable ending, she resists popular cultural media images. This underlying conflict between Anna’s modern views on culture and her mother’s traditional views create an interesting relationship and a powerful international film.
ANDREA CILETTI
It's Gunho Lee.
Real Women have Curves.
When I saw the title of this film first, I could not easily imagine what the meaning of the title is. But, I was able to form some idea of it after I see the full title of film on the case of DVD
‘Real Women take chances, have flaws, embrace life, have Curves’
This Film describes the life of the people from the third world in the U.S.
Even though the basic story line of the film–-a smart young girl born in poor family goes to find her freedom and success toward developed society, especially real western society—was so bored, I would like to pay my tribute of praise to the director’s talents, nimble scenes to make audiences are not bored during 86 minutes run time (for instance, the scene that Ana’s grandpa helps her to have a date with her first boyfriend, the scene that Ana choose a condom and lead her boyfriend to have a sex, and the scene that every employee(except Ana’s mom) takes their clothes off and find the real beauty of their bodies), and ability that makes anyone cannot dislike any character of the film, even Ana’s mom who presses Ana the path of traditional life like her.
Since as you already know the story of the film, I would like to tell my impression based on analysis of the film fames with a critical eye.
According to the basic frame of this film, it might have a fault of the initial modernization theory mentioned by Mosco(1996), the modern and traditional life style are mutual exclusive.
The film director, of course, might have had no intention whatsoever of expressing like that I analyzed. And also the aspect of Ana’s family inside of the film can be the real condition of many families immigrated from the third world to the U.S.
But, the film did not an answer to solve the condition, problem of the immigrated people, from out of the fault that mentioned above.
Mom who has been living under the traditional way of thinking, Ana’s sister, Estela, who has tried to catch her happiness and success herself from the harmony of tradition and modern…But the progress of the film locked up them in the frame that tells us their life styles are going to wrong way. It means the frame of the films can make us to think their traditional way of thinking is not good. It just expresses Ana’s choice to get out of the poverty and traditional way of thinking that expressed as stuffiness, is right.
But, even Ana who has modern way of thinking and life style, needs help of men when she does something in the film. (MR. Guzman, her English teacher, helped her to persuade her parents who objected to her entrance into a university. Ana’s boyfriend made her to feel love, her grandpa helped her to have a date, and her dad lent her money and decided on her entrance into school and persuaded her mom) These scenes make me slightly bitter.
The movie is about the life of Mexican immigrants who are living in America. American culture is more independent which Americans can live by themself, they can make own decisions. In contrast, Mexican's culture, they love to have everyone in the family stay together, work together, make it as a big neculer family. Mexican women do not have much choice. They have to be submisive, and mother and father will think that for women, education is not really that important. Women will get married and soon will be a housewife. Anna recieved a schorlaship to go to Columbia University, but she decided not to go because her mom does not want her to. Ana's mon thinks that it is better to have everyone stay together, helps each other do the work. In the movie, it shows that there are not many oppotunities for immigrants in United States. They have to work hard for low wages. Mexicans people who migrated to American will still remain their own traditions. But one important thing in the film shows that as a second/third generations, these children who are born in the united states do not think that they are mexican anymore. They absorbs the way of living and thinking as americans. It is not good or bad things. In my point of view, they should have their own choice, and that that makes them happy. Thinking in a new perspective, as new generations, of course some people still love to remain their own identity, but some people have their own dream. Not all people who want to work in a sweat shop forever. College is really important, you have a degree, you get a good job, you can be whatever they want to be as their dream. For immigrants being Ameicans is not a bad things, sometimes people have to adapt/adjust to the culture. It does not mean that I am an Ameican and I am not Mexican anymore. The movie reflects the life between two cultures, two races. That not happen only for Mexican. This situation from the movie reflects to all races that migrated to America.
First of all, I have to say that this film is AWESOME!
I guess this is the first movie that I ever seen that really serves justice for the younger generation, especially facing a typical and traditional family upbringing.
This film has displayed a perfect model for two different cultures, national boundaries, distinct national identity and a typical immigration issue. I would say that the when Ana's mother was arguing with Mr. Guzman about Ana's college education. He spoke to them in Spanish and showed respect to Ana's parents. Mr. Guzman pointed out that Ana's parents came all the way from their home country to explore better opportunities in the U.S., this I think showed a distinction between between being a U.S. immigrant in the U.S. Another was the location of their residence. Ana and her family stayed in an area that was filled with Latin Americans which clearly define their community within the U.S.
I do agree that the way this movie frames immigration generally shows a typical behavior of immigrants. They, Ana and Mr. Guzman, are acceptable in this society because they are considered the intelligent people who are not bounded and hindered by cultural believes that they should be educated within their community and not explore other opportunities.
Social and economic heirachies was portrayed when Ana and Estela confronted Mrs. Glass for advancement. Estela was obviously terrified of Mrs. Glass not because she was the one who "helped" out by contracting business with Estela but also because she was on the "upper class" in the business environment, typically when both of them are in the same business field.
Traditional modern values was shown when I think Ana's mother obnoxiously stops Ana from getting a college degree and instead wanted her to become a housewife. She neglects the idea that her daughter is smart and has the ability to move forward; she blocks out all possible advancement for Ana, even to the extend of lying to her that she was pregnant!
Another was when she confronted her about she and Jimmy, interfering their relationship, reprimanding her of not keeping her chaste. However, the argument that Ana gave was just perfect!
Media resistence was continuously portrayed when they talked about their body sizes.
Sorry, was accidentally disconnected.
As I was saying, Ana, her sister and their co-workers ignored the fact that slim women do look better. I guess it is a norm to feel that slim and skinny women always look pretty but never a chance a voluptious women would.
A point to add:
Theories that tied in with modern and traditional cultures would be dependency theory.
P.S. The timing on the blog is weird, it shows 11pm when I blog 5hours earlier than that!
That's all from me. Thanks!
Ana is a Mexican-American girl growing up in traditional family. The movie deals with important issues such as body image, sex, and learning to let go. At the core of the movie is Ana's tempestuous relationship with her mother. Carmen, who wants her daughter to follow in her footsteps: find a man, get married, and have children. She criticizes Ana's weight because she believes that a fat girl won't be able to catch a husband. She is adamantly opposed to further education for Ana because that would take the girl away from home. With many different characters of Hispanic women getting together for a old-fashioned values between the new independent spirit. That’s the main conflict between traditional and modern culture in the film.
Some poverty places in China, I believe some families treat daughters in those similar traditional ways too. No need education, get marry early, make money to help family or sisters or brothers, and listen to parents for everything. Kinda sad. Not because of they wanna it in that way, most of the reasons is they are too poor, they have no choice. And mom is a person who is most important person in daughter’s heart, so Ana has to listen to her mom, but luckily she has a good teacher who helps her out of the old way and pursues the dream in life.
The resistance to media images occur in the film might all the workers at her sister’s sewing factory take off the cloth and working in a comfortable and free environment. This implies that women can definitely be themselves and not be what others want them to be. Ana is confident in herself and she believes that every woman’s body is beautiful, including her own. The media gives audience the beautiful women should skinny and sexy, like all the models in vogue. The truth is women should believe we are beautiful the way we are.
I post It late and sorry about that, I just finish the DVD today….
Ana’s family is traditional and her mother wants her to follow her way. I think in this film, the author wants to describe about the different culture with different thinking. Unite State is the melting-pot, a metaphor for the way in which homogeneous societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot as to develop a multi-ethnic society. In this environment, Ana should resist the tradition, this part is the main point in this film.
I agree that Ana she break the rule, and to find a new life for herself.
About the social and economic hierarchies’ question, as we knew that Ana’s sister- Estela, her dress factory has to work for Mrs. Glass’s company. But she cannot finish the case on time, so Mrs. Glass won’t pay her money. This part shows about the capitalist society. Ana’s family was the bottom-feeder. They just need to gain the money, get marriage as soon as possible, and they don’t care about the higher-education.
This is the old fashion society, and her family just wanst to keep this rule and don’t get advantage for their life.
A theory that we talk about in the class is dependency theory, and the conflict between traditional and modern culture is about her family and Ana’s education. Also in this film mention about Ana’s romance, but her mother said, she can help her to decide a good man for her.
The best act to show the resistance to media images in the film is --Ana and her sister Estela, also her coworkers, they show their body with each other. They used the different kind of the appreciation to see their beauty. Ana’s mother was shock. I believe that this act is an effective one in this film. Because this act shows the theme, which is do not follow the tradition, and be a real women.
Response to Blog Comments
1. Spyderflash-Elise- I agree with your thoughts on globalization and reference to dependency theory.
2. Stephanie Elcewicz- I agree with your comment that Carmen is the most traditional character in the movie and that she could not embrace modern society. I disagree that the Spanish signs made the area appear as not being part of the US. Many large cities have unique ethnic cultures within a larger culture.
3. TLL- I disagree with your remark concern Jimmy’s remark. I do not think Jimmy knew Ana’s position in society. I believe the movie portrayed him as accepting her for who she was and that the only difference between the haves and have nots is the amount of money they have available to them.
4. Malbitar-Moe- I liked your reference to the periphery of nations theory. I agree that Ana was on the edge and that she was the first one in her family to leap over the edge.
5. Dikshya- I agree that the movie dealt with the teenage dilemma of beauty and what society depicts beauty as being. I disagree that Ana was forced to work in the dress factory. She had a choice and she chose to not go against her mother in this instance.
6. Kerianne- I agree with your comment that the main conflict was between modern and traditional societal values. I also agree that the movie did resist the normal media message that beauty only occurs if one is skinny.
7. Candace- I disagree with your statement that other cultures are viewed as lesser people. However, there are significant stereotypes that people unnecessarily apply to the whole culture based on their experience with one or two people of the culture.
8. Heather- I agree with your family tradition comments.
Your reference to immigrants being on equal status with illegal aliens was interesting. I do not view immigrants as being one and the same with an illegal alien. An illegal alien is someone who entered the country illegally and therefore earned the title to be called an “illegal alien” by their own individual choices. Those entering illegally did so out of their own volition and should not be considered as immigrants. If those entering choose to do so illegally then what other laws will they choose to not follow or choose to break while they are in the US? There is a real problem with the gangs from Mexico and this fact was totally ignored by the movie. With that said I know that the immigration process to enter legally is long and tedious and people make a decision based upon life and death situations in some cases. This country needs to revamp its immigration policies and procedures because doing nothing is not helping the US or the immigrants wanting to come to the US legally or those who are illegally in the US. I enjoyed reading your comments.
9. Mark- Your paragraph was very interesting to read. I agree that the social hierarchy depicted women as being utilitarian.
10. Pal- I agree with your analysis of Ana’s relationship with her mother and the cultural conflicts that result of this relationship.
11. MoonPrincess-Chany- I liked your evaluation of Estella and her relationship with Mrs. Glass. I also agree that Estella gave into Carmen’s oppressiveness but she did so out of loyalty and did not really like doing so.
12. CP Stack- You have a very interesting write up. I agree that the movie is a chick flick and predictable. I also concur with your dependency theory references.
13. OuiSeekiew- I agree with you that culture is very much family oriented and the representation of Ana’s family shares similarities with the Filipino culture in Hawaii.
14. Sheng-Hoa Lin- Thank you for pointing out that all countries have the similar conflicts to those depicted in the movie. Your perspective is very important and serves a reminder to all that the US is not alone in terms of immigration and the problems that it encounters.
15. Angela E- I agree with your dependency theory reference. Your framing perspective is unique and interesting.
Real Women Have Curves portrays the trials and tribulations of the Mexican culture. Traditionally, like Ana and her family in the film, believe family should come first and people need to work hard to have a good life. Throughout the film, we see Ana’s father working hard doing manual labor and Ana’s sister, Estella, as well as her mother working very hard in what we could see as a “sweat shop.” To see women sewing dresses for $18 and have the same dresses sell for $600 at a high-end boutique is outrageous because the workers are literally putting their sweat and tears into the work just to make ends meet. I believe there was globalization when Ana realized that they actually work very hard and that it wouldn’t just be a job Ana would not have to take seriously.
Ana’s teacher knew how smart Ana was and knew she should go on to college to have a better life. Ana knew she didn’t want to work in her family’s business forever. However, Ana’s mother believed that Ana should follow in her footsteps and get married and raise children, just as her mother did, instead of receiving a college degree. Ana’s mother also did not want the family to break up; in order for Ana to attend college, she would have to move to New York City and be away from her family. Social hierarchy is prevalent here, where it appears that women have little say and men make the decisions. However, Ana chose to rebel against her mother and do as she wished.
Ana resisted the media when she refused to watch the soap operas that her mother enjoyed. Ana believed that the soap operas were all the same and that they didn’t contain anything interesting enough to appeal to Ana. Ana’s mother would gossip to her friends about the soap operas as if the soaps were reality and her mother knew the people.
Ana had a very different view of the world since she was raised in America. She was able to persuade her father to change his mind about her going to college. It was her father who helped her in the end when she was leaving since her mother would not even leave her bedroom and say goodbye to Ana or give her a blessing. Once Ana arrived in New York City, it appeared that she knew that she could make it own her own as a woman and that she did not need a man, or even family close by, to help her because she could help herself.
Hi Dr George and everybody out there!
It was a pleasure reading different yet similar perspectives on quite a few aspects of “Real women have curves” and I found them all interesting. It is amazing how a movie can generate various perceptions and trigger remarkable responses. Here is my response to the blogs.
It was interesting to read Elise’s comment particularly her description of the framing of the US as a “tossed salad” and the characters (ingredients) retaining his/her individuality. Likewise, her comment that the distance between El Barrio and Beverly hills seemed more than the physical distance is a good observation. Her interpretation of the colonizer (Ms Glass) and colonized (Estela) within the national boundaries of the US is a good argument.
Stephanie Elcewiz’s comment about “vast difference between traditional and modern values” in the movie and Ana’s conflict concerning helping her sister in a sweatshop and getting a degree from Columbia University is indeed the central theme of the movie.
Tll’s description about how Ana lives in “two different worlds” in her everyday life as well as in her mind is quite convincing. I agree that Ana lives in both worlds -- Mexican traditional culture in El Barrio and in the world of posh Beverly Hills and her aspiration to further her education.
Mo’s comparison of “proto-nationalism” theory to Ana's family's ideologies and her struggle in maintaining the values of her American Mexican background is interesting. Another valid argument is his comparison of a “chaste nation” to Ana’s mother’s expectations of a pure virgin daughter. But of course Ana’s mother was in for a big disappointment!
Kerianne’s observation about the first/second generation immigrants’ struggle to find their identity in the US and their struggle to find a place is quite relevant. I’m sure that first/second generation immigrants have a hard time discovering themselves amidst traditional and modern cultures.
It was interesting to read Candace’s comment about under representation of non-whites in school that Ana goes to. However, I don’t think the movie suggests that cultures of non-whites in the US are considered insignificant.
What I liked about Heather Mcgaffin’s comment was her comparison of the melting pot theory (people from two different cultures “interact as one”) to her personal experience of witnessing both positive and negative aspects of different cultures.
I enjoyed reading Mark’s comment on the social hierarchy in Ana’s family – how male members are always on the top hierarchy and make decisions while women are portrayed as playing second fiddle to men. His comment about class and gender roles is quite significant.
Chany’s view about how Carmen’s domination of Ana and Estela reflects in the latter’s submissive interaction with Ms Glass is a point to ponder. Her comment on the perceived role of women is interesting – how Carmen ridicules her daughter for being fat but Ana is comfortable in her skin.
CP Stack’s aptly describes how “curves” is an example of Ana’s family representing the tricontinent; and how the tricontinent when exposed to the “products of the first world” starts embracing the new cultural norms. This, according to Stack, is clear in Ana’s case as she struggles to stick to her roots and at the same time gets sucked into the American “reality.” This line of thought definitely caught my attention.
When almost all the comments that I read seemed to agree with the framing of immigrants in the movie, it was interesting to read Nilsen’s opinion on stereotypical portrayal of Latinos as just doing “yard work” or sewing. I don’t think that the movie’s focus is only on stereotypical roles. I think the movie also depicts a Latino as a high school teacher while Estela not only sews dresses, but she also owns the factory despite the fact that it isn’t a successful venture. I agree with Nilsen’s comment about the portrayal of “white people” as rich in the film when in reality there are many poor “white people” who struggle to make ends meet.
It was a pleasure reading Nilsen’s comments on blogs. My comment about the film is not about a teenager’s dilemma concerning beauty as Nilsen mentioned; it’s about a teenager’s dilemma of her ambition verses traditional values. I think Ana is comfortable in her own skin.
Lisa’s comment about how she identifies with Ana as a first generation Asian American and how she struggles to “carve a niche” in a family that follows traditional values was interesting to read. The first-hand experience of a first generation immigrant made the issue of immigrants and the struggle between traditional and modern culture made it all the more real.
Maggie’s comment that Mexican parents probably do not openly display their affection to children is quite interesting. Although Maggie’s point that Ana misunderstands her mother did catch my attention; however, I think Ana understands her traditional culture very well.
Ping’s comment that “some families treat daughters in a similar traditional” way in China was interesting to read. The fact that some girls/women do not have a choice but to marry early without getting an education just because they are poor is definitely an eye-opening reality.
Finn’s perception that the main character of the movie Ana does not fit into the conventional standard of beauty, and that the film revolves around accepting people as they are with their “physical imperfections” is a good point.
Real Women have Curves frames the struggles of immigration in the United States. The main character, Ana, is torn between her American values and the traditional values that her mother (Carmen) expects her to follow. Carmen wants Ana to work at her sister’s sweatshop, lose weight, get married, and have a family just as she has. Ana has ambition and goals, embraces her full figures, does not want to work at her sister’s factory permanently, and wants to pursue her college education. I agree how the movie frames immigration in the movie…Immigrants in the United States face the same conflict (traditional vs modern values) as Ana and her mother do.
The film portrays economic hierarchies negatively and view immigrants as hard working receiving low compensation. Ana’s sister, Estella, owns a struggling sewing shop that sells dresses to Bloomingdale’s for $18 and they turn around and sell it for $600-$800 (I can’t remember the exact price). Ana’s father and cousins do yard work for a living. The film suggests that immigrants do not have many opportunities.
Salutations to all!
I was really "hooked" on to reading all the blogs written by everyone; a very interesting perception indeed.
1. I really like Elise's description on how US is being framed as,a "tossed salad". I agree to her analysis when she pointed out that economic and social hierarchies were observed when it came to the scene when Estele was reprimanded by Mrs Glass for being bold to ask her for advancement and despise Ana's attitude.
2.Madoka had an excellent point of view when she mentioned about immigrants being classified under "low wages" job.
3.I agree with tll on how tradition can affect a person's behavior and whatever decision they make in life, e.g. pursuing an education that requires leaving the family. I personally feel that tradition might also be termed as "personal obligation".
4.I think Kerianne had an excellent description on how Ana and her co-workers believing in themselves; and that they are not going to change because of some influences from people and the media's perception of being 'beautiful'.
5.dikshya's framing of modern and traditional culture was looking into what a female should do, i.e. following the traditional norms. Great observation!
6. I like how CP Stack explains "Curves" in conjunction to the movie, i.e. the word curves in the title does not talk about the women's body but a representation of a family from a tricontinent who are toiling within their own industrial revolution.
7.Candace looked at national boundaries as a wall stuck between two different ethnicity in the US. I like the idea how she brought forward the differences of Beverly Hills and Ana's neighborhood as a total different society.
8.I definitely agree to Heather's point of view of the "status" of immigrants; they are often portrayed as bad characters who has a negative effect on the society. It is so true, and really the word "alien" definitely makes a big difference in how you are being portrayed.
9.nilsen, h, right on! I also found that the characters in the movie are stereotyped, especially when they had an Asian person being the landlord. I guess the white person that was seen most in the movie was Jimmy. I feel that the way they portray Caucasians are that they are the upper class people who have abundant amount of money to spend.
10.andrea points out how Ana resist the media, one of it is how she mocks at her mother about soap operas and that they are so predictable; Ana also argued with her mother about watching too much soap operas and the way the show is portrayed is not true and valid in the modernized society.
11.london has really a very good point there. "I am an American and I am not Mexican anymore." Exactly! I think that Carmen might have that idea hidden inside her. She might have the concept that being educated in the US will loss her daughter's roots.
12.Maribeth pointed out that the social hierarchies was evident when male had more say then women. I do agree, I guess no matter how much Carmen objects Ana to go to college, Ana's father had the last say in deciding Ana's future.
13.Perfect! I like how Lisa interprets Ana's position "Ana refuses to be victim of dependency theory, resists the media, and exposes hegemony."
14.Stephanie Elcewicz had a good point there. Social and economic hierachies was not only seen in the business world where Estele was negotiating with Mrs. Glass, but in fact even the relationship between Jimmy and Ana shows their difference in their status, in terms of what summer jobs they are holding and also being financially stable for college education.
15.Moe had some great analysis. "proto-nationalism", Ana's struggle in balancing virtues and values of her Mexican-American background, keeping in mind not to disrespect her family's believes and tradition.
This blog is filled with excellent comments. Everyone was great! Great perceptions on the movie; helped me viewed the "framing" of the movie from a different angle.
From Elise
1. To Stephanie E. I agree with your comments about Carmen not being able to bring herself to say goodbye to Ana. To do so would be to betray everything she believes in. It is unfortunate that in order to stay true to herself, she risks irreparable damage to their relationship.
2. To TLL I know of what you speak in reference to the local girl who is attending UH instead of Berkeley. I have a close friend who is a Japanese national. She married an American her Father did not of. He refuses to speak to his daughter now. It hurts her very much, but she decided to follow her heart.
3. To Moe I particularly liked your taking curves in the title to refer to the curves life throws all of us. I was also impressed with your examples dealing with center-periphery relationships.
4. To Dikshya Your personal example of being called westerner for standing up for your beliefs speaks well to the heart of the film.
5. To Kerianne I agree with how you speak of the dresses as depicting social hierarchy. Estela et al. struggle to meet deadlines making dresses they can't ultimately afford and can't wear even if they could because they can't fit into them. The reference in the film to just a few more size 7s to make and then start on 100 size 6s.
6. To Candace as you and others have stated, the film does a decent job of showing the split between the lifestyles of Ana's family and the people they work for. It always comes to mind about how immigrants are taking jobs from Americans. Really, how many Americans are willing to do this kind of work for this kind of pay?
7. To Heather I'm not sure about your use of the term border town. I suppose a case could be made that Ana's section of LA borders Beverly Hills, but that wasn't the sense I was getting from your comment.
8. To Mark I was struck by your use of the word antiquated to describe Carmen's beliefs. It does sound very much like what's expressed in modernization theory.
9. To Pal I agree with your observation that the portrayal of Ana's family is not how Mexican immigrants are generally framed. Here we have a good, hardworking family struggling to make a decent life. Not as the scary aliens Bush would have us believe they are.
10. To Chany I don't see anything wrong with someone choosing a traditional role in life. The operational word being choosing. Being raised individualistically, I can't conceive of doing it any other way.
11. To Pat Ah, Ana as the epitome of struggling to implement the genius of the and. I would like to think she found a way. Trite chick flick? I suppose, but if it can be used to educate, then it's all good.
12. To Oui I'm confused about your referring to Ana and Estela as third generation. I got the impression the parents emigrated and the daughters were first generation American. I could be wrong.
13. To Angela Yes, there is definitely the struggle of core (Carmen) and periphery (Ana). I particularly found your take on how this shows America has not been controlling its borders fascinating.
14. To Lisa Yes, for many things the nail that sticks up gets hammered down, but my personal favorite is fall down seven times get up eight. No matter what, Ana kept getting up and working toward what she believed in. And of course, everything has to be simplified and caricatured to make an entertaining story, but I think in its own way it does a fair job of getting the point across.
15. To Alice I don't think it's a case of not wanting advantage in life. I think it's more a case of ingrained cultural norms and values. Would they like things to be better? You bet. Do they know how to do that and still remain true to themselves and their beliefs? Not so much.
1. Elise wrote about Jimmy's Volvo in El Barrio, which I hadn't noticed. Definitely one of those 'one of these things is not like the other' moments. Good catch. It certainly is illustrative of a 'two America's' type scenario.
2. Stephanie talked about the Marxist overtones in the conversation between Estella and Ms. Glass, another good point that hadn't attributed in my original viewing.
3. I was confused by Moe's analysis of center-periphery concerning Ana and her family. Are you saying Ana is center and the family is periphery? I don't see that sort of power structure happening within the family, however it is clearly present in the situation between the factory and Ms. Glass.
4. Dikshya also talks about center/periphery, as I mentioned above and makes a good analysis about Estella's factory and Ms. Glass and the flow of goods in a one way direction, with little profit going back to Estella.
5. I enjoyed Kerianne's analysis on why Ana's use of the term 'sweatshop' for her sister's factory is apt in this case. American's usually think of Nike sweatshops in South East Asia and forget that similar situations are happening in our back yard.
6. Candace said that the scene of Ana traveling between her home and her school and that she and Mr. Guzman are the only two people who are not white "emphasizes the fact that in the United States, other cultures are viewed as lesser people." I thought that was a pretty harsh accusation and seriously doubt this to be a 'fact'.
7. Heather mentioned GWB and illegal immigration, but as far as I could tell there was no mention of the actually 'legality/illegality' of the family's presence in the US.
8. I thought Mark made and interesting assessment of the symbolic nature of Ana's journey to school and how it represents struggle for upward mobility.
9. Nilsen,h talked about Mr. Guzman helping Ana get into Columbia as being part of patriarchic system and says that this represents that "only a man can get her in." I think you're reading too much into this here. Mr. Guzman was only trying to help and isn't that what teacher do? Help good students progress their education?
10. I enjoyed Lisa's first hand account of her experience with cultural dichotomy.
11. Maggie makes a good point about how in some cultures parent's don't praise their children and so its not surprising that we here Ana's mother call her fat all the time. That being said, even if this is a modesty thing, meant to be the extreme opposite of bragging about your children, I still think its poor taste. I encountered that on some trips I've taken, and have never enjoyed listening to it.
12. Oui points out how Ana's mother believes she can teach Ana everything she needs to know about life back at home. That's an interesting observation and certainly she does try.
13. I liked Saskia's mention of the visual differences between the things Ana possesses and the things Jimmy has (ie computers, car, etc). That was similar to the point I made in the beginning, that initially, Jimmy didn't believe Ana was any different than he was economically.
14. Madoka make a strong point that American values certainly aren't suitable for everyone. That being said, I don't know if the movie was trying to force the idea that it was the best way. The mother was portrayed in an over the top manner but the rest of the family was generally sympathetic.
15. Andrea talked about how there is little hope for Estella to rise above her low income shop, although I thought the film foreshadowed hope for her to find her own niche, so to say, with the dress she made for Ana and the one of the final designs she was working on. But then again I could be imagining that.
16. C P Stack.....great movie or greatest movie? :)
In “Real Women Have Curves” the character Anna breaks many molds challenging traditional vs. modern values, social hierarchies, and rejecting negative framing towards her culture.
A good example of both media resistance, and traditional vs. modern values is when Anna’s mother is speaking with the family about her soap opera program. Anna, after saying she doesn’t want to watch, jokes about her mothers description, laughing about the whole idea of the television show. She is resisting a media form very important in traditional Latin culture, and her family’s traditions. There are many more examples of Anna resistance to traditional values, most surrounding her interactions with her mother, culminating when her mother will not even see her off to go to college, but Anna goes anyway. This conflict shows the stark opposition sometimes between Anna’s modernity, her beliefs, attitudes, and values, and her mothers socially learned colonial beliefs, attitudes, and values.
But where has Anna learned these social beliefs if not from her mother? She attends a school across town, in Beverly Hills, which seems like a predominantly white and upper-class neighborhood. This exposure to class differences seems to give Anna a different frame than her family gives surrounding future potential, and social class. For most of the movie Anna’s mother and sister give a frame her future and class the same as theirs, to follow in their footsteps. But, especially in the scene when she burns the dress with the iron, Anna is acting out against this idea that she should just follow the mold.
Throughout the film Anna is rejecting many beliefs, attitudes and values being pushed on her by her family. Being in a traditionally collectivistic cultured family, this seems normal to the rest of her family, but throughout the film there is a culture clash her between her family and her developing American influenced individualistic nature. Best displayed in her stripping her cloths off at work, almost like shedding the culture that was holding her back and dragging her down.
Hi, everyone. This is Madoka.
1. To Spyderlash,
I am impressed your analogy for this movie. In especial, your intepretation of globalization. I watched the movie again, and now I think Ana's bus ride is related to the topic. Indeed, the difference in transportation represents the hierarchies.
2. To Stephanie,
I totally agree with your analogy. About your point for social and economic hierarchies, yes, I think so, too. Ana's boyfriend told her about going to college and travelling without any problems, but Ana has economic problems to do so. I suppose that it shows tyhe hierarchies between immigrants and white Americans.
3. To tll,
Your experience with your Hawaiian friend is very good example to talk about this movie! It is true that most of Japanese people need permission from their parents when they do something. I have a question. When you want to get married someone, do you need permission from your and your partner's parents? In my country, usually you need permission from your parents. What about other countries?
4. To Moe,
I really agree with your analogy for this movie. In particular, your interpretation for the word, "curves." I agree that the word, "curves" represent how people's life is going. I also have an interest in "periphery-periphery relations (husband vs wife)." When I watched the movie, I didn't notice that. Therefore, I will watch it again and think it again. Very good analogy!
5. To Dikshya,
Your analogy is very clear and easy to understand. In addition, your experience in your country is very interesting. That is like Ana's situation. Howvever, I think your family respect your decsisions.
6. To Kerianne,
I think this movie is great, too! I agree with your interpretation toward the resistance. In fact, the actress, America Ferrera, shows the resistance toward typical models in mass media, I think.
7. To Mark,
I like your way to analyze social hierarchy. Father will make decisions of family matter in Ana's family (traditional culture that is showed by this movie). I have a question. In the U.S., controlling main direction for family by men is unusual or usual? In my country, through my memory, usually men have a grip toward family matters. I wonder what U.S. family style is as for this case.
8. To Pål,
I agree with your interpretation. Do you have any experiences of conflicts or generation gap between you and your family like Ana's family?
9. To Chany,
I like your way to analyze this movie. In especial, I feel same as you when I read your 7th paragraph that you questioned that traditional women's role is wrong or not. I think the traditional role is not wrong. We cannot say it is right or not. For me, I feel like this movie implies the traditional role is a little old. However, I want to resist the way to express that women's role.
10. To C P Stack,
I agree with your analogy. As you said, I think that imperialism is related to this movie. Developed countries' interpretation has influenced world's opinions much. On the other hand, interpretation by other world (developing countries) tends to be downplayed as "old."
11. To Oui,
Your interpretation is very good. As you told about "cheap labor," it reminds me "sweat shop labor" that we studied last year. This movie showed how immigrants suffer from the economic hierarchy.
12. To Gunho,
I agree with your analogy, especially, about the resistance to media images in this film. Yes, I feel same way as you. Also, as you told, I don't think this movie showed any solutions for problems of immigrants. However, I think the diretor and film staff of this movie tried to show the current situation of immigrants. Unless those staff tell us the reality, we can notice and understand how the immigrants live in the U.S. from this movie.
13. To london,
I like your way to anlyze this movie. Yes, I think this movie shows the life between two cultures and races. I also think it is interesting that many second/third-generation immigrants in a country have adapted to the country, but they also still have identity of their own countries. For example, in Japan, my country, there are a lot of second/third generation korean people. They speak Japanese and live as Japanese, but they are proud of their own country and don't lose their own identity. We cannot say other identities are wrong or old.
14. To Emi,
I agree with your interpretation toward this movie. As you told about social and economic heirachies, trough the scenes, I feel same way as you. It is interesting that the movie leaves the situation (the heirachies) as is, but the movie did not show the scenes that satisfy the audiences. Does this movie let us think about the issue (heirachies) more? What do you think?
15. To Ping,
I like your interpreation, and especially, situations in your countries. As a student from same area (Asia), I understand how Chinese people think about their own famil because my country, Japan, has same way. Therefore, through this movie, I enjoyed how conflicts between traditional culture (Ana's mom) and modern culture (Ana) occur.
Aloha Dr. G,
Here is my response to the blogs.
1. I agree with spyderflash’s view about The social and economic hierarchies are illustrated by Estela's almost obsequious behavior toward Mrs. Glass when asking for an advance. And she applied a series of theories toward the movie, like hegemony, globalization, and dependency.
2. I have the same point of view that stephanie’s idea of media resistance. Ana is confident in herself despite the images of models in the media.
3 & 4. Tll mentioned about her/his concern about Estella’s factory is in the edge of crash, and hope that Ana can help her sister’s buz after Columbia. Maybe Ana can do something to change the strategies or has some ideas to promote the buz without attending Columbia. Why not? It’s not impossible. While after 4 years in Columbia, her sister’s buz might be already ended up. This can refer to Madoka’s comment about American value is not the only value that suitable for all. Getting education is one way, but there are many other alternatives to achieve success.
5. I agree with dikshya’s idea of the movie’s messages and framing of immigrants’ struggle in the US, first/second generation children/ teenagers’ dilemma in finding their identity and realizing their goals in a modern landscape against the backdrop of raditional and cultural ties.
6. I hold the same opinion of Kerianne about the resistance to media images that occurs in the film is when Ana, Estela and their coworkers embrace the bodies.
7. Candace’s comment:” It is difficult for immigrants to get good paying jobs, because U.S. citizens feel they are incapable of being intelligent enough.” I believe not all the U.S. citizens think it in that way and it is definitely not about who are more intelligent. Of course, economic and social hierarchies exist in anywhere. But it’s a lot of other things we have to put into consideration, like culture, background, belief, value, and history, etc.
8. From heather mcgaffin, I agree with her feeling of the word "oppositional" is derived from a very negative meaning, however sometimes something in opposition can present a very positive thing.
9. Mark’s comments are very impressive and nice writing. I totally agree with the point that the manager even tried to illicit sympathy by saying that it was she who was making the sacrifice by trying to help women like "them", she actually, however, only came off as pompous and callous.
10. I agree with Sheng haolin that these kinds of conflicts not only exist in Mexican families of United State.
11. It’s nice to read Lisa's view of Ana’s culture dichotomy because of your first generation Asian American background.
12. I agree with Tannie that is a good frame of the film – inner strength, genuine beauty of women, and ethnicity.
13. I think it is an unique point that Andren’s view of Anna mocking the show and guessing the predictable ending, she resists popular cultural media images.
14. I agree with Pal’s comment of the portrayal of Ana’s family struggling in their family business to make a better life.
15. I strongly agree with David’s idea of the best displayed in Ana was stripping her cloths off at work, almost like shedding the culture that was holding her back and dragging her down.
Thank you all for the excellent comments. I have learned a lot.
1. Elise said just about everything I wanted to say-only better! I really liked the way she explained the way Ana traveled to school. Also, I really liked the way she voiced her opinion about the relationship between Ana and Jimmy using comparisons to what she sees here in Hawaii.
2. David made a really great observation about the infamous scene in the sewing factory (when Ana and the other women remove their clothing) that I had not thought of. The scene including the soap opera also really stood out to me.
3. Ping very succinctly explains the central theme of the movie. I really like the comparison to the Chinese culture.
4. Trevor does an excellent job of relating the movie to the theories we have discussed in class. I agree strongly that Ana is living in two different worlds. I liked that he used examples of a friend and knowledge of Japanese culture to further relate themes of the film. It is hard for those of us who are raised to be independent to understand the impact of family in more traditional cultures.
5. I really think Moe does a wonderful job of identifying center and periphery examples through out the film. I also had not made the symbolic connection between Ana and the nation. I think I like this analogy observation.
6. Heather gives a great perspective on this film having her own experiences with immigration in a border state. Being from a central/eastern state (Kentucky) I have been exposed to many immigrants but nothing like the city in this film. I also really loved the fact that Ana is portrayed as a heroine.
7. Candace makes many excellent observations. I think she uses a great example of cultural identities with the scene between Ana and Jimmy regarding their dialogue about the trip to Europe outside the school. She also illuminates that Ana continually tells her mother that there is more to her than her looks.
8. Karianne does a great job of describing hierarchies such as the relationship between Carmen and Ana. Also, I think she applies the modernization theory very well.
9. Dikshya superbly explains several theories with examples from the film. I think she does an excellent job of describing the film’s representation of dependency theory and hegemony. I love the way she concludes her comment!
10. Mark does a great job in analyzing the application of globalization theory in the film. He noticed some of the subtleties of themes of gender hierarchies that I neglected to see in my original viewing. Particularly involving the scene celebrating her graduation. I also liked the fact that he points out that Ana’s father goes against the social norms in giving his blessing for her to go to Columbia. Very strong conclusion.
11. Pål gives a good summary of the main themes in the film. In particular, the theme of collectivist cultures versus independent cultures is illuminated in this comment.
12. C P Stack does a good job of describing how dependency theory relates to this film. Though I respect my classmate’s opinion and the movie may be easier for a female viewer to identify with, I do not think this film is “trite.”
13. I really liked that Sheng-hao Lin pointed out the Ana embodies (through her desires) modernist ideas while Carmen represents the traditionalist. I also like the comparison of the similar situation of Taiwan and immigrants from South Asia.
14. Lisa does an excellent job in showing the theme of traditionalism versus modernism. I liked that she can identify with the main character through her own experiences as a first generation Asian American. She points out that the traditional culture represented in the film is high-context and collectivistic.
15. Saskia does a great job of explaining the dichotomy of Ana’s life and that this is a representation the lives of many immigrants into this “melting pot” we call the United States. I also think she highlights the social and economic hierarchies represented in this film.
Elise- I agree with u about discontinuity exists. I have strong feeling about it because Taiwan has the same situation.
Stephaine elcewicz- Carmen represents a traditional woman. A lot of women are traditional, especially the Asian cultures. I have no idea about other cultures. Maybe they have different concepts.
Tll- I like the sentence” Well if you really wanted to go then you would have just went!” I think this sentence can be my motto.
Moe- I have the same point of view with immigrates coming to this country seeking a better life.
Dikshya- the rich becomes richer, the poor becomes more dependent on the rich. It is nice description for social and economic hierarchies.
Kerianne- nice interpretation. I agree with you about there is a struggle to find their place in American society. Many Immigrant families struggle in U.S.
Candace- nice example for describe the social hierarchies. Second example mentioned Ms. Glass whose dressing is totally different with Ana and Estella.
Heather- you have interest idea about “oppositional.” The same word may have different meanings in different situations.
Mark- Nice interpretation. I didn’t know Ana’s high school is in Beverly Hills. Thank tell me that.
Pal- I agree with your thought about traditional culture vs. modern culture. Environments affect people a lot.
Chany- Although Estela makes a dress for $18 only, she doesn’t have choice. I doubt whether immigrants have better lifes.
Oui- You compared Ana’s and Jimmy’s family. It can show they have different situations.
Lisa- I have the same feeling with you. Asian people like to listen but Americans like to ask. I can feel that in the classes.
Saskia- I believe that Ana struggles between her goal and her family.
Maggie- I agree with the immigration issue in the movie also. However, Ana realized that she doesn’t want to be a cheap labor. That may change immigrant families.
I really enjoyed others' comments and I can learn lots of things, ways of analysis, view to see the film, and so on.
1. I please the Elise’s analysis. It is pretty detail, so I am able to find a lot of things that I did not catch. Especially, I like the analysis of hierarchy through the scene of Ana’s bus ride to school. And I also like that she analyzed the film with various theories such as globalization, dependency theory, and hegemony. These analyses, of course, are eloquent of the frame of the film.
2. Thanks for Stephanie’s good analysis. Especially the part mentioned about media resistance is very good example and helpful for me who did not find an instance of media resistance in the film.
3. The analysis of Moe with Hobsbawm’s proto-nationalism is also interesting one to me. But I have merely a question about that the relationship between Ana and her family is resembled for the most part as the relationships that exist between center and periphery.
4. Through the analysis of Dikshya, I can rethink the real situation and social problem of immigrants objectively. And I agree with your framing analysis and opinion about the immigrant.
5. I almost totally agree with Kerianne’s opinion. But if you showed your opinions with more detail theories, it would be more objective analysis.
6. The analysis of Mcgaffin using a comparing example the film, ‘Real women…’, and the President’s thinking is very interesting to me. It makes me to think this film and the immigration policy of the U.S. one more.
7. I enjoyed the analysis of Pal and I think he shows good analysis. But I have a question about the part that Ana refuses to follow her mom’s opinion, and this is cultural differences between the American and Mexican culture really shows in this movie.
8. I really enjoyed the Oui’s analysis. Especially, the analysis with Ana as the central figure is very interesting.
9. I think Angela shows very good analyses of the film with dependency theory. And the part mentioned about hierarchy can be a very good example for me to think about the framing expressed it in the movie.
10. I really enjoyed the Lisa’s analysis about the film, since she analyzes a lot of detail things that I did not even think like a professional. Especially the mention compared the contents of the film and your own experience is very interesting.
11. Maggie analyzes contents of the film and immigrants’ life in the U.S in the movie in detail. If you mentioned about the analyses of the frame you agreed, it would be better. But I enjoyed your analysis.
12. I think Madoka shows an excellent analysis about this film. I totally agree with your analyses and these things are very helpful for me to see the framing analysis and immigration problem in the U.S. But actually I have little bot different opinion about what you said “I think the movie could show that the sister lives more happily than other people.”
13. I enjoyed the Tannie’s comment since I found an interesting analysis. The part that analyzed the reason why Mr. Guzman, Ana’s teacher, recommended her to Columbia University is his heritage is pretty interesting view, I think. The other parts, of course, are very interesting.
14. Through out the London’s comment, I can find the neutral view of analyzing about the framing of the film. I think it is very important thing to analyze something in academic.
15. Alice point out what Ana does to achieve her better life she thinks. But, I have a question about the part that you mentioned as an example of the dependency theory.
1.to Stephanie Elcewicz,
this common mention about the immigration problem,and how can it shows in the film. I agree that this common said about Ana's teacher and her family's different thinking.
2.to Stephanie Elcewicz,
To Spyderflash
I agree with you that the frame of globalization shows in this movie. The building and the clothing factory are representative which interpret different between immigrants and resident. Also, it is better to get passport to come to the USA.
To Stephanie,
The economic is still a problem of the immigrants to support the education, so Anna’s problem is the social problem which everyone should concern and understand immigrants. I support your ideas that this movie is excellent.
To Till,
I like your interpretation that the movie refers to the factory in different way and situation. A sweatshop, a fashion boutique, and a factory are the interpretation which depends on the point of view.
To Moe,
Your nation identity is to understand the immigrants who move to the USA. I like you said Anna’ mother is symbol of purity and chastity because it can image how she proud of her country and identity.
To Candace,
I have the same opinion that the conflict between tradition and modern. Anna’ mother have her own tradition thought while Anna have lived in a modern. Therefore, two of them always have arguments which have been endless.
To Pal,
I like the way you said this movie is how different values Mexican immigrants in America have compared to the Americans. This movie realizes the immigrants who try to understand the real world and their own world.
To Moon princess,
Your confliction of tradition and modern in Anna’ family is to understand people can have their own ways. Anna and Estela was raise up in the modern but, Anna has more belief and confident than he sister. As the result, she can find the way she likes.
To C P stack,
Your interpretation of “Curve” is good idea. Anna is immigrant and third generation who move to the USA, she can fine her own life what she needs.
To Sheng Hao Lin,
I have the same idea that the confliction of immigrants has around the world. Even my Country, Thailand has lot of immigrants. However, I think this idea can refer to international students who study aboard because sometime we need to be assemble to understand American culture.
To, Angela
I agree with you that the Anna mother is resisted from media. Anna’ weight does not matter that she is not successful. On the other hand, Anna gets scholarship to support her education and she also successes in her real women.
To Saskia,
I agree with you that Anna is American because she lives in idealistic environment. The immigrants do not need to follow their tradition way but they can be identity. Although Anna does not follow her mother, she understands her mother’s way when she is working at factory. Anna knows she is Mexican but she has a way as American.
To Maggie,
Anna’s life is confliction between tradition and modern which she finally knows what she needs, I agree. Because of two different environments( American and Mexican), she has a confusion in making decision. However, she can find her way and live with her value.
To Hinamadoka
I agree with you that the traditional value need to be respected from people. Also it needs to understand what the society is. Therefore, the respect and understanding are important to help people know why they do the same thing.
To Tannie,
I like you talk about inner strength, genuine beauty of women, and ethnicity because it reflects how value of woman. It does not need only beauty but it has to have idea and thought.
To Finn,
I agree with you that the frame of immigrants. The immigrants are as sweatshop labor even though they expect more chance and support in the civilization country. Therefore, it is important that the immigrants should have their own value to live in foreign country.
Hello everyone,
After I read all of comment, I am enjoy reading its. I have some respond to comments
1. January’s comment – I agree with your comment about the film portrays economic hierarchies negatively and view immigrants. All of them (Mexican’s family) work hard but getting low wage. The main reason is education. They are uneducated. Therefore, I agree with Ana that she continue to study at the college.
2. Ping’s comment- I like your comment about the similarity between Mexican’s tradition and Chinese’s tradition. That is a great idea. Actually, Thailand in the past used to have this tradition too.
3. Tannie’s comment- I like your point about the best scene in this film. I learn ‘you have to be satisfied what you are’ from this scene.
4. Modoka’s comment- I agree with you about modernization theory. It could be work if we use this theory to analyze view of developed country side influence and manipulate third world’s concepts and value. That is interesting.
5. Maggie’s comment- I am interested your idea about the conflict in this film. You pointed traditional and modern culture conflict. Besides, some point about Mexican’s culture that the parent won’t show love to their kids. They always blame their kids all the time. However, Mexican’s family is still close, love and help each other. That is a good point to analyze about the culture.
6. Saskie’s comment- I agree with your comment about the hierarchies in this film. We could see the different between Mexican’s family and American’s family. This point is the main reason that attract Ana continue to study and follow her dream.
7. Lisa’s comment- I like your comment about the film represents the definitions of national boundaries, culture, and tradition since they are based on collective patterns, values, norms, and artifacts.
8. Elise- I agree with your idea about the dependency theory that talk about globalization. That is interesting.
9. Stephanie elcewicz’s comment- I like your example about the hierarchies. I can get this point easily and I also agree with your frame in this film that is ‘immigration’. Ana’s family member all have jobs that Americans associate with immigrant labor such as gardener or job at factories.
10. Keranne ‘s comment- I like your idea about the media tries to portray as the ideal body. This point is interesting and make me to have idea about the film’s image
11. Candace’s comment- I like your point out about the film addresses issues such as national boundaries and culture, globalization, national identity, and immigration and the United States. In my opinion, I think the film want to represent Ana and her family go through various events in their life that highlight the different themes such as the theme about the national boundaries. Besides, I also agree with your idea about the conflict in culture between American culture and Mexican culture. That is interesting.
12. Heather Mcgaffin’s comment- I like your supporting idea about the frame that is ‘immigration’ in this film. Mcgaffin also gave the idea about ‘illegal aliens’ (not persons, but aliens) are coming into America and doing nothing but creating negative effects on society.
13. Mark’s comment- I agree with your idea about the social hierarchy and economic hierarchy. You explained this points that is very clear by giving example from the several scenes.
14. Oui’s comment- I like your idea about the frame that is social and economic of immigration in this film. Besides, I really like your idea about ‘cheap labor’ that represent about the hierarchy also.
15. Sheng –hao lin’s comment- I agree with your idea about the conflicts between traditional and modern culture. Then, you gave good examples to support your idea that are very clear. Besides, you still gave some idea about the conflict between tradition and modern culture in Taiwan. That is very interesting to hear that.
A good illustration of colonization is Elise's example about colonizer and colonized, employer and laboror. Another good example is the globalization point. It keenly affects women's issues around the world being drawn into the labor force within a patriarchal structure. Also, Mark's portrayal of the globalization effects of cheap but productive labor is a great way of showing reality about globalization and imperialism.
Stephanie's analysis of the immigration issue in the film is a true picture of what most immigrants go through and experience at one point or another in their new life and struggle.
To tll, the struggle and the hardship that Estella goes through in the film is an indication of the type of life most immigrants go through. It is a constant struggle, a constant fight of the unprivileged and the underpaid.
Dikshya's elaboration on center/periphery relation is an excellent explanation how the center manipulates and exploits the peripheries.
Chany's illustration about the conflict between tradititional and modern values and images is right on the dot. This conflict represents the struggle that happens in every culture and in every country whether a core or a periphery.
I liked Madoka's short analysis of modernization theory and how developed countries ideologies influence for the most part countried of the thirld world.
Structural imperialism and dependency theory in Andrea's post is a very good way to analyze the relationship between the affluent and the misfortunate, the colonizer and the colonized.
I would like to commend Dr G. on this virtual online class. It is an excellent idea to interact, read and respond to others' posts and get your thoughts and ideas across. These posts were a very valuable tool in understanding and evaluating different theories presented in the text book. I have learned a lot about this great movie, the ideas and analyses that were presented and the comments made by everyone.
Thanks a lot.
Hello all!
1) I like David’s statement about Anna rejecting many beliefs, attitudes and values being pushed on her by her family. I think it is important to understand that not only Ana has a hard time growing up in between two cultures, but also her family has to undergo Ana’s emotions, which are not easy to understand for the family.
2) I am not sure whether to agree with Emi’s comment regarding Mr. Guzman speaking to Ana’s family in Spanish and therefore showing respect to her parents. Ana’s father actually took it as an offence, as his comment to Mr. Guzman was that he speaks English. Consequently, one could also conclude that Mr. Guzman assumed that Ana’s family is uneducated and doesn’t make an effort to adapt to the local traditions and customs.
3) I absolutely agree with London’s comment that children who were born in the United States as a second/third generation do not consider themselves as purely Mexican anymore. Mostly these children consider themselves more American than Mexican, although they might not show it in front of their families.
4) Even though I agree with Janueri’s comment that the movie portrays economic hierarchies negatively and views immigrants as hard working people receiving low compensation overall, I do want to point out though that Estella’s constituent (Ms. Glass) is also a Mexican woman, who is very successful!
5) I am in complete agreement with Andrea’s comment that structural imperialism and dependency theory are present between Ms. Glass (the dress buyer) and Estela. It could not have been better stated.
6) I like how Finn described the movie as accepting physical imperfections and recognizing that true beauty is inside. I believe that one of the movies main messages is that every woman should be aware of the fact that knowledge radiates beauty.
7) I really like Tannie’s comparison between Ana’s teacher Mr. Guzman, a Mexican-American himself, and Ana. I personally haven’t even though about the gender difference. I simply assumed that Mr. Guzman was strong enough to break out of his traditional family. I think that is a very good observation.
8) Unfortunately, I have to disagree with Hinamadoka comment stating that the movie tries to show that it is hard to receive higher education for immigrants. I think I can understand what is meant to be said, but the statement as such is wrong. I think the fact that Ana’s receives a full scholarship for one of the best universities in the state, shows that it is possible overall.
9) I like how Lisa points out that Ana’s mother Carmen was determined to raise her daughters to become excellent wives and mothers but she felt like she was losing the battle and therefore that she was a failure. This shows that not only Ana struggles with the clash of cultures, but Carmen as well.
10) I agree and disagree with Chany comment stating that Carmen wants Ana to follow in her sister's footstep, work to help the family, and stay in the exact situation everyone else in that community is in. It is true that Carmen wants Ana to work in the factory and stay in the family; however it is not true that Ana should be like Estella. Carmen is fond of Estella’s working life, but not of her private life. Ana should not be like her sister, this is why Carmen is nagging Ana the entire time.
11) I believe Mark’s statement about Ana's request was not only a benevolent one --in trying to help her sister-- but it was also a test to see how effective she could be in convincing her father to allow her to rise above and perhaps into the socioeconomic world in which he merely worked, points out very well that Ana follows her individualistic way of thinking.
12) I like Moe’s idea of "curves" being more than body curves... It is the curves life throws at us men and women, but I don’t get what he is referring to, as the movie is about women.
13) I like Trevor’s comment regarding the name of Estella’s business. It was interesting to hear the different ways they referred to the sisters business throughout the film. The name was Estella’s Fashion Design but it was referred to as ‘the factory’, a fashion boutique, and a sweatshop. This gives a good overview on how different cultures and different social classes refer to one and the same thing.
14) I agree with Stephanie’s statement that Carmen is so opposed to modern ideas that she cannot bring herself to say goodbye to Ana in the final sequence when Ana leaves for the airport. It almost seems that Carmen is too proud and cannot admit that Ana is following a good direction in life.
15) I really like Elise’s personal story about her grandmother, who would tell her to let the boys beat her in games because boys don't like girls who are smarter and stronger than they are. It shows that every culture has certain traditions and values and that it is hard to let go, especially for the older generations.
See you all next week, take care
sorry I think the Internet has some problem....so I post again.
1.to Stephanie Elcewicz,
this common mention about the immigration problem,and how can it shows in the film. I agree that this common said about Ana's teacher and her family's different thinking.
2.to Stephanie Elcewicz,
she mention about the Marxist, Ana's sister- Estela’s behavior in this situation is the most important part in this film. This is one of the reason that Ana wants to think about her future,because she don't want be a lower classes.
3.to Kerianne,
I have the same point with you, because Ana don't want to follow her family's step. Her mother always want her to follow the tradition, but the second generations- Ana she has her own thinking. That's why this film will talk about the first generation and second generations' difference.
3.to Chany:
I like this common which is mention about Estella and Ana's relationship, even though Mrs. Glass's rule is so strict, Estela still not refute her, because she knew that she is a lower classes.
4.to Moe,
I agree your common about the immigrates coming to this country finding a better life, but Ana is smart then her mom, she trying to merge the U.S society.
5.to Mcgaffin,
this common mention about two difference between positive and negative aspects of different cultures. Ana's family always in the negative thinking and they don't want to change the tradition,
so this point can let audience to understand easily.
6,to Pål,
Pål mention about the independent cultures, also talk about the different values between Mexican immigrants in America, how they can compared to the Americans. it's a specific view in this common.
7,to Oui,
she mention about an interest point, Ana's mother wants to teach Ana her experience about her life, also wants to help her to choose a good man. I totally agree Ana she defiant her mom.
8,to Sheng-hao Lin,
Well, right, he talks about the early Taiwan was the same situation with Ana's family. He also mention the traditional problem, and I think we can find the same problem in everywhere.
9,To Lisa,
She has a good point about people held components of their cultural interpretations as defined by their own way of life. I learned a lot from her commons.
10,to Mark,
I like he talks about Ana's struggle and how she can face the problem with her family and her education.
11,to Madoca,
She analysis about the immigration problem in the U.S.she did a good job on it, and I also like her point out Ana and her sister's relationship.
12,to Maggie,
she mention about Ana's mom call her fat and not beauty, we can understand some parents will not care about their child's felling , in this film, we know that children need to give them confidence.
13,to Tannie,
I have the same view with her, she mention that Ana and Estela's co-workers they show their bodies, I love this part, too. because this is the best part that they show their confidences, it's beautiful.
14,to Ping,
She also mention about China has the same tradition,as we know that some of the Chinese families they don't need the education, they just want their children can help thejk work. I think we can not solve ths situation, it's depends the culture.
15,to Maribeth,
This common mention about Ana's father let her to chose what she want to do. I just curious about why Ana's father didn't against Ana's mom in the beginning.
On culture, globalization, national identity, and immigration: Ana’s life exemplify that a culture clash can exist within a culture and/or family. There is an ongoing conflict between Ana and her family, especially her mother, Carmen. Ana wants to continue her education and Carmen deters it. Carmen is determined to teach Ana about life by invoking her attitudes, values, and beliefs. Ana’s sister, Estela, operates a sweatshop that makes high-dollar apparel for next to nothing. The film portrays current issues that we face everyday, such as immigration. For example, immigrants are more willing to work a lower wage, as it depicts in the movie.
Does the notion ‘All men are created equal’ only apply to Americans? Arguably, most would say no, but the film indicates otherwise. In the scene where Ana accompanies Estela to the corporate office to ask for an advance payment, structural imperialism is evident. Estela and Ana are treated condescendingly and are left feeling inferior.
On framing: Ana’s character plays a crucial role in breaking the typical stereotype frame of immigrants. Instead of confining her life to the expectation of her mother and the society, she chooses her own path by pursuing a higher education. A particular framing of the immigrant issue is noticeable through the depiction of the setting. The location of Estela’s place of business is filthy and crowded whereas Jimmy’s house is in a clean neighborhood filled with fancy homes.
I do not agree nor disagree with how the film frames the immigration issue because it is more than likely that people are confronted with similar issues that Ana faces in real life. By overcoming her adversities, Ana shows people that regardless of the framework or stereotype of immigrants, one has the power to choose their own path.
On application: The two opposing ideas might makes right versus might doesn’t make right is explored. Estela has a difficult time asking Mrs. Glass for an advance payment because of her status. Mrs. Glass reinforces her belief by treating Estela with disrespect. This specific interaction captures the reality of how immigrants are treated in today’s society.
Personal Analogies: My family and I are immigrants. Unlike Ana’s family, my parents encourage me to pursue a higher education. Carmen feels that she has sacrificed her youth and therefore Ana should follow in her footsteps. As for my situation, my parents also feel that they have sacrificed their lives by moving to Hawaii for the kids. The difference between Carmen and my parents is that they want to see me have a better future than themselves.
Resistance to Media: Jimmy and Ana’s relationship showed that there is nothing wrong with interracial coupling. Ana getting into Columbia on a full scholarship proved that immigrants are just as capable as non-immigrants. Ana and the ladies taking off their clothing during work was a way of demonstrating that skinny women aren’t the only people entitled to feel beautiful. Ana choosing to lose her virginity out of wedlock showed that sex doesn’t have to wait till marriage.
Resistance to media in film: I agree that the film achieved its goal by portraying effective resistance to media. The constant struggles and conflicts around Ana made it difficult for her to achieve her goals, but in the end, she persevered and won.
1.Stephanie elcewicz: The scene that captured your attention also grabbed mines. I’m talking about the scene where Mrs. Glass treats Ana and Estela with no mercy. It makes me sad to know that people are treated like that in real life.
2.tll: You mentioned that Estela’s fashion design store had various names. I agree that it’s no different than a sweatshop, but renaming it ‘a fashion design store’ probably makes her feel better. Hopefully Estela will find the courage and inspiration from Ana and pursue her goals.
3.dikshya: Real women do have curves. It was nice to see that Ana, a high school graduate accepts herself for the way she is. How does one come to accept herself regardless of her physical image? Granted we fight our own battles and overcome struggles in our lives, but we are constantly bombarded with the society’s standards of what is beautiful. How we do escape that pressure? Maybe I should just move to Fuji where big women are the standard of beauty.
4.kerianne: Nice touch with the Modernization theory. I totally didn’t even think of it. I hope you’re having a good soccer trip!
5.candance: Good observation on the transition of the neighborhood between Ana’s hood and her school in Beverly Hills. On another note, I have a different viewpoint of what you wrote. You said that in the US, other cultures are viewed as lesser people. You came to this conclusion from the classroom scene. My haole boyfriend grew up and attended a Mexican dominated high school and he was one of the few white kids. I don’t think that makes him lesser. Plus, if they wanted to portray Mr. Guzman as being lesser, he would have been casted as a janitor, not the teacher.
6.heather mcgaffin: How’s the waves sister? Okay, on a serious note, you said that in your personal life you’ve made some great friendship with people of different ethnicities. Wouldn’t this world be a better place if ethnocentrism did not exist?
7.mark: Ooooh, I like your entry. I have to agree with you that it felt great to see Ana strut her stuff as she got off the subway. A part of me felt envious that she can explore that kind of freedom. Makes me evaluate my own life and what direction I’m heading in…
8.moonprincess aka Chany: What’s up girl? I miss having you in my classes. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being independent or being traditional, or being both. It’s your life and you define it. From my perspective, the sooner one realizes that life is too short to care and live by the norms, rules, and expectations of the society, the better life you will have. But it is hard to let go and leave by your own book of rules because we are so freaking accustomed to abide by the society’s expectations. Like Ana, she went through conflicts to get to where she was happy. Perhaps conflicting thoughts will encourage you to focus on what you truly want and pursue that. Good luck! See you around campus!
9.c_p_stack: Simple and short blog that gets to the point. You have good things to say. I wish you wrote a little more in-depth.
10.nilsen,h: Mr. Guzman did help Ana get into college with his connections, but I believe she could have done it on her own if she wanted to. The context of the movie does not indicate that she was incapable of getting into college. He helped her because he knew her circumstances.
11.angela_e: Self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you are worth a dollar, people will treat you so. Regardless of what structure/expectations are set out, it is up to the individual to break the stereotype, like Ana.
12.maggie: Interesting point you make about how Carmen is always bitching to Ana about her weight. Even though she always puts her down, you know Carmen loves Ana. It’s kind of weird; Carmen drives Ana crazy, but Carmen thinks she is doing Ana a favor. Weird.
13.andrea: You mentioned that Ana’s parents do not need much of knowledge or education, just physical labor. That thought applies to my parents. My parents are housekeepers for hotels in Waikiki and it breaks my heart to know that in their 60s, they are cleaning toilets. When I was younger, I felt ashamed, but now, I’m so thankful that they did what they are doing currently to put me through school, clothes on my back, etc. Their hard work makes me want to reap in choke cash and take them shopping. On a serious note, seeing my parents doing physical labor inspires me to achieve success and take care of them.
14.gunho: Hi! I’m so glad I got to see your baby. So cute! Oh, about class. About you feeling bitter. I don’t think Ana is a man-hater nor was the issue about men. Why do you feel bitter?
15.ping: Hi Ping! I’m glad you wrote about how the film can relate in China. It is similar in Korean culture. If you do not have an education, the key thing to do is find you a good man and settle down.. But that’s not for us! Education, yes. Good man, yes. We can have it all! See you in class babe!
Ps. Now I can go to sleep! Yay!
1. To Saskia,
I agree with your point that the movie portrays very well the difference between the two cultures Ana is trapped in. Since Ana receives American education system, she is more familiar with the American traditions. Moreover, differences between the social and economic hierarchies are clearly well seen in this movie, too. Especially portray the life standard between Ana and Jimmy.
2. To Lisa,
It is interesting to know Lisa is the 1st generation Asian American and have constantly struggled to shape two different cultures and balance family tradition and how people look at you as an Asia. I understand that would be hard for you that people see you as a banana (means outside skin is yellow but inside is American).
3. To Tannie,
I like your point about regarding media, in this film Ana eventual love interest is a skinny white guy, unfortunately, media possesses us into assuming that the only types of relationships involve pretty guys and pretty girls. I was surprised, too. I guess I have cultivated by media too long. (I don’t mean Ana is fat and ugly, but I do admire Ana’s pride that she has her inside beauty.)
4. To Finn,
It is interesting finn points out the conflict between Ana’s familial duties and college aspirations is deeply grounded in those intersecting themes; In most of Asian countries, parents ask/ request their kids to get as high as education if kids can. However, it is a big different that Mexican parents just ask their kids to finish high school and go to work. I have a culture shocked from this point when I watched the movie, too.
5. To Gunho,
Thanks for bringing up a good point, I agree that people who immigrate to U.S. for a better life. However, people like Ana’s mom don’t realize the importance of evidences people surrounding with. Sometimes realizing a fact of a society is more important than keeping some tradition thoughts.
6. To Stephanie,
I agree with you that Estela’s behavior in this situation might be considered as having Marxist overtones of repression of lower classes. And I do believe Ana’s behavior is more close to Feminism that finally she has enough confident to walk in Manhattan.
7. To Candace,
I believe so that in today’s society I think social and economic hierarchies still exist. It is difficult for immigrants to get good paying jobs, because U.S. citizens feel they are incapable of being intelligent enough. Some immigrants has a high salaries in their countries, because they want to provide a better life to their kids and immigrate to U.S. Unfortunately, the working position is not as high as the one they had in their country, same as salary, which is sad.
8. To Pal,
I think so that Ana is born and raised in America, follows the American way of thinking, the more individualistic. Sometimes there are really conflicted that people have two different cultures in mind. However, it is also precious that people who own two cultures understand this diverse world better.
9. To Mark,
It is interesting from Mark’s analyzing. Yes, I agree with you that there are big differences between social and economic hierarchies. Maybe tradition manner teaches people how to be a better one. However, sometimes people need to abandon old tradition if it is not used for nowadays life. I was surprised that Ana’s mom believes her own experience more than going to see a doctor for questioning self pregnancy.
10. To Chany,
I totally agree with Cany’s point regarding media resistance is shown most prominently in the factory where the women are making the dresses for small women. It makes me touched that Ana’s sister made her a dress which is special made “only for Ana”, same as many scenes talk about how sisters support each other. This also represents the cares between sisters in Mexican culture. Sisters cover each other whenever, whatever they need a favor from each other. In American society, I’ve never seen brothers and sisters can be this close like Ana and Estella.
11. To Sheng-Hao,
I agree Sheng-Hao’s argument about people immigrated to the United State for better life. However, according to Ana’s family condition, the father and cousin work as yardmen, Mom and sister work in a sweat-shop. U.S. doesn’t help immigrants who are looking for a better dream in this wonder land, which I feel sorry to look at some young people who have lots talents but suffer in being a poor family condition and killing their prides. I feel Ana is a lucky girl who can achieve her dream in reality.
12. To Jan,
I agree when the new immigrant meets his/her tradition, it is usually troublesome to get compromised. But life is created by oneself and we should know what the best is for self to experience for and achieving one’s dream.
13. To C P,
When tradition meets modern, there are lots of conflicts. I like C P identify Ana struggles on her own way and finally curve herself in the best shape to assimilate into a U.S. reality.
14. To Angela,
I like Angela points out that because of Media resistance, Ana accepts her weight and how her mother really patronizes her about her weight, but as a revolt, Ana gets everyone in sweat shop to take off their clothes and see how beautiful they really are. If I were Ana, I probably would be totally resisted from media that losing weights or cut fat is one of primary things I want to do before get into college.
15. To Oui,
It is interesting from Oui that Ana’s mom wants to teach Ana tradition from Mexican and things back home. However, she is the one who doesn’t believe on science but self experience.
1. Response to Elise: It is interesting to explore whether a true “melting pot” of culture can possibly exist at all. Your tossed salad theory is a much better analogy since each assemblage does retain its unique identity regardless of size, integration, or assimilation. The film does present a narrow white vs. non-white viewpoint that is simplified but necessary in order to set the stage for Ana’s narrative. To give her a periphery zone would overcomplicate her presented choices and overinflate her constructed reality.
I have witnessed many “daring to rise up against the master” conversations between colonizer and colonized like the one occurred between Estela and Mrs. Glass. A specific one that comes to mind took place between a friend who works as a courier and her boss who approves her budget. Recent gas prices led to an increase in her expenses and she had asked for a raise. The boss gave my friend the same Mrs. Glass speech and accused her of not being grateful for the job. It was definitely an example of dependency theory in action.
Fort Street does indeed provide a treasure map for discontinuities and intercultural interactions. Many people would consider my first day of class this semester as surreal: while on campus I sipped coffee from a vendor who emigrated from Taiwan, had a meeting with an advisor who emigrated from Mexico, enjoyed lunch prepared by a cook who emigrated from Vietnam, was taught by a professor who emigrated from Korea, and was the only American student in class. What a cosmopolitan day!
2. Response to Stephanie: Estela’s Marxist overtone of repression is compelling. Many are quick to judge Estela as a person who allows herself to be a victim. But it is far easier to point a finger than to examine the overtone and density of the situation. Familiarity may breed contempt but fear of the unknown baffles the will. Bad situations are able to repeat in cycles throughout many generations because of the status quo phenomenon. The abused become abusers and the oppressed become oppressors. There are so many people who choose to remain in bad situations simply because they have already defined it as their version of “normal” and for them, it would be even scarier to initiate change because that would present a whole slew of unknown factors.
3. Response to Trevor: I have to admit a fondness for films with ambiguous endings like this one did for Estela. I like thinking about the “what ifs” and the “I hopes.” Most films wrap conclusions in tidy packages that clearly encompass the preferred choices by the time the credits begin to roll. Call me a cynic, but I doubt most real life Estelas have happy endings.
The film does suggest that Ana’s decisions to pursue her independence and a post-secondary education will benefit her family as well. That may be true but I have come across many people who believe that there is no such thing as the American Dream or that success in the U.S. is extremely elusive and causes false hope. It often makes me wonder why some people succeed in similar situations where others fail miserably. Is it hard work? Luck? A combination of both?
The parental power of Japan is truly amazing and yet there is something delicately beautiful about it as well. My cousin in Tokyo is going through a divorce and he is the first one of any generation in our family in Japan to do so. I’ve always considered him as extremely intelligent, independent, and direct but he formally asked his parents for permission to separate from his wife. He is a beloved relative but being physically and culturally miles away, it’s hard for me to imagine feeling obligated to do something so personal like that.
4. Response to Moe: I agree with Hobsbawn’s proto-nationalism theory and think that Hawaii offers a perfect example of a place where individuals maintain allegiance to certain mythical beliefs and to political/social institutions even though they crossed national borders. It’s interesting to see this tendency passed down throughout the years from generation to generation usually without hesitation or question.
You bring up an interesting point of struggling immigrants. Growing up in Hawaii, I frequented the local mom and pop stores of the neighborhood but it’s a different marketplace now. I have come across quite a few locals who strongly oppose big box chain stores here and criticize those who shop at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Costco. Meanwhile, I can’t help looking forward to the day when Target opens their doors here. Am I a sellout? Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion but is it right to guilt your neighbors into supporting the local businesses who are forced to charge higher prices in order to stay in business?
5. Response to Dikshya: Estela’s factory illustrates an ethical dilemma that has perpetuated throughout history. Why do unfair situations continue to thrive in a democratic and powerful nation like America? One would almost be convinced that it is all part of a grand scheme. It all screams of a conspiracy theory. Or is dependency theory just part of the necessary undercurrent of society? I once had an anthropology professor who tried relentlessly to convince the class that drug and arms dealers were a necessary component of American society. He would often say that without these people, we would be in financial, political, and social ruin. Ninety-eight percent of the class agreed with him. Each member of the ninety-nine percent was a nursing major. I suspected they were politely agreeing with him because compassion and empathy were part of their character makeup. The rest of us, to his horror, were communication majors and argued not necessarily against him but for the possibility of there being other possibilities.
I can relate to your example of friends and relatives back home who called you a westerner. I often see my family members (especially the females) in Japan swallow their opinions especially when they are speaking to their elders. It used to annoy me but I have come to appreciate a certain strength in their behavior. There is an uncelebrated honor in promoting harmony and maintaining positive relationships. Of course I have come to learn this valuable lesson the hard way.
6. Response to Kerianne: Americans are definitely presented with more options now than any other generation in history. A good problem to have? Maybe. The struggle to find our place in society is still difficult no matter who we are or where we come from. Traditional vs. modern, blue collar vs. professional, or housewife vs. entrepreneur. The choices are complicated and different for every individual. What is happiness? Well, that all depends. It’s no wonder clairvoyants and psychic hotlines are ubiquitous in America! The choices are all so overwhelming! And heaven forbid we each have to take full responsibility for our actions. That is way too much for some people to handle.
The media definitely places grossly unrealistic expectations on women and has successfully done so over many years. And it doesn’t just affect women. My 10-year-old nephew recently refused to take his shirt off at the beach because he thinks he is “very unattractive and too fat.” He is not overweight by any stretch of the imagination and I wonder how much the media has contributed to his negative body image issues. For the future, it will be interesting to see what this media trend morphs into. Ad campaigns such as Dove and weight requirements on runways may be able to put a dent in this dangerous mindset of the media.
7. Response to Candace: Americans do place very strong social stereotypes on immigrants in this country. Social hierarchies are clearly outlined and misunderstandings lead to further maintenance of the divide. I recently had a discussion with a group of people about an immigrant from Vietnam who works as a chef. His father immigrated to America first and had worked his fingers to the bone for nine long years before the rest of the family was able to join him. His son now puts in 12 to 14 hours a day, every day, to mastering his culinary craft and he is constantly berated by his peers for it. The other chefs (all U.S.-born) accuse him of making them look bad, question his intentions, and worry about him moving up in status before them. When asked about his situation, he explains that he feels obligated to do his best in every aspect of his life because his parents have made many sacrifices for him and also because he owes it to himself to be the best possible version of himself. I think it’s very admirable. His co-workers refuse to accept his contentions, I am moved by them.
8. Response to Heather: Our government does seem to instill an “us vs. them” mentality when it comes to immigration issues. They seem to scare Americans into thinking that immigrants are “taking over the country” and that we are actually the oppressed. When most people tend to form opinions solely based on 15 second sound bites from the news, you know we are a nation in trouble.
Kudos for your comment that “ sometimes something in opposition can present a very positive thing.” It’s such a simple concept yet it’s one that is difficult for many people to embrace. Thank goodness for the celebrated people in history like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. who refused to accept the status quo. Too many people believe that presenting an argument means promoting hostility. Not true! How can we evolve as a society, as comrades, and as humans unless we admit that we don’t know what we don’t know?
9. Response to Mark: The film’s opening montage is visually effective indeed. It takes us from one spectrum to the other not only geographically, but within Ana’s mind as well. Although well done, I couldn’t help thinking about how silly the same montage would be if it had been shot in Hawaii. Our version of South Central and Beverly Hills could literally be separated by a casual 10-minute walk. Not exactly the ideal canvas for a film to take place.
You pointed out some interesting gender issues. Borrowing money from a man and groveling to a woman was inconsequential. The main point was to illustrate the socio-economic hierarchies without throwing gender into the mix. The father not offering to lend Estela the money implied that he was trying to teach his daughters the value of hard work and the consequences of being a business owner. Mrs. Glass commenting that “women like me should help women like you but you have to help yourself too” implied that a handout and hard work will lead to success. Alas, it’s just not that simple.
Although the plot of this film is not unique, it was interesting to see the father changing the social norms. Hollywood usually would have the mother as the protagonist’s ally and together they would plead their case to the father. Of course he would eventually come around and they would live happily ever after. Therapists wouldn’t have12 pages of advertisements in the yellow pages if it were that easy.
10. Response to Paul: As melodramatic as the mother is, she is an identifiable character because many mothers compare their own experiences with that of their children. I’m sure most of us have heard some rendition of the “back in old days” story. I still get a kick out of the ones I’ve heard! It’s natural for each generation to try and better the previous but there is that age-old dilemma of wanting to teach your children the value of an honest day of work vs. wanting to give your children what you didn’t have. My heart goes out to parents . . . it’s the toughest job in the world.
11. Response to Chany: I agree that on a flipside, some women who embrace traditional roles are harshly criticized for going against the grain. Of course there are many women who choose to not attend college and are incredibly content to be housewives and mothers. There is nothing bad about these choices, but the point is that women should be given these choices and be allowed to embrace their personal decisions. Can a woman really have it all? A family and a career? It all depends on who you ask.
12. Response to Pat: The film does seem to function as a 90-minute visual aid for intercultural communication. Modernization theory, cultural imperialism, media imperialism, and dependency theory all rolled up within Ana’s narrative. Each character’s situation, choice, and result does reflect specific analogies for all of the above-mentioned concepts.
13. Response to Oui: Yes, circumstances do explain culture. In this case, how the Latina culture includes extended family under one roof. The American family nucleus tends to frown upon this type of living arrangement. I remember being really young and seeing a sign saying, “For Sale: Single Family Home.” I asked my father what a single family home was and he explained that it was a home where ONE family lived together. This definition made me think about all of my friends who would not be qualified to live in that house since their family included a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin. Funny to think about now, but it was the first time I thought about the concept of family and how culture affects that perception.
The film does include the sting of stereotypical labels such as cheap labor, sweat factory, fat woman, old maid, and ungrateful daughter. Of course this is a deliberate ploy to stir up the pot and get the heated discussions flowing. The Latina culture is just a prototype here. Every culture has their own taboo words that could have been interchangeable with these.
14. Response to Nilsen: The film’s blue-collar struggle speaks volumes and can be applied to a variety of situations. A non-American friend once told me that she was amazed at how much Americans are willing to pay for services and I had never realized that before. Service is indeed a valuable commodity here and it is extremely evident within my personal connections. I can’t recall ever meeting any landscapers, nail salon owners, or housekeepers that had not immigrated here. It’s foolish to expect that to strictly be the norm within those industries but it certainly add to the propagation of certain stereotypes.
Very interesting observation about the Asian and Black stereotypes in addition to the overemphasized spotlight on the Hispanics and Whites. They were definitely cookie cutter references that served as extreme examples but each example did serve its intended purpose. Your other observation of the interchanging power between the father and mother was also a subtle yet effective reference to Ana’s dichotomy. What should she do? She couldn’t please both parents. In the end, she had to lay down her own path.
15. Response to Sheng-Hao: While it’s true that people immigrate to the U.S. in search of a better life, it does pose an interesting question of what that exactly means. What constitutes a “better life” certainly depends on what you are leaving behind. I will never forget being at an HPU function where an international student was telling me about her turbulent life back home. She was an only child and her father had been killed when she was a baby. She had left her mother behind in their war-torn country in search of a better life. She told me, “you know, when people in America say they are poor it usually means they can’t afford the latest gadget or trend. In my country, being poor means you sometimes don’t eat for days.” In my want-more society, she reminded me to focus on being grateful for what I already have. I have never seen her since that day and she will never know how much of an impact she has made in my life.
Hey Class,
Here is my comment on my other 15 classmates’ comments.
1. TLL
I agree with your point regarding type of hierarchy between Ana’s sister and the company buying her dresses. Another point that I felt exactly the same is that I was expecting to see big changes or resolutions after Ana graduates in many ways; her conflicts with her mother, how she has changed over time about things, or how she could use her knowledge and intelligent to help her each member of her family. Is there anything she could make changes about those situations? Because the film is all about conflicts and two different horns of thinking, so it should, at some points, show changes after Ana’s choosing to break out of the box of her traditional family.
2. Moe:
Moe has a good point about struggling immigrants. It leads me to think about the same issue with international students especially Asian students. Those are considered in the same way as immigrants. However, they have more than enough money to be able to afford expensive tuition fee of a private university and other things, such as cars, luxury apartments, clothes etc.
3. Moonprincess:
Moonprincess talks about how the film touches on the role of a woman and how women are viewed. This is very interesting. While I was watching the film, I was also wondering how women or their true values are measured. Looks, bodies (outer beauty), or personal values like charm, intelligence or merit (inner beauty). Another thing Moonprincess mentions is about beautiful dresses and skinny women. I have common experience. When I went cloth shopping, I felt shamed every time I see size-zero-dresses that I cannot even fit my leg in. Later, I realized that nice dresses are clothes that fit you the most and ones that you look good in them, not ones others are wearing or ones that are not suitable for me.
4. Kerianne:
I agree with the point of media resistance about typical model tall and skinny images. It gives me pressure most of the time I see them on media and TV. I felt like I needed to go on a diet just because I was wearing size-five clothes.
5. Candace:
The point that she makes about Jimmy being handed everything is interesting to me. However, I still believe that there are some Americans who have been doing anything to survive themselves in their own country while some immigrants I have known and seen have been handed stuff by the parents to be in the US.
6. Heather McGaffin:
I strongly agree with Heather in many points. First, the US is a good example of the melting pot theory of life. Second, the point about illegal aliens is another thing I agree with her. Lastly, the point regarding oppositional is very true and interesting.
7. Mark:
I agree with Mark about gender rules. I thought exactly the same as what he wrote, at the same time, I felt ashamed with the fact. Another interesting thing is about curves. I agree with what he said which is “Ana was about to embark on a very new and different journey, curves and all.” At this point, I believe that the idea of “curves” in the film is very symbolic. It is not just body’s curves but it represents “obstacles” in life that real women have to get through, not a rosy flat path to walk on.
8. C P Stack:
Modernization theory is a good point I strongly agree with. The explanation that C P Stack wrote is clear and interesting.
9. Oui Seekhiew:
Nation identity is a good point. I also think of the concept of ethnocentrism we talked in class, which I think it can be related to what Ana’s mother believes throughout the film.
10. Nilsen, H:
It is very true that Nilsen mentions about unfair characterization in the film. I don’t like over-generalizing as well because it is not always true that Asians or immigrants are poor and Europeans and whites are rich.
11. Saskia:
I agree with Saskia regarding the idea of melting pot. Like what I made a comment on Heather’s earlier, the US is a large melting pot of different cultures. At the same time, each one of them shows their nation identities like Ana’s family. For example, they live in LA, which is just like a melting pot of different immigrants, but still they show strong nation identity through their ways of thinking and their beliefs passing to their next generation.
12. Finn:
She makes a good point on men-women role by quoting partially from the film that is really interesting and it is a good observation.
13. Andrea:
It is true that Dependency theory is presented throughout the story. Another point I want to add up is about how teens want to be skinny. In Thailand, teens are getting skinner and skinner. Some eat and have themselves throw up to be skinny as they believe that when it comes to relationships, there will be only for skinny-model-like girls and guys together.
14. Gunho:
What they write on the DVD case is completely what I think. As I said earlier, the idea of curves in the film is very symbolic. Curves are not only on women’s bodies but symbolically, related to chances women have to take, obstacles women have to get through and life as a whole. All those things make women real women, not outer looks.
15. Emi:
She talks about traditional values, which made me think further about Ana’s Mother, Carmen. I was just wondering while watching the film that why Carmen still wants Ana, her intelligent next generation, to stay in the same old frame of tradition instead of letting her break out for a better life such as gaining a better education. Why would Carmen believe that Ana could make a better change for the whole family after she graduates? “Birds grow wings to fly,” just like people having to take a step higher for a better chance in life. “If it’s because you love me that makes my life miserable,” Ana says in one part of the film, “love me less.” It shows her strong will to break out her mother’s line for the best for her life.
The semester is almost half over, hang in there!
Tannie : )
Strange!
I posted at 5:54 am but it shows as 8:54 am.
Great job everyone
1. TLL – One thing that I really like TLL’s blog is that it introduced a real life experience that this person had that related to the film and discussion. There are a few people that I also know in Hawaii that were accepted to schools in the mainland or offered great job opportunities in the mainland, but are stuck in a dilemma. Many times their parents want them to stay home, sometimes not for shellfish reasons, but because it is expected of the child to stay home and help the family.
2. Moe – I would have never thought of the type of resistance you wrote – “film avoids a stereotypical portrayal of East L.A.; it's not seen as grimy or violence-ridden... Ana's family owns their own home in a simple quiet neighborhood in simple beauty”. Now I do see how the film avoid that type of portrayal. Ana’s home seemed safe and quiet. The family was able to walk outside and go to work with no trouble at all.
3. Dikshya – great job at referencing the Dependency theory and Hegemony. This does relate to many businesses within our society as many of the smaller, manufacturing companies (like Estella) who can be compared to as developing countries in the periphery rely on the distributors, the developed countries center. The flow of goods from the manufacturer to distributors is imbalanced. Estela’s case she designs and makes all of these dresses for a minimum of $18 per dress and who struggles to survive, while the distributors, Ms. Glass seems to be living a wealthy and successful life after selling those same exact dresses for $600.
4. Candace – I agree with your depiction of the modern versus tradition values between Ana and her mother and media resistance to the typical skinny body portrayed by the media. I think being a 1st or 2nd generation Mexican-America or any other ethnicity must be very difficult. Growing up in a different country/culture that offers so many opportunities to grow and learn creates problems for these generations because they need to acknowledge and follow their traditions, but at the same time want to assimilate and adopt this new culture. Do you think that if these generations all begin to assimilate with American culture, values and beliefs, that their traditions from their past will be lost?
5. Heather – it was interesting how you compared the way the film framed immigration to the way the President does as “illegal aliens”. I see that you experienced the melting pot theory in Texas as those who were raised here in Hawaii have. If immigration is seen as a negative effect on society and that these “aliens” should be deported, then that would mean we would all have to leave. In a way I could be considered a 2nd generation immigrant since my grandmother is from the Philippines.
6. Mark – I liked how you discussed the situation between Ana and her father as a cultural versus modern tradition. That idea never dawned on me. Ana went out to seek her fathers assistance in helping her sister Estela’s designer company.
7. Pal – great job in summing up the movie and explaining you thoughts, but I would like to hear more about how you think the film framed the movie, the resistance to media and a reference to what theory(s) help to support you thoughts.
8. Chany – Great job Chany. Did you really enjoy being a housewife for a week? Must have been great just doing things around the house instead of having to work hard as an independent woman. So far up to your posting, it doesn’t seem that many people touched on this issue of the role of a woman. This is also a somewhat modern versus traditional view as traditionally women are expected to stay home, take care and the man and family and basically be the housewife. Where as in modern society the tables may be turned. Women want to be more independent, they want to work and not be tied down to the home.
9. Nilson, H – Very interesting viewpoints presented in your blog. In a way I go agree with you in the way the film framed Latinos and Ana’s family as working the land and sewing in what Ana describes as a “sweat shop” with cheap labor. It seems that out of a majority of the blogs posted above yours, you are the only person who stated these views of the film. Great job at describing how you saw social and economic hierarchies as stereotyped throughout this film. Honestly, I didn’t see this as I watch the movie, but now that I think about it, the film in a way seemed to portray these ethnic groups in that light.
10. Sheng-Hao Lin – Yes, those conflict exist every day among different cultures, not only that of Mexican-Americans. Do you face those conflicts in your life where you are attending HPU and living in Hawaii (modern life) as compared to what your family views. There are traditions of my grandparents that I find myself in conflict with because the social norms and views that I’m exposed to differ from that of my grandparents.
11. Lisa – I liked how you compared Ana as “heroine of injustice, the leader of repressed, and the valiant explorer of the unexplored.” If this movie showed how Ana’s family was affected by her leaving to Columbia, would her family see that it’s alright to be different and stand up for yourself and what you believe in. Would Carmen let go of Ana and become happy that her daughter is making a better life for herself, would Estela speak out and stand up for her beautiful gowns and designer company?
12. Saskia – interesting way of describing social and economic hierarchies within Ana’s school. Ana attends a dominantly white school in Beverly Hills, where she had to apply and get accepted to. A majority of the teens in her class, can be assumed to come from well off families that have money. They all talk about their plans for the summer and college without hesitation. Whereas Ana has to make something up just to fit in.
13. Maggie – I agree that applying to college is somewhat a turning point in Ana’s life because she realized that there is more out there for her. She at first didn’t think she would go to college until encourage by Mr. Guzman. It seems that at this point she began to become more of an independent woman, helping her sister at the designer store, asking her father for money to help her sister, and losing her virginity.
14. Finn – It’s interesting how you see this “At its heart, the movie is about accepting physical imperfections and recognizing that true beauty is inside; by accepting herself as she is and rejecting preconceived notions of ‘beautiful’” as the heart of the movie. I agree that it is about finding who you are on the inside, but to me the movie seems to be more about Ana finding out who she is as she is faced with the dilemma of conforming to what her mother expects and living the “American Dream.”
15. David - I agree with you that Ana breaks many molds challenging traditional vs. modern values, social hierarchies, and rejecting negative framing towards her culture as displayed in her actions throughout the movie. In a way she’s kind of like a black sheep that goes against everything, but it’s just that she beginning to develop her own values and beliefs that differ from that of her family’s.
Since the time of the postings are off - October 15, 2007, 9:40am
Response to Real Women Have Curves
1. Keri- I agree with the point you make about the conflict between traditional and modern cultures. Carmen and Ana disagree on how Ana should liver her life. Carmen believes Ana should stay in LA and help the family, while Ana believes she will be helping herself and her family if she attends college. This is a great example of how modern and traditional cultures collide.
2. Heather-I like your point about how Ana was portrayed positively. Although she had a lot to overcome, her character was able to stand up for herself. The film didn’t focus on the negative, but enhanced the positive. The film was able to embrace women and show that they are capable of accomplishing their dreams.
3. Pat- I like your comparison of Ana’s family to the tricontinent countries that are struggling with their modernization. I like how you applied the dependency theory to show how the periphery is influenced by the center. Ana has accepted the views of the “center” while her mother has not, which is seen in how the two view college.
4. Lisa- I agree with your point that the family was portrayed as the stereotypical immigration family. Estella owns a sewing shop, but it is constantly referred to as the factory, and Ana’s father is the typical Hispanic gardener.
5. Tannie- I think your point about Ana’s love interest is very interesting. You make a good point about many movies portraying couples as “good-looking” people. Another interesting point about this issue is the fact that Ana does not view herself as beautiful, but Jimmy does, which is an example of media resistance.
6. Finn- You make a good point about the different roles that Ana and her mother take on. Carmen is insistent that it is more important for Ana to stay with the family, work in the factory, and learn how to take care of a man. Instead, Ana feels it is more important to go to college to get an education.
7. Andrea- Great example of structural imperialism and dependency theory. The scene with Ms. Glass and Estella shows how the benefits flow upwards from the less developed states to the centre states.
8. Emi- The social hierarchies were seen throughout the movie. I like your example about how scared Estella was of approaching Ms. Glass. Estella showed the social and economic hierarchy when she met with Ms. Glass. It seemed that Estella felt she did not have the right to ask for an advance because Ms. Glass was more powerful and successful than she was. However, Ana disagreed with this and wanted to stand up for the work they were doing. Another interesting point is when Ana said something in Spanish, thinking that Ms. Glass didn’t speak.
9. Ping- I agree with your example of media resistance. The women in the factory are not ashamed of who they are, even though society says they should be “thin.” By taking off their clothes, the women are saying that they do not care what society says, as long as they are happy with themselves.
10. Elise- you make a very interesting point about globalization. I think your example about the high-rise is very interesting. I also agree with your example about the bus ride to school. It shows the transition between the two cultures and the hierarchies that exist.
11. Mark- you make an interesting point about how the men were considered to be at the top, while the women less superior, but appreciated. I think this is a good example of the cultural traditions that exist.
12. Pal- You make a good point about how Ana has an individualistic way of thinking. Although Ana is an individualist, her mother is a collectivist, wanting Ana to stay home to help Estella and the rest of her family. The difference between the individualist and collectivist also shows the difference between the traditional and modern views accepted by the different family members.
13. Oui-I like you point about how national identity does not fade away with globalization. Ana who was raised in the U.S. has a different national identity than her mother, who was likely raised outside the U.S.
14. Angela- I agree with the point you make about progress and change. Carmen seems to be the only one who is against change and progress. She doesn’t want Ana to go to college, which shows that she is not ready to conform to the ideas of the more modern society.
15. Moe- I like how you compare the relationships in Ana’s family to the relationships that exist between centre and periphery nations. This is a perfect example of the roles centre and periphery nations play.
Below are my responses to the blogs.
1. I agree with Elise and her thoughts on hegemony. In the film, Carmen exercises (or attempts to exercise) control and power over Ana. However, since Ana was born in a generation unlike her mother’s, where parents don’t always have the same control over their children, Ana decided to use her own free will and not listen to her mother.
I also agree with the social and economic hierarchies with Estela and her sewing business versus Mrs. Glass and her business. Even though Mrs. Glass and Estela have the same background, Mrs. Glass was able to distinguish herself from Estela by becoming upper class. I do not think that Estela was made at Ana for making a comment about Mrs. Glass because Estela agreed about the social hierarchy; I think it was just because Estela did not want to lose her job or business.
2. I agree with Stephanie’s comment on media resistance. From the beginning, of the film, I couldn’t help but notice that Ana was heavier than what is “ideal” from the media’s standpoint. Ana was constantly told by her mother that she was too overweight even though her mother was overweight as well! Carmen thought it was OK that she was overweight because she was already married, and since Ana was overweight, no man would want to marry her. Ana accepted the fact that she did not have the ideal body, but the turning point was when she took off her clothes in the factory in front of other women and was also able to get the other women to take off their clothes, too. Ana showed the others that you can still be beautiful even if you are not skinny. We also see the one woman who is thin have hang ups about her body. It shows that we should not let the media decide whether or not we should be happy and happy with our bodies.
3. I agree with Tll’s comment on the clash between traditional and modern values. In the beginning of the film, we hear (mostly white) students say which colleges they plan on attending in the fall. Once it was Ana’s turn, Ana lied and said she would pursue a higher education and she was planning on touring Europe as well. When Ana and Jimmy talk on the phone, we see Jimmy sitting on his bed with his lap top in his lap; Ana, on the other hand, is shown sharing a room with her sister. Ana does have a computer, but it appears to be an old desktop computer. Ana also pretends to know what Jimmy is talking about when he speaks to her about having everything handed down to them. Ana knows most of the kids in the school with never have to worry about finances, and Ana and her family have worked hard to accomplish their goals.
4. I agree with Moe’s beliefs on the immigration issue throughout the film. The film portrays immigrants coming to America in hopes of a better life. Once they come to America, they are forced to work hard to make a living. Immigrants are usually paid less and we see that when the dresses that Estela produces sell for $600 when it only takes $18 to make. Estela knows the dresses are worth more than what she makes, but she continues to produce the best quality dresses she can and encourages the other workers to produce quality dresses. Even if the workers know they will not be getting paid until Estela can afford to pay them, they still continue to work hard and give it their all.
5. I agree with Candace in her blog about the culture differences between Ana and Jimmy. Most of the kids at the high school probably didn’t realize that people have to work hard for things since they have everything handed down to them, but I think Jimmy had some sense that Ana was different than him and the rest of the white kids. Jimmy told Ana that he wanted to go to Europe with her to get a different perspective on people and the world. Jimmy also pretended to be Spanish when he called Ana’s house and her mother answered. I think Jimmy knew that Ana’s mother would not approve of Ana dating a white boy from Beverly Hills.
6. I agree with Heather’s blog in how refreshing it was to see the opposing side of immigration and to see it in a positive light, no less. This film allowed an issue such as immigration shown firsthand as a family living in America working hard, but still grateful for the opportunity. I really enjoyed this movie!
7. I agree with Chany’s view on social hierarchy between Estela and Mrs. Glass. Carmen tried to instill views on both Estela and Ana over social order. Estela being older and having somewhat of a more traditional view, did not want to speak to Mrs. Glass in person because Estela thought Mrs. Glass wouldn’t have time to speak to her. It wasn’t until Ana convinced Estela to see Mrs. Glass in person that Estela decided to go to Mrs. Glass’ office. Ana even had to speak to Mrs. Glass for Estela since Estela didn’t want to challenge Mrs. Glass. Ana didn’t think there was anything wrong with disturbing the social hierarchy because she was raised in a different environment than her older family members.
8. I agree with CP Stack’s view on Ana’s struggle with traditional versus modern values. Ana wanted to maintain a close relationship with her family, but also wanted to gain her independence to succeed in America. This was evident when Ana reached her decision on attending college in New York. Carmen tried to get Ana to stay at home by making Ana feel guilty about leaving her family, especially her grandfather, whom Ana was very close to. Ana had to decide what was more important—her family and traditional values or herself and modern values. Although Ana wanted to stay with her family and help Estela’s business, Ana finally decided that her life had to come first, which is why Ana decided to go to New York for college. Ana wanted a better life than what her family had and she knew, with some prodding of her teacher, that college was important and that she needed a college education to give her a better life.
9. I agree with Oui’s thoughts on globalization. When Carmen spoke to Ana’s father, she said that she had been working since she was a teenager and Ana has had it easy because she hasn’t worked until she turned 18. Carmen wanted to teach Ana how to be a good wife, mother, and housewife. Carmen did not think it was important for Ana to receive a college education because she had not received one. Carmen also believed that all Ana needed was a husband. Ana, on the other hand, considered herself an independent woman and did not need a man to support her. This was evident even after Ana lost her virginity to Jimmy and told him that they didn’t have to keep in touch with each other since Jimmy was going to college and Ana was not. Ana’s mom was upset when she thought that Ana had lost her virginity and Ana replied that “there is more to her than what was between her legs.” Ana knew that both she and her mother came from two different worlds, but her mother could not understand.
10. I agree with Lisa’s views on American values versus other cultures. American children are usually more independent, do not give the same respect to their elders unlike other cultures, and question everything. Ana’s culture has a traditional view on things where family comes first and you do as you are told. Ana, raised in America, has adopted more of a modern approach on things. Although she was close to her family, she also seemed unattached because she had different beliefs than them. She would be the first to attend college and move away from her family. This was different than the traditional view. We saw one of Estela’s workers move with her fiancé and her family also moved with her. Carmen was so upset that Ana was rejecting the traditional view that she would not even say goodbye when Ana was leaving.
11. I agree with Saskia’s view on America being a melting pot. So many people come to America for a better life and because of that, America has many different values that make us who we are today. Has Ana been raised in Mexico, she probably would not have the same beliefs in the film. An American life gave Ana a new set of beliefs and values and the opportunity to think for herself and decide what she wants and what would make her happy. There really isn’t any other place than America where we can see many different cultures and ways of thinking and doing things.
12. I agree with Madoka’s beliefs on how “old fashioned” it is to have the belief that women should stay at home and take care of their husband and children. While there is nothing wrong with being a housewife, nowadays, more and more women are entering the workforce in higher positions. Most women decide to work outside the home instead of being a housewife. Many families struggle with this decision and that is evident in the film. Ana’s mother wanted to teach Ana how to be like her and Ana was resisting her mother’s values.
13. I agree with Finn’s beliefs in that the film is about recognizing inner beauty and realizing that real beauty is in the inside. Ana knew she was overweight and not the ideal body type, but she still thought she was beautiful. When she was undressed, she had Jimmy look and her body and see what she looked like without any clothes. She was not embarrassed by her imperfections; in fact, she embraced them. I like how Jimmy thought she was beautiful even though she was overweight. It shows that we don’t always have to listen to society and what they think is right. Ana can still be beautiful and desirable as an overweight Latina woman and that is awesome!
14. I agree with Andrea’s response in how Ana resists the media because she does not agree with the message it presents. Ana mocks the soap operas that her mother watches because she does not agree with the message. Ana’s mother tries to use examples from the soap operas on Ana to get Ana to see the traditional message—that it is wrong to not listen to your mother. Ana continues to ignore both the media’s message as well as her mother’s message and gossip because Ana does not agree with either message. Thus, she resists the media and has her own beliefs even if they are different from the norm.
15. I like how Ping gave an example of how this film relates to places in China and how this can happen throughout the world. Even though we may be in different countries with different beliefs, we all struggle with traditional versus modern beliefs. It can be a very difficult decision deciding whether to go along with the norm and believe in something that you really don’t agree with, or go in the opposite direction and believe in something you agree with and think is right even though many people are against you. Throughout the film, Ana struggled with the decision to attend college in hopes for a better, brighter future while she is going against her families wishes, or keep peace and harmony with her family by staying at home, marrying a man with the same background as her family, and working in her sister’s factory all the while being unhappy with her life. Ana decided that her happiness was greater than her family’s wishes and she had to do what was in her heart instead of going along with the wishes of others.
It was very interesting to read everyone’s comments on the film!
The film's main arguments have to do with American "progress." Anna is shown as being ashamed of her family, not really desiring to contribute to their "success" (which she does not view as success), and seeking her own advancement. She sees herself as working hard toward her own goals as she applies for college, attends an elite school, and quits a job she sees as menial. Her family, on the other-hand, is quite collectivistic. They help each other out and think that the goals or dreams of the individual should be sacrificed for the well-being of the whole group. This is evident when they discuss that Anna should not go to Columbia because her family needs her and she should not pursue a different job because her sister needs her help in what Anna calls a "sweatshop."
Anna's mother is shown as an antagonist who embarrasses Anna with her public display of emotion, her obvious obsession with soap operas (which Anna deems to be inferior and sub-par entertainment which all follows the same traditional, old-fashioned value systems and stories), and ignorance regarding her own body (believing she is pregnant when she is going through menopause). Anna's mother constantly points out her belief that every woman should get married and have children and sex (which is hi-lighted by her reference to the saint holding the baby) only in marriage. This becomes quite clear when Anna's mother disccuses the woman in the soap opera becoming pregnant because she had sex and then being decapitated by a bus because she did not listen to her mother. It is further reinforced by her comments regarding the young woman who left her shop to get married in Mexico and, supposedly because she had sex with her fiance the night before the wedding, was left without a groom on her wedding day. This clashes with Anna's more modern belief that women become pregnant only because they do not use protection and that it is perfectly acceptable to have sex outside of marriage - mother does not always know best.
I am not exactly sure how to comment on the framing of the immigration issue which the film addresses. It seems to be saying that many immigrants to the U.S. do not advance themselves because they cling to old-fashioned (or traditional) value systems. These individuals even attempt to hold a few, who want to progress, back. Some, like Anna, however, do succeed at breaking the mold, and while they may not know how much they should value their familial ties, hard work, and the support of their family, they are the ones who should be imitated and will be accepted into the greater American society. I think that this view of the issue would probably resonate with the majority of the greater American society which the film seems to show as so desirous, however, I do not think that it clearly reveals the entire picture. By showing Anna as somewhat of a snob, I think the film gets closer to showing the perspective of the non-conforming but limited adaptive immigrant on those who they see as conforming. Because Anna is seen as the protagonist, we tend to sympathize with her plight, while, I am certain there are many immigrant mothers who would sympathize with the plight of Anna's mom if the movie was framed from her perspective. When closely analyzed, Anna's mom's desires are not evil or that outrageous. The problem is that a choice between Anna's values and her mom's values are mutually exclusive: either one believes that sex outside of marriage is right or it is wrong, either one believes that the most important thing is keeping the family together or is advancing one's self through education, and either one chooses to accept a certain role/place in society or one chooses to reject it. Because I, as a white American, view the story from Anna's perspective, I tend to agree with many of the values and goals she espouses, seeing the family's values and goals as obstacles to be overcome and the family as one to be pitied. I know, however, that others, with different backgrounds would view the same movie in a differnt way, and that if the movie was remade from Anna's mom's viewpoint, I may not understand or relate to it but some would.
The social and economic heirarchies that come accross in the film are those of parent/child, employer/employee, teacher/student, wealthy/poor, and various others. They are challenged at times with varying degrees of success. Anna's mother "wins" certain issues, such as forcing Anna to work at her sister's factory. (Which is, at various times and for various purposes called a "factory," "sweatshop," or "boutique.") The mom does not succeed at keeping her daughter at home (away from Colubia University) or a virgin. Thus, certain values (such as helping family out and individual success and fulfillment) are reinforced while others (such as keeping the family together, putting marriage above higher education and before sex) are challenged. This concept is demonstrated through Anna's mocking of the soap opera (a form of media resistance) which does not affect her family in the film but does leave a question in the film viewer's mind regarding the validity of the arguments made in soap opera's. Furthermore, the film's title, "Real Women Have Curves," seems to demonstrate more than just what is expressed through the main character's desire to be content with who she is at the weight she is at. It seems to make an argument regarding the social value of those who have the money to be concerned with their appearance. This title sets up a dichotomy. Stating that there are "real women" consequently implies that there are "fake women." The "real women" in the movie were the ones making the dresses for the "fake women" to wear. The "real women" in the movie were content with who they were physically even if they challenged how they were seen by others because of their social and economic standing. The making of fine dresses which would only fit skinny women and would be sold for the outrageous price of $600 at Bloomingdales was later challenged when all of the factory women removed their clothes, a statement saying that clothes did not define or limit who they were and that they were not needed to hide their flaws because they were not "fake women." Essentially, people should not be valued because of their appearance, economic standing or societal status but because of who they are as individuals apart from other factors. In this way, the mainstream society which was formerly desirous is now exposed as a "fake" which does not understand the true value of human beings. Thus, the message of the movie is that while traditional values may be flawed, there are still aspects of them that should not be forgotten even as one seeks personal fulfillment in a more modern world.
Greetings from Angela,
1. Dishya-I agree with your approach on how Ana struggle’s for the American dream and how Carmen fights with her to keep the traditional culture alive. Also the idea that the rich gets richer and poor becomes dependent on the rich. That was a really good point.
2. Kerianne-I agree with your point about the framing immigration as a struggle in the United States to finding their own identity in a new culture. Then when you stated Supposedly Mrs. Glass is giving Estella a break for hiring her company to make these dresses just because she is a fellow Latina. It’s a favor that she is doing for Estella, who should be grateful for the opportunity. I don’t think Estella should be grateful because her fellow Latina is highering and giving her chance. Shouldn’t Estella be treated equal like any other contract? Mrs. Glass understands that’s she paying them a low wages to do the job and she should understand how difficult it is to be an immigrate and live in the United States.
3. Candace- I agree with your idea with Jimmy and Ana’s relationship. That they both come from different worlds, that Jimmy’s worries are different from Ana’s. Ana’s has tough road in front of her.
4. Heather- I agree with what you wrote about how they portrait Ana as a positive influence. Even the part about how Ana struggled to go to College without blessing of Carmen. To me that something that difficult for any family member, especially if your close.
5 Mark- I really didn’t pay much attention to Ana and Estella relationship but that was a really good point. That Carmen preferred Ana over Estella because of the underlining traditional ideas of marriage and family.
6. Pal- I agree on the point about Ana being an individualistic with her thoughts and independent actions. As for Carmen she lives by a collective culture. These were great ideas and they were something that I didn’t mention when I wrote my own blog, thanks emphasizing that.
7. Chany- I agree with your point about how the factory was making dresses for small people. Almost influencing the thought that if you want to wear this dress you need to be skinny. When Estella creating another dress for Ana it was retaliation to breaking that vicious cycle of thought.
8. C.P Stack- I agree with your idea with Modernization and how underdeveloped countries that never when thru industrialization and how Ana’s family as representatives of the tricontinent who are toiling within their own industrial revolution. I never thought to see it that way, which was really a good point.
9. Oui- I agree with your point on “Cheap labor” is the right word for Anna’s sister who has no choice although she has talent to design. She has accepted her job and doesn’t want to loose it. But I think that comes with her oppression from her mother, who expects her to live within Carmen’s traditional world and not to think out of the box, keeping Estella from blooming into something greater.
10. Nilsen- I disagree with your view that Latino immigrants do yard service work or sew. I do not think these stereo types are the absolute norm for Latino immigrants. I don’t agree with you because unless you’ve lived in a tricontinent and learn a new language and try to work some where that requires you to write and speak well then you wouldn’t understand the difficulties of surviving. If you have then maybe you’ve lived somewhere that you have seen it.
11. Saskia-I agree with difference of materialism between Ana and Jimmy. It was a totally difference between the two, I really showed even difference of struggle.
12. Maggie- that is interesting that you say that Ana misunderstands her mother because of cultural difference, I didn’t think to see it that way.
13. Madako- I agree with this point that values is acknowledged only by developed countries such as U.S., and people cannot always say that American value is suitable for all. The value can be given or provided but can’t be enforced. That is where the idea of free will comes in.
14. Andrea- I agree with this statement, this is not a job that relies on there knowledge or even education, rather its physical labor relying on your body, and your hands, to make a living.
15. London-I agree with your idea that children who are born in the united states do not think that they are mexican anymore. They absorbs the way of living and thinking as americans. It is not good or bad things. In my point of view, they should have their own choice, and that that makes them happy. This to me applies to the idea of having free will and finding your identity.
Thank you
Angela
Hi all, I have to say how much I enjoyed reading the comments and getting a chance to understand how others viewed this film.
I agree with Moe's interpretation regarding "proto-nationalism", and I also think that the film does tacitly tackles immigration, but there are also fairly glaring examples concerning the struggles of immigration too, in the division of socioeconomic levels of Ana and her peers at her school.
I also enoyed how Dikshya used this film to parallel moments in her life, particularly how when she said that back home when she would speak her mind, she was characterized as be a westerner. That compelled me to think about how much I have taken freely speaking my mind for granted. For me, I always believed that such attitudes were far more universal, but I am learning more and more that it is in fact a privelege many people do not have.
I also agree with Candace's assessment regarging the relationship between Ana and Jimmy. It was interesting how for Jimmy going to college was a foregone conclusion, and in fact, his desire to receive an education was far more altruistic, probably because he was --as a result of his socioeconomic standing-- afforded the ability to not have to worry about his financial status. Whereas for many people, receiving a college education is often about achieving a higher standing in life.
To Moonprincess, I also found myself asking the question, "is it really that wrong to want a traditional role?" Moreover, why should women feel the need to almost apologize for being a mom and raising children? When I was an undergrad, one of my professors challenged us to place a value on what a "stay-at-home" mom would make in monetary terms. I vacillate back and forth about the traditional values and roles of women in society, but overall, I do believe that it is better for women and minorities to represent varying roles instead of just being monolithic and one dimensional.
To CP Stack, I'd like to read more about your opinion that the film was a "pedantic" "chick flick."
I am glad I read Nilsen H's post. Throughout the film I tried to be cognizant of the sterotypes protrayed, and I liked your interpretation of the Asian landlord and the black cop... I missed that, and found your opinion interesting. I also noticed the relationship with her teacher Mr. Guzman, and found it unrealistic that he could help get her into an ivy league school in just a summer. It is helpful having friends in high places, but that seemed a little far-fetched. Would like to know if you agree?
I would also like to know more about Sheng-Hao Lin's perspective from an Asian point of view.
I agree with Pal's view of the film and would like to find out more about your view of the film as coming from a country like Norway.
I agree with Saskia, in that her boyfriend Jimmy was helpful in compelling her to believe that she was in fact beautiful. I think their interaction added another layer to the plot.
Stephanie’s comment on “Marxist overtones of repression of the lower class” was interesting in regards to the scene when Anna asks for the money in advance. Some others like Spyderflash also wrote this was a good example of dependency theory, and hegemony. All of these concepts fit the scene; I would like to hear more about Stephanie’s comment.
TLL made a great comment writing about Anna living in two different worlds (home and school). Thinking about how the worlds' conflict, and how Anna has to deal with that conflict is very interesting, and applies to many of the modernization theories we have been talking about. Candace also makes a great comment about different worlds colliding and structural imperialism, relating Mrs. Glass and Estelle. Estelle is in the wrong of a dependent nation, and when she asks for something she actually wants, she is denied, because that would not be acceptable to the controller.
Moe made a very interesting comment saying the family is an example of “proto nationalism”, still living by their old values in a new country, seems like something most immigrant families deal with.
I liked Dikshya’s comment on Anna wanting to be a part of the “Global World.” She is trying to break out of being Dependent on her parents and family for her life, I think Dikshya really made a good point there. I also liked Tannie’s comments along these lines saying that Mr. Guzman represents America, and Anna model for change. Now Anna is forced to choose between these worlds. Gunho makes a comment on these lines, relating this choice to modernization theory; I liked his idea that in this movie, as in the theory, these worlds are mutually exclusive.
Kerri makes a great comment about modernization, with Anna trying to move from sweatshop to college, being like farmers moving from farm to factory. These seem like strong examples of modernization attempts.
I also really liked Heather’s comment saying it was nice to see Anna, and her struggle to get what she wanted in a positive light, showing that immigrants should have a chance to succeed, be strong willed and smart, and be happy too.
Mark’s comments about Anna asking her father for the money to help Estelle seemed right on too, she became an authority figure. Also his comment about Anna feeling her virginity, and sexuality were hers to control seemed right on, in the discussion of modern v. traditional values. Saskia’s comment about Anna’s awareness of her unique position in her family follows this too. She realizes she is strong, educated, and can have future, as opposed to how some of her family will never feel the need, or could change. I also like Maggie’s comment about Anna’s father being helpful in this change. He seems to see how these changes can help his daughter live in this new country they have immigrated too, so she can live a better Diaspora style life. London also makes a great comment about this, saying that these 2nd/3rd generation immigrants look at themselves less and less as Mexicans, moving towards Americans, with American attitudes about freedom and choice, but still identifying with their Mexican heritage inside their family.
Finally, I really like Emi’s observations about how Anna’s family lives in this area of LA that looks a lot like somewhere in Mexico. This is shown at the beginning of the movie, as where her family chooses to live with their more traditional values. But in the end, Anna ends up in an area defined by a mix of many cultures, and modern practices and beliefs, New York City.
1. Spyderflash- I agreed with your analysis on globalization not being depicted as Friedman's flat world. I found the imagery you used to be very relavent. You have a good visual eye.
2. Malbitar-I found the paragraph on center-periphery relations interesting, especially how you were able to interpret the title to be something greater than the obvious.
3. Dikshya-I like how you portray the dynamic between ana and carmen in that carmen is holding on to ana- to preserve her way of life and traditional ideals.
4. Kerianne- I agreed with the idea of resisting images in the media. This seen easily shows how Ana and Estela evolve while Carmen seems trapped in her bitterness and insecurities.
5. Candace- I like how you pointed out the socio-economic differences between ana and jimmy. Especially, when he went on about how easy life is in the U.S.- i missed that in my watching, very interesting.
6. Heather- I agree with the point of framing immigration. Enjoyed reading your personal analogy on the issue.
7. Mark- Definately agree with the theory of hegemony as seen in the film. Carmen had the ability to bond with her daughters as women, but chose not to by sticking with her traditional mentality, while the father transcends the traditional versus modern.
8. Pal- I agree that the movie shows the characters in a different light than how most mexican-american films are framed.
9. Chany- Im glad you depicted the character of Estrella in your analysis. As a women she is being oppressed. She's fighting to keep the factory open, pay the rent, get the dresses made on time to satisfy buyers and keep her employees working despite the inability to pay them their wages.
10. Pat- Great analysis. I found it interesting in the last sentence when you said she was struggling to "assimilate into a U.S. reality" - but not a culture.
11. Oui- You infer that national identity withstands the stronghold of globalization as seen in carmen. I found that correlation intriguing.
12. Lisa- Ana’s cultural dichotomy was an interesting read, i like how you use your own life experiences to relate to the character.
13. Maggie- I don't feel Carmen is representative of the entire (traditional)Mexican culture by how she relates to her daughters. Its with her desperate actions (name calling, lack of support)that she is vaguely trying to instill traditional values into them.
14. Maribeth- The resistance to media in the form of soap operas is definately true. It can also be viewed as cultural.
15. Alice- I would agree that the dependency theory is used in the film to discuss the conflict between the modern and tradtional.Especially, with Ana decision to attend college, despite what her traditional parents objections.
In the movie, “Real Women have Curves”, differences in economy, social, and culture between El Barrio (Hispanic) and Beverly Hills (American) is a manifestation of national boundaries. Ana is a classic example being a citizen for globalization and the rest of her family members are examples who uphold their Mexican national identity.
The movie framing was remarkable. The big contrast in social and economic hierarchies between El Barrio, an immigrant neighborhood and Beverly Hill framed the disparity of immigration issue in America. To illustrate, Ana, the only non-white in her class, although appeared to be very intelligent but was uncertain about her future due to her background, compared to the rest of her white classmates who all had sound plans for their future. In addition, Estela’s struggle to sustain her factory opposed to Mrs. Glass unapproachable demeanor in the movie.
The movie is entwined around constant conflicts between traditional and modern culture, and was clearly exemplified by the relationship between Carmen and Ana. Dependency theory and collectivism versus individualistic transnational cultures accurately defined the movie. Dependency theory is depicted by how Estella is depending on Mrs. Glass to continue her factory operation and Ana’s reliance on scholarship offered by Columbia University to further her studies. In addition, Carmen is a typical symbol for a collectivism culture, prioritizing family unity versus Ana, in an individualistic culture, who desires to pursue her own life.
Choosing Ana to be the main actress and other supporting casts, such as Carmen, Estella, and other female workers at Estella’s factory who are full figure, is the director’s means to media resistance in the film. The approach was significantly successful and the undressed scene in the factory clearly depicted it. That part of the movie liberated many females’ souls that were trapped in normal female figures that were not being considered as perfect as portrayed by the media.
Hey all,
I really enjoyed reading all the comments about the movie as well as the responses. I felt that everyone did a great job of analysing the film! Here are my responses:
1) BB (Hey, miss having classes with you too)- By not agreeing or disagreeing with the immigration framing within the film you made a good point. The film portrayed the life and struggles of an immigrant family,including the assigned value of education, very accurately so it is neither negative, positive, right, nor wrong, it just is.
2) Maribeth- Your comment on how in a traditional society family comes first and hard work makes for a good life is very accurate. This is a great example of the difference between high context and low context cultures as well as a great example of traditional values vs. modern values.
3) Emi- I agree with your statement on Ana's relationship with her mother. Carmen does ignore the fact that Ana is an intelligent young woman capable of making her own decisions in life. But I want to point out that Carmen doesn't exactly lie to Ana about being pregnant. Carmen really believed she was pregnant until she learns of menopause from the doctor. Though the movie did not really make this clear, I believe that Carmen had no real knowledge of the changes she was going through and wrongly assumes she was pregnant because all she knew was that when her body changed before it meant a baby.
4) London- Good point on the differences in generation within immigrant families. It is true that many second and third generations consider themselves to be fully American, but there are a few who do cling to the traditional life, though I think there are very few after the second generation.
5) Finn- I like your summary on the underlying theme of the film. I agree that much of the movie deals with acceptance and true beauty. Also, I think your anaylsis of Ana's identity and how it was established throughout the movie to be on the dot.
6) Hinamadoke- The film does imply whether Carmen's way of thinking is right or wrong. While watching the film, I was cheering for Ana to escape her mother and her unfair views. Though it doesn't outright say that Carmen is wrong, the way Carmen was portrayed made it so that viewers didn't want her to succeed in keeping Ana.
7) Maggie- I never thought about when the turning point in Ana' life was, but I agree with you on it being when she decides to apply to college. College was a big deal to Ana and when she took that application, she was really ready to leave her tradition. Thank you for catching this and pointing it out.
8) Lisa- Carmen feeling as a failure... this never occurred to me, I spent most of the film wanting to yell at her for her closemindedness. This is a very good point, we never really think about how Carmen must be feeling throughout the film. Here we have a woman raised in a traditional culture who has one unmarried daughter with a struggling business and another daughter defying her in every way, what was she feeling and how was she coping?
9) Sheng-hao Lin- You're right that the issues facing Ana and her family can be seen in any immigrant family whether in the United States or another country.
10) Oui Seekhiew- I agree with you statement that national identity does not fade away with globalization. Globalization may weaken, strenghten, or change national identity but it does not get rid of it.
11) Mark- I think you are right in stating that Ana's journey to school was a symbolic struggle to raise yourself up. We have to ask why did she have to travel such a long distance to school when I'm sure there are plenty of schools within walking distance from her home. The only answer is that the schools in her area are not able to offer her the opportunities to better her station in life. Another stark difference between her neighborhood and Beverly Hills?
12) Heather McGaffin- I like how you looked at the positive affects of the conflits Ana faced. many of us do look at opposition in a negative way but you're right in pointing out that good can come from oppositions.
13) Kerianne- I agree with your analysis of Mrs. Glass relationship with Estela. Instead of treating Estela as an equal and as another business woman, Mrs. Glass made it a point to let Estela know that she was superior and was only doing her a favor because of her cultural background.
14) Spyderflash- I felt the same way when I watched the scene of Ana's bus ride to school, do I need some kind of passport to enter?
15) TLL- Interesting that you mentioned how Ana is living in two worlds. I didn't think about how the conflict she faced was in a sense forcing her to live and think in two different worlds. I guess the film really illustrates this in the scene where Ana'a class is talking about what they will be doing after high school. Ana knows her mother wouldn't approve and the chances are almost zero, but in order to fit into this other world she says she will be traveling and futhering her education also.
Have a great day!
P.S. this was posted on October 15, at 12:34pm.
Kudos to everyone for sharing many intriguing and valuable insights about the movie. I enjoyed reading spyderflash’s posting and I am especially amazed by how skillfully she relates “colonizer and colonized” in the movie. Stephanie, I do share your perception on how the movie “frames immigration in a depressing light” and I can only hope the reality is better. Moe’s application of Hobsbawm's "proto-nationalism" was apparently a brilliant observation. I thought of the theory but could not quite apply it to the movie, thank you for putting it into light. Dikshya and Lisa, I can totally relate to both of you. I am one of the very few females among my peers who speak my mind and been seen as “disobedient” among my father’s relatives, who are very conservative. Thus, I always feel more comfortable being in the America mainly because of my out spoken personality. In response to Nilsen’s comment about Carmen telling Ana to act like a lady referring to the way Ana walks, I do think that was a good advice that Ana could adapt. Ana does look more gracious when she walks like a lady in the movie. Yes, Mark and Tannie. Yeap, “sexual freedom” and literally and figuratively liberation were the connotation that I was looking for the scene where Ana and the rest of the females stripped down to their undergarments. Emi, I would like to share a different perspective about your comment about Carmen lying about being pregnant as a mean to “block all possible advancement for Ana.” Carmen is a traditional female in a collective culture who preserves female’s capability to conceive and reproduce as very important. She blindly passes that mentally to her own daughters and was in denial to accept the fact that she was going through menopause. Her denial in acknowledging her biological change in her life is a reflection of fear for loosing her female identity in her culture. Right on Patrick! I am amazed at how you relate and describe Ana’s family was going through an industrial revolution. Indeed, it was a very brilliant observation. Gunho, I see a very different light to your comment about Ana needing help from men in the movie. I am glad to see that men are seeing the good in her and helping her to achieve what she wants in her life. It would have made me bitter, if the men were portrayed as someone who hinders her pursuit of happiness in the movie.
1. tll
I agree with most of how you set up the dilemmas and clashes in the film between traditional and moderna values. However, as I was reading the end of your comment, it made me wonder if the dress that Estrella made Anna showed more of Estrella almost conceding to Anna's individualistic desires. Estrella is never clearly protrayed as collectivistic, but seems to accept where she is at in life and her family's traditional values while still seeming to support Anna's own values and desires (but in a more passive way, by simply stating that she did not need or want Anna's help in the factor and finally admitting that that was not true and by allowing Anna to accompany her to ask for an advance from the dress company but then being angered by Anna's challenge of the oppressive system). I wonder if the fact that she made Anna a dress that was worth what the other dresses were worth, and arguably just as beautiful, but in a size that would fit someone who could not fit into the other dresses (or the norm) could be seen as a negotiation of the media message? Estrella seems to be admitting that Anna is right in being frustrated with the system or the way things are and has just as much of a right as anyone else to be considered beautiful and to wear beautiful things. However, rather than helping Anna diet and conform to society in the way that most would assume is the correct or desired way, and rather than telling Anna to shred dresses or continue to burn them with an iron, Estrella stretches the "norm" to fit Anna just the way she is. I do not know if this is an accurate explanation, but it is a thought that occurred to me as I read your comment and I thought that it might be something interesting to consider.
2. Dikshya
Aloha, Dikshya. I think you make some very important points. Society today, especially in the U.S. tends to capitalize on greed for money and, thus, does not really dwell on the fact that such profit makes the rich richer at the expense of keeping the poor poor. I think that the cycle of dependency becomes clear, however, when the company employee tells Estela that she took a risk and gave Estela her business because she thought that, as a woman in her place, she should help women such as Estela. Here is the problem I believe that our texts address: the western belief that others need our help. We ignore the fact that we create cycles of dependency, forcing some to remain in lower socio-economic brackets. Instead, we see ourselves as wealthy and benevolent benefactors who "help these people" by taking "risks" on them and giving them our business. We see ourselves as directly responsible for putting food on their table and feel that we are owed their gratitude and continued service at the same price which we have always paid because, after all, we took the "risk" on them. I think the movie, by having the company representative be of similar heritage to Estela and Anna, is making the argument that those who succeed in a modern world have so changed their way of thinking that, while they may feel sorry for those who are not as successful or modern as themselves, they can no longer really relate to their plight. Instead, they sooth their own consciences by justifying their actions as benevolent acts of kindness. This is a problem that I feel society is moving, ever so slowly, towards addressing.
3. Mark
Thanks for bringing up something I totally missed - the hierarchy between males and females in the film. I think it is interesting that, while Anna is seen as operating in an autonamous manner, it is really only with her father's validation of her dreams and desires that she is able to succeed. He is the one who finally gives into Columbia. He is the one who saves Estela's business. He is the one who allows Estela to be her own woman. I wonder what would have happened had the father remained steadfast in supporting the mother's position that the Ana's place was at home, seeking a mate, and helping the family in their traditional realms of labor.
I also find it interesting that you point out that the father's place of work, while different from Estela's because it is in the very world to which Ana wishes to belong, is still subservient and not seen as equal to that world. I do not know all of the implications of such a hegemony except that it demonstrates a certain sense that the "Mexicans" were only able to participate in the world of the elite in their traditional roles as servants.
4. david
You state that Ana's sister and mother desire that Ana have the same future that they have. I find this quite fascinating. You state that they are essentially "framing" her future for her and yet she does not conform to it. As a white American, I find it hard to imagine women who work so hard and are so undervalued wishing the same life of self-sacrifice upon their daughters and other women that they love. Thus, your comments hi-light for me the reality of the differences between how I see the world and what is important and how others see the world and what they think is important. These women find fulfillment not in being seen as beautiful as white Americans define beauty, and not in becoming accomplished as white Americans define accomplishment, but in keeping their families together, raising children who embrace traditional values and work hard (taking pride in their hard work), and in self-sacrifice. These values are quite foreign to the ones I see around me every day. Thanks for directing me down this line of reasoning.
5. janueri
Your final sentence is that "the film suggests that immigrants do not have many opportunities." While I agree with this to an extent, I also wonder if it is possible that the film also suggests that the way to have more opportunities as an immigrant is change your value system. That if immigrants would just put more of an emphasis on education than on hard labor, they could all go to elite schools and obtain scholarships to Columbia - that it is a lack of trying or belief in one's own ability that is really the problem with immigrants - not the obstacles that mainstream society and economic standing places in their path. I come to this conclusion because the film shows that Ana, the one who gives up traditional beliefs and embraces modern beliefs is the one who is given opportunities almost too good to be true. She does not think to apply to college because she is still clinging to her traditional beliefs and letting her economic standing dictate, but when her teacher empowers her by stating that he will help her and expects her to apply, she obtains a scholarship to one of the top Universities in the nation. In the end, the conflict is between her traditional values and her new western values. The individual values win out and that is seen as being a very good thing. This is definitely a western way of painting that picture.
6. Sheng-hau Lin
Your comment made me stop and think about what role Carmen's negative comments to her daughters play in the film. Is it possible that we all show love and interpret love in different ways? It is possible that this is a cultural issue or that this is a values issue? Carmen seems to only see the negative aspects of her daughters' lives, yet she continues to sacrifice herself for them, even as they travel paths different from the ones she would like to carve out for them. Her love is expressed through her actions rather than verbally. Verbally she is quite negative and critical. In mainstream American society, the modern belief is that tolerance is best and positive comments should outweigh and drown out negative comments. This is quite different from how Carmen deals with her daughters. I wonder if this is just another western perspective on familial relationships that we do not understand, an attempt to make collectivistic cultures look undesirable, or if is truly the way things are and if that really needs to be changed or if it is acceptable if it continues as it is. I find it quite ironic that it is the traditional mom who places such emphasis on her daughters being thin because thin-ness seems to be more of a mainstream, white American value than a Mexican value, at least from the display of women in the film.
1. Heather, I agree with what you said about opposition can present a very positive thing.
2. Mark, Interesting what you said about the theory of hegemony being prevalent throughout the film, and that ironically it is the father who ends up changing the social norms.
3. Moe, I agree with your opinion on resistance in this movie, that the movie avoids a stereotypical portrayal of East L.A.
4. Dikshya, I think you made some good points about the conflict between traditional and modern culture.
5. Kerianne, I agree with you that the main conflict between traditional and modern culture in this film, is between the family’s tradition of working, supporting the family and staying close and united, and the Ana who wants to follow a modern culture of going off on her own and gaining an education.
6. Candace, I liked your example of hierarchy in the film, that Jimmy feels it is too easy to get things, Ana has to work extremely hard to get what she wants.
7. Oui Seekhiew, I agree with what you say about the traditional differences, in the Mexican vs. the American culture.
8. Nilsen H, you said this film shows that people of different cultures can retain their cultural identity inside of a larger culture, which I agree, but I think it also shows some of the difficulties with retaining your culture.
9. Sheng-Hao Lin, You made some good points about the Carmen vs Ana relationship.
10. Lisa, I agree with what you said about the film being an example of a struggle between traditional vs. modern cultures.
11. Saskia, I agree with what you are saying about Ana more adapting to the American culture.
12. Maggie, I agree with what you said about the turning point of Ana’s life is when she decides to apply for college.
13. Tannie, I agree with what you said about Ana being torn between the traditions of her heritage, the obligations to her family, and achieving her full potential.
14. Finn, I agree with what you said about this film portraying a Mexican working family, where everybody has to help each other, and that Ana wants to break this tradition and follow her own wills.
15. Andrea, I think you are right that Ana is resistant to media images when she refuses to agree with the media about being a size 7 like her sisters’s dresses.
Hi this is Andrea, and these are my comments to my awesome classmates!
1.Spyderflash-I like the comparison you make between the flat world and spiky world of globalization in the movie. Ms. Glass’s building is literally and figuratively a spike compared to Anna’s “sweat shop” she is used to. You had also mentioned that there is a discontinuity between Anna’s and Jimmy’s worlds which I would agree with, but at the same time they share similarities like wanting more from the life that is expected of them. Jimmy wasn’t happy with the life that was given to him too easily, and Anna wasn’t happy with the traditional life that was given to her.
2.TLL-Ana’s pinnacle of progress is defined based on what type of frame you put on her situation. You and I agree that her acceptance to Columbia and her final decision to go is the best decision she made to be more than her poor, uneducated society in which she is part of now. Others who have a more traditional and cultural frame may feel that she is deserting her mom and family.
3.Dikshya-I liked it when you were talking of the dependency theory and how “the rich becomes richer, and the poor becomes dependent on the rich.” Isn’t that the truth! I wonder if Estela ever thought that she could contact Bloomingdales directly to see if she could sell her dresses directly to them?
4.Candace-I’d like to expand on your reaction to the movie regarding the theme of national boundaries and that Anna and her teacher are the only ones who aren’t white. I was wondering if the professor saw himself in Anna and wanted to show to her that he broke the stereotype and became a teacher and not a dress maker or landscaper. It seems as though her teacher was the deciding factor that pushed her into the idea of college.
5. Moonprincess/Chany-Anna and Carmen are in almost constant conflict throughout the movie, I would agree, with the exception of the scene where Anna leaves the “sweat shop” and her mother(Carmen) is out of breath chasing her. This was a huge scene in which Anna holds up the white flag showing that her mother won this argument. I think in addition to the conflict of traditional and modern culture is the notion of selfishness. My frame is that I believe that her mother is being selfish by not wanting more for her daughter. Carmen feels that because she began to sew at 13, so should Anna, so that Carmen can retire.
6.Oui Seekhiew -I would agree with Oui that there is negative framing going on when it comes to the social and economic differences between Anna and Jimmy. Anna can only go to college is she gets a scholarship and Jimmy will have no problem because his family is well off.
7&8. Nilsen,H, & Sheng-Hao Lin- I would have to disagree with Nilsen that “this film doesn’t portray anything dealing with immigration issues or policies”. Anna’s parents are immigrants to this country trying to make it from a different social, economic, and cultural background. They believe that if they work harder physically that they will make money; that they will be able to provide for their families. They are not thinking, “How do I work smarter” because that’s not what their culture has been telling them. So that already gives them a disadvantage. I would agree that there was no scene that mentioned deportation or anything, but the film still shows the struggle of a Mexican immigrant family trying to make it on their own. And just like Sheng-Hao Lin said “even though they are in the U.S., they are still the underclass of the society.”
9.Angela-I would agree that Anna is rebelling when she gets all the women besides her mother in the “sweat shop” to take off their clothes, which is a form of media resistance. The media and Carmen feel that women need to be thin and attractive but Anna is saying that she has thoughts in her head, and that she’s more than just something to look at. I think she’s a good role model for young girls.
10. Saskia-After reading Saskia’s comments I realized how Anna doesn’t fit into either one of her worlds. At school she’s seen as a low-income Mexican and feels she needs to lie about traveling around the world instead of mentioning that she can’t afford to go to college. At home she’s seen as a modernist rebel, going against her deep rooted family traditions. It’s surprising at how well she turns out with not fitting in anywhere.
11.hinamoadoka (Madoka)- An example of cultural imperialism is Carmen forcing Mexican values and customs upon Anna, like Madoka mentioned. It was alarming for me to hear a mom say to her daughter “wake up fatty” because she didn’t listen to her about losing weight or going to work for the “sweat shop”.
12.emi- I would agree that the film is a good model for two different cultures. When Mr. Guzman (Anna’s teacher) pointed out that Anna’s parents came all the way from their home country to explore better opportunities, this allows Anna’s parents to identify with Anna, even if only for a moment before they ask Mr. Guzman to leave.
13.Alice-Just a question, if you follow traditional culture and resist the modern one, are you still a real woman? I think it depends on your personal opinion, but only on how this movie was framed. I wonder what the frame would be if Carmen was really unhealthy and not a hypochondriac; would we view Anna negatively because she is asking her mother to keep working?
14. I need to agree with Dikshya’s comment about Nilsen’s original comment. Dikshya said that she disagrees that Anna was forced to work in a dress factory. I agree that she had a choice, but how much choice do you really have when you live under culturally imperialistic beliefs?
15. I really enjoyed spyderflash’s comment about Alice’s original comment. I think you’re right because by nature everyone wants advantage in life. But it’s true that sometimes the way that you grow up, the way that you speak, the way you deeply feel about a certain issue, is very hard to loose, and then you ask the question of how much of that do you want to give up? To what extent does your family or culture create your identity and who you’re all about?
7. bb
Good point about the difference between where Ana's house and Estela's sweatshop are located (crowded and dirty) versus Jimmy's fancy house (in a clean, more spread out and organized neighborhood). I hadn't really given this much thought before you mentioned it but I know that my subconsious took it in as I watched the film and the feelings I associated with the various places in the film were probably greatly due to those images of filth and "niceness."
I do agree with you that it is somewhat foreign to me as well to imagine a mother wishing the life of Carmen on her daughter, however, I disagree with the idea that Carmen does not want a better life for her daughter and here is why: Carmen capitalizes on the sacrifices she has made so that Ana can have the (in Carmen's eyes) wonderful life she is currently living. She is in America assumedly because she can make more money and have more opportunities in America. However, because she does not value education because she feels that there are certain lines and boundaries that should not be crossed and certain roles to which her daughter, as a Mexican and as a woman, should conform, she does not want the same things for Ana that you and I would want for our daughters or that our parents want for us. Thus, I believe that Carmen wants her daughter to have a better life and she feels that that better life can be achieved by building on (rather than ignoring, scorning, or deserting) the life that Carmen has built for her.
8. maribeth
I too noticed that Ana's eyes were opened at one point regarding the labor of those in the sweat shop. I think that because she attended an elite school and espoused the ideas and mindsets of those around her at that school, she felt above the task of sewing and ironing and looked with scorn on the women who took pride in their "lowly" work. However, as Ana began to join in the work and appreciate the skill, creativity, and back-breaking labor that went into the production of each dress, Ana found a new appreciation for the women she had looked down on and began to realize that their accomplishments, while not recognized as amazing by the greater society, were truly worth being proud of and deserving of pride and greater compensation.
9. ping
I agree that it is fortunate for Ana that she has a teacher who believes in her and recognizes her capabilities, however, I do not know that she is lucky when Ana ignores her mom. My family, while caucasian and American, was extremely collectivistic and, out of every one in my immediate family, I would be Ana because I am the only one not yet married (everyone else was married by 21 or 23) and pursuing a Masters degree. My family wondered why I would want to do this and why I would want to leave them to live in Hawaii for a little while. I did not do it with the same spirit as Ana, but I guess I can relate to her. However, as someone with a collectivistic background, I feel that the overemphasis on the individual, to the determinent of the group and also the individual is a sad flaw of today's western societies. People are so concerned about themselves and making themselves happy and successful that kids are left to be raised by paid nannies or raise themselves. Couples divorce multiple times, fathers and mothers do not feel ties to their offspring, and morals are going downhill fast. My family (extended family and all) lived very close to each other (about 5 minutes away), had extended family dinners about 3 times a week, and would never consider blowing off a family event for something else. I feel the void of living away from them every day. They are pressuring me to marry and are very traditional in their beliefs. However, I do not despise them or feel ashamed of them. Instead, I am greatful for the values they have instilled in me and the importance they have placed on relationships in my life. I feel that it has better prepared me for my life, whether it is near or far from them. I cannot wait to have a big family of my own and recreate the family setting in which I grew up. I think it is a shame that some "traditional" values have been lost because it has created a society of selfish people who are focused on their own pain and do not consider how their actions affect others. That is my perspective on those particular arguments in the film.
10. alice
Good point about the fact that marriage was emphasized by Ana's family because it was a solution to financial problems. I did not think about that until you brought it up. However, it is true that, women are empowered when they are able to become bread winners and succeed in the working world. However, without money or education, in traditional societies they are often forced to depend on men. I had not considered this aspect of what the film was challenging, but, I think it adds further to Mark's comment about the power struggle and hierarchies of males versus females.
11. candace
Reading your blog reminded me of something that occurred to me in undergraduate school. I was from a lower-socio-economic bracket but went to an expensive private college. Many of the other students there did not have backgrounds similar to mine. Thus, one day a friend came with me when I was driving to an elementary school to pick up a form for work and I was surprised to hear him state, "Oh, my gosh! We are in Tustin. We are going to get shot." I had grown up in areas similar to this all of my life. While Tustin has some places similar to where Ana grew up, it is relatively well off for the most part and is right next door to Irvine where there has been one murder in the past 9 years and the majority of crimes are white collar. In my friend's mind, there was a border between where he had grown up and the city of Tustin and it was dangerous to cross that border. Thus, I find it interesting that you remark on the "border" between Ana's neighborhood and the place where her school is located. Her conversation with Jimmy, where he states that Americans are handed everything, seems to reinforce this artificial border. While many people live right next to poverty or wealth, they may never cross the border and experience how others next to them live but assume that everyone is similar to them or that those who are different are extremely far away or unreachable.
12. gunho
I am not quite sure why your comment made me think of this, but you mentioned the initial modernization theory and it reminded me of a scene when the professor comes to inform the parents that Ana got into Columbia on full scholarship. I wonder if the professor's mindset was one which embraced the hypodermic needle theory and felt that, without the financial barrier, there would be no other objections to Ana going to Columbia - once he informed the parents of this amazing opportunity, they too would be elated to see Ana go off to college. However, he forgot that different cultures, people, and life-experiences shape the way that information is taken in and interpreted. He did not anticipate Ana's mom seeing this offer as a threat to the stability of the family.
13. kerianne
I did not think about the similarity between the Modernization theory (moving people from farms to cities) and the movie until you brought it up. It is interesting to note that that Ana's very pursuit of education is what makes her feel above the labor of the factories and her pursuit of college would assumedly dictate to a certain extent her career choices post college. I wondered, however, what the women in the sweatshop could do without an education. Where could they work that would not put them in that same servant manner. Could they, at their various ages, still pursue an education and advance themselves. If they did not make the dresses, who would make them and would those people also be seen as servants or looked down on? Could one pursue an education and decide to make dresses but make more money and do it in better working conditions? Your comment inspired these thoughts in my head and I am not exactly sure what to do with them or even how to begin answering them. Hopefully future theories and readings in the class will provide the answers.
14. pal
While reading your comment, I thought of something that occurred during the scene where Ana starts to work at her sister's sewing factory. While Ana is an educated individual, her sister questions her mother's wisdom when Carmen suggests that Ana work at the shop. She states, "What would she do?" I wonder if Ana does not know how to sew. She is only qualified to iron and sweep, apparently. And her skill in these areas is even brought into question when Estela has to instruct her on how to iron and when she burns the dress (though I think that this is a resistance tactic rather than a lack of skill). I wonder how women who are competent in these basic areas view other women who are skilled in the work world and scholastic world but cannot cook, sew, raise children, or do any of these once basic tasks...this may be a sort of reveral of skill sets and qualifications which are obtained through entirely different education systems (the home and the public realm).
15. c p stack
I tend to agree with you that, while some may always toil to achieve an equitable and fair world where all people are truly equal, it is probably true that social and economic hierarchies, of one form or another will always exist. I think that this is encouraged by modern and traditional value systems alike. Someone cannot win unless someone loses which means that we are playing a zero sum game called life. In order for someone to advance, by the very idea and langauge structure, it is implied and understood that something or someone is being left behind or passed up. Thus, people will always seek to move forward but it is unlikely that everyone will move forward at the same time or even want to go forward or agree on which direction forward is in. I think that the film clearly demonstrates this.
Dr. G I posted my blog before midnight on Friday but it didn't post until tonight because I didn't know I had to accept the email. It posted today (Monday) with Friday's date so I hope thats ok. I really did post it on Friday.
SPYDERFLASH: In response to the tossed salad instead of a melting pot I think that both terms are both correct and in-correct. We do not melt totally together but at the same time once you become "American" you lose some of your culture and adapt "American" ways are therfore are forced to change.
STEPHNIE: I agree with you on the scene about Jimmy and his comment on financial issues. It shows how ignorant some people can be in realizing how hard others struggle financially and how big of a gap in social status/wealth this country has.
TLL: I think you brought up a good point in the scene where Ana lies about what she is going to do after high school. I think that as a teacher you may not think that it affects students but issues such as these can have big impact in self-esteem for students, especially in high school.
MALBITAR: Your comment on “Ana refuses to succumb to popular-culture’s supermodel ideal” although true, makes me think of the irony of not accepting that aspect of pop-culture but how Ana chooses certain other pop culture aspects. She accepts the beauty in her shape from her Mexican culture but not other parts of it such as the value of hard work, etc.
KERIANNE: Your question “what is wrong with this picture”, is right on it. I think this movie is good in that it helps to spread the issue of sweatshops to the general public and makes them think about your question “what is wrong with this picture”.
CANDACE: You bring up a good point in that “it is obvious to see that she and her teacher are the only two people who are not white” because it bring up a good point that if the teacher were white Ana probably would not get the support she needed to get into college. I think this is just like other minorities in that they have to help others in the culture get a head because if they don’t no one else will.
HEATHER MCGAFFIN: In response to your first paragraph I agree with you that media coverage often frames issues of immigration but I also think that if we as a country cannot even help the people who are currently here why should we have to help the immigrants as well? I also have friends that are from south of the border and I’m sure they are all great people but that still does not solve the problem that America has with immigration.
MARK: In response to you comment(s) on the males being more dominant that the females in this movie. I actually expected the movie to play out in that exact same manner but I thought it leaned toward the mother having the most power out of anyone else in the family.
PAL: Yes I agree that it does show how different the values are compared to Americans, which is exactly what we discussed in class. I think most non-American cultures are unfortunately changed by the American culture.
MOONPRINCESS: Traditional vs modern culture plays a very important role in this movie and I think many people not only in America but world-wide have a hard time balancing this.
GUNHO: I thought your first paragraph was funny because I thought the total opposite when I read the title of the movie. I automatically knew it had something to do with an overweight person who likes her body just as Ana did.
LONDON: Your thoughts on the women being submissive I agree with on my own experiences and ideas of the Mexican culture. However, as I responded to earlier I didn’t find this movie to show it as much as I expected. I found the mother to have equal power as the father.
EMI: To add to your comments on Mr. Guzman speaking in Spanish I also found that Ana’s father responding by saying he spoke English was to show that he was educated and not the “typical” immigrant who can’t speak English. It was a slight attempt to show he was somewhat educated.
PING: You mention that some families in China don’t want their children to be educated, etc. I think that is just like the movie but I also see the total opposite in where some Asian cultures force their children to do so well that their children feel very pressured and over whelmed.
ALICE: I found it interesting that you pointed out that it described different culture with different thinking. I think that is one reason why this movie is good because most movies we see don’t really tell us the truth but this movie makes a good attempt to do so.
1. DAVID- Nice reference to traditional versus modern values, social hierarchy, and rejection of negative framing. At times it was almost annoying how traditional Ana's mom could be!
2. JANUERI- I agree with your statements, but I think that's the point of the film: immigrants are not given much of a chance here which is why it is so hard for them to get ahead.
3. MARIBETH- I hadn't made the connection of media resistance to the soap opera that Ana refused to watch! Great Point! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
4. ALICE- Dependency Theory is so applicable here! There is so much truth to breaking the mold, especially when traditional values are rooted soo deep!
5. EMI- Nice reference to social hierarchies and how hard they are to be broken. Although it is possible, most of the time people fold under pressure.
6. LONDON- You could not be more correct! There are major differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures; it is even harder when these cultural norms are challenged further within a culture between traditional and modern values.
7. ANDREA- Your comments on Structural imperialism and dependency theory correspond with what Alice said a bit... Interesting correlation between the dresses and the sweat shop to poverty stricken states! What a deep thinker!
8. FINN- I like how you stated Ana's rejection of commodification as "barbie-esque" that was a great way to put it! It is very commendable to see young women rejecting the media's ideal body and accepting their own as beautiful.
9. MADOKA- Great points (i think you had four) it works well to show what is really going on in the movie.
10. MAGGIE- I liked your reference to the melting pot but I didnt understand about the two faced life thing... Did you feel as though Ana failed? I saw her acceptance of the full scholarship to Columbia as a transition not hypocrisy.
11. LISA- I enjoyed your views on cultural dichotomy as you speak from first person experience.
12. SHENG HAO LIN- Nice correlation between Ana's situation as a Mexican American to others who are experiencing the same problems all the way around the world in Taiwan. I think it goes to show that geography has no effect on problems... everyone has them!
13. CHANY- I can't help but ask if this movie truly depicts how immigrants are portrayed in our society. It seemed a bit unordinary for a girl like Ana to be allowed to commute to a better school district. I feel that most people like Ana would not be given the same opportunity.
14. MARK- Nice references to globalization and social hierarchy. I like how you tied that in to Ana's journey to school as climbing the social hierarchy ladder to affluence and success.
15. CANDACE- Good reference to Jimmy's comment about how everything is given to kids in the United States. He is so accustomed to accepting a supposed cultural norm that he cannot even see different- even when there is someone out of the cultural norm right in front of him!
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