To the Editor:
I write about an aspect of Asian Festival 1995 that I and several others found disturbing. Although the Festival succeeded in bringing people through the doors of Webster Hall, it failed in its aims to promote Asian culture in several instances by conveying negative stereotypes and a lack of self-respect.
Being a performer, I understand all too well the difficulties of maintaining concentration in front of an audience; however, I felt that several of the performers during the presentation of ancient Chinese dress did not take their roles seriously. Their self-conscious and somewhat self-deprecatory expressions evoked laughter from the audience. Instead of inducing the audience to experience the beauty of an ancient culture, they invited ridicule and close-minded dismissal. How will non-Asians respect our culture and history if we do not ourselves respect it?
I was further dismayed with the opening act of the "First Dartmouth Multicultural Fashion Show." I thought the women models' dresses were beautifully made; however, I found their tuxedoed male escorts disturbing. This sexist portrayal, straight out of other woman-denigrating institutions such as the Miss America and Miss Universe Pageants, did the Asian women community a disservice. It subtly reinforced the stereotype that Asian women are "exotic" or "lotus blossoms." It is this very stereotype that recent notable Asian visitors to the College, such as Jude Narita and Professor Elaine Kim, reject and utterly renounce in their performances and lectures. I wonder if their lessons have been learnt.
By contrast, I felt that the presentation of the Hindu Wedding Ceremony and the Indian/South Asian fashion show was far more enriching and gender neutral. In the fashion show, both men and women models wore traditional clothing, removing the sex role-loaded connotations from their presentation.
On a campus whose student body is as nominally liberal as Dartmouth's, can Asian students afford to keep a foot in the door to the sexism of our parents' and earlier generations? We have come a long way from the misogynistic practice of foot-binding. However, it seems we have further yet to go. I believe it is the mission of all Asian organizations on this campus to take a firm stance on these issues of sexism and self-respect, not only in the context of an annual Asian Festival, but as a pervading aspect of our day-to-day life.
