afro asia
Paper instructions:

1) With a local focus on the United States and a consideration of triangulation, the editors of AfroAsian Encounters hope to move away from the focus on black-white interactions; moreover we do so by examining the interactions of two racial groups now set up in opposition to one another within, for example, contemporary U.S. racial systems (3).

2) With a global focus and a consideration of cultural hybridities, the editors of Minor Transnationalisms* suggest a term (minor transnationalisms) that describes the creative exchange and relationship between minority or marginal groups. The editors realize that our battles are always framed vertically, and we forget to look sideways to lateral networks that are not readily apparent€¦ [This is] symptomatic of the compulsory mediation by the mainstream for all forms of cultural production and interrelations among different minority communities. More often than not, minority subjects identify themselves in opposition to a dominant discourse rather than vis-à-vis each other and other minority groups. We study the center and the margin but rarely examine the relationship among different margins (1-2).
The two quotes highlight a move by cultural studies to examine the intersections of marginalized or subjugated cultures and peoples. Both sets of editors acknowledge dominant culture (the first set of editors recognize triangulation and the second set of editors recognize colonial ideology), but at the same time, they call for a respect for the capacity and agency of people to create intercultural dialogue without necessarily re-centering or relying on dominant culture.

Assignment:

Read the chapter attached in the file. Write three paragraphs about this chapter. Your writing should amount to approximately two pages.

Provide a title to your thread (indicate the title of the chapter or article that you address)

1) What seems to be the overall issue being addressed ? What are two assertions, claims, or facts that you find most interesting, persuasive, controversial, surprising, or problematic? Explain.

2) In your final analysis, would you say the author succeeded in escaping the black-white binary? Explain.

3) Provide a possible source or lead that the author could look at that would supplement or complement his/her chapter (an article, a film, historical event, video, etc.). What is it about?