White House: A Gendered Space

Sexism runs deep in American history. Only after 19 amendments and 144 years of struggle are women merely granted the right to vote; 97 years later women all around the world march to support basic women's rights. Have we really liberated ourselves from the patriarchy? It's influence spreads across multiple facets of life and has seeped into our country's most respected office- the White House.
1920:

2017:

Though the political climate and economic state of America fluctuates between periods of highs and lows, one thing is constant: a male president is elected or re-elected every four years. Even when presented with the first female candidate, America elects a misogynist with an attitude of a kindergartner robbed of his afternoon nap. After all, how are we to trust a female with executive decision making? Surely, we can trust her "to cook [our] meals, wash [our] clothes," wash the dishes, clean the home, be arm candy, model clothes, and other tasks that female hormones don't inhibit. Anything beyond home economics is the unpredictable and insecure space of male dominance, and it's a threat for a female to venture into these spaces. In this sense, "No one is as fragile as a woman but no one is as fragile as a man."
Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Cleopatra, Malala Yousafzai, Amelia Earhart, Sojourner Truth, Sacagawea (and the list goes on) have all demonstrated the power and influence of females. Why, then, is the center of power and influence in the free world reserved for males?

A Disagreement

Joan Didion is right when she says Las Vegas "is the most extreme and allegorical of American settlements." Blinding lights penetrate every corner and blanket the night sky, half-naked women parade the streets as onlookers line up to snapshot the spectacle, and towering casino hotels create a concrete labyrinth, removing all sense of time and geological location. There is no remembrance of the past in the future; there is just the raw feeling and emotion of the present. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas (but that's the whole beauty of it).

People journey to Vegas to escape the dry routine and traditional limits of everyday life, be it touring the Strip, drinking, gambling, buying into the commercialized marriage industry, or experiencing a tasteful combination of all- it's not my position to judge. In a place where the "tone [...] is set by mobsters" and alcohol is breathed in, can we really blame one for buying into impulse?
When we watched the video of the drive-through marriage service, I couldn't help but think how fun it would be order an over-the-counter marriage. It certainly is a break from traditional and "proper ritual," but isn't that what Vegas was found on?

Sunday Night Interview

As the son of generally well established first-generation immigrants, I did not have to live an immigrant life. It had not even occurred to me to ask about my parents' story, about what it was like to "start anew." It's clear now that their story is every bit a part of my story.

Me: "What was your first impression of America?"
Dad: "Spacious. There were no tall buildings, and everything was so spread out."

It's no doubt that we Americans comfortably enjoy the vast amount of space we have, especially between houses. I've lived in my neighborhood for six years now, and I don't completely know the names of my next-door neighbors. I attribute this to when we do actually see each other, the thought of having to awkwardly shout across the lawn with the chance of being inaudible anyway discourages any interaction altogether.

Me: "What was the most interesting part of America?"
Dad: "Hooters. And Twizzlers- they taste like rubber hoses. And the large sizes of everything."
Mom: "The large scale natural scenery, like the Yellowstone National Park and Grand Canyon."

Regarding Hooters, I dared not ask further- "there are limits to what even interested persons can ask of each other." Nonetheless, largeness is clearly a motif in American culture. While the grandeur overproduction and mass-consumption of all things American may be seen as glutinous and savagely-grotesque, this was, in my parents' eyes, one of the most alluring qualities. Perhaps, this was a repulsive kind of interest, the kind of disgust that you can't help but continuously probe at until you become used to it.

Me: "In terms of all the American liberties, which is your favorite right?"
Dad: "The fact that a basic human right was the Pursuit of Happiness. Back in Taiwan, you know, it was about responsibility and contributing to the country. I felt this was a big difference."

To my dad, America is where you can contribute to the country without compromising personal happiness, where you can happily sing karaoke in the comfort of your home, where you can barbecue all-American hotdogs on lazy summer afternoons, where you can gulf down a large bag of popcorn while watching Star Wars in IMAX 3D, where you can live in a utopian community with an exceptional education system, where you can enjoy the simple luxuries of Somerset Mall and the cheap goods of Walmart... . There's a lot to celebrate.