yellow rose
In this film, the main character Rose, an undocumented Filipina teenager navigates the world alone after her mother is deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Being from Texas, Rose has a dream of becoming a country singer and as she runs away from ICE seeking different safe havens, she runs towards her dream of becoming a country singer making connections in the industry along the way and learning to become financially independent.
Central Exhibit Theme
The theme around which we will base our exhibit is the effects of American imperialism and racism on modern Filipino and Filipino American culture and the immigrant experience
Overview
This presentation will attempt to illuminate the connections between the history of American imperialism through the lens of The Philippines colonies, how a history of racism and white supremacy has affected the Asian immigrant experience, how we see that same legacy of white supremacy present in the media we consume, and what it means to be Asian American in such a white supremacist space, all of which are critical sociological concepts in the field of Asian American Studies. Each of these concepts are present in every aspect of Asian American life in the United States. The history of racism is present in how Asian workers are spoken about when hired by American companies⁴, how they interact with cultures and build cultures in their non-native nations⁵ , and in how white people interact with their own adopted children⁶. In this project, we will attempt to address the root causes of all of these issues by critically examining the sociological concepts which they represent. Emily’s exhibit will start by giving us concrete examples of how a history of racism and colonialism affect how Asian immigrants exist and their experiences in the United States and compares them to the experience depicted in Yellow Rose. Then, Jacob will give a brief history of American colonialism in The Philippines and will explore how Asian Americans can exist in the white supremacist spaces in which they were forced, specifically through the context of the composition and performance of music. Finally, Tulasi will deconstruct the white savior trope and examine how Yellow Rose subverts it and gives the character Rose agency in her decision-making and in so doing examine the harmful nature of that trope. While the exhibits will vary in their analysis of concrete sociological outcomes, each seeks to give some sort of insight, be it theoretical or concrete, into what it means to be Asian in America and to use the film Yellow Rose to critically examine that experience.
Key Words
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Referring to the concept popularized by Alexis de Tocqueville, American exceptionalism refers to the idea that America is special because of the way the government is constructed and because of its intangible qualities like this innovation and ‘free’ spirit. It refers to America being qualitatively different from pretty much every other country in the world. This idea is important to our exhibit as it helps to explain why American influence is so strong abroad - part of it has to do with Americans believing in their own exceptionalism and partly in their ability to convince others of it as well.
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This term describes a subset of immigrants who lack official immigration documentation and are under threat of deportation or legal action as a result. In the movie, the main character Rose and her mother are undocumented immigrants and it is their precarious status that makes them targets of the government’s immigration and customs force ICE. Though the popular perception of undocumented immigrants produces an image of a Latinx immigrant, undocumented immigrants can come from anywhere. So much of the mental and psychological trauma that Asian immigrants to America face is amplified in the undocumented Asian immigrant experience making it distinct from popular understanding fo the Asian immigrant experience in the utter lack of privilege many undocumented immigrants face.
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According to Matthew Hughey, a sociologist, the white savior narrative within the film is dominated by plot lines in which white characters with immense privilege or ability choose to be morally upstanding and ‘save’ a less fortunate non-white character from their unfortunate circumstance or fate. This is relevant to the film because of the criticisms it has received for being a white savior film. In the larger context of Asian America, white saviors are often lauded for ‘saving’ people of color severely limiting their perceived agency which undermines people of colors’ ability to assert their agency.
Dahil Sa Iyo is the name of the song the Rose’s Tia sings to her son and Rose’s mom sings to her. A rough translation of this Filipino song to English tells us this song is a message to the singer’s loved ones to remember them.
This song both represents Rose’s separation from her mother and the internal conflict to stay with what she knows or find security in other people. This is an issue that is accentuated by immigration laws that separate children from their parents and American ideals that challenge their identities.
In this section, Emily will explain the context involving immigration that shapes the plot of the film and analyze how the media portrayal of the immigrant experience interprets and compares to the first hand accounts of Filipino Americans.
In this section, Jacob will delve deeper into the musical aspect of the film and how it reflects the aspirations that Filipino Americans pursue despite the difficulties and intersections they face.
In this section, Tulasi will address how the film subverts the white savior narrative by looking at ways that media has previously portrayed the dynamic.
What is the Response to These Challenges?
Notes
Lipset, Seymour M. “Introduction.” Introduction. In American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword, 22–23. New York, New York: W.W. Norton, 1996.
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “illegal alien/immigrant,” accessed December 17, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegal%20alien%2Fimmigrant.
Hughey, M. W. (Matthew W. (n.d.). The White Savior Film Content, Critics, and Consumption/. Temple University Press.
Verma, SaunJuhi. “Seasoning Labor: Contemporary South Asian Migrations and the Racialization of Immigrant Workers.” Journal of Asian American Studies 22, no. 1 (2019): 31–52. https://doi.org/10.1353/jaas.2019.0004.
“Racial Transmittances: Hemispheric Viralities of Anti-Asian Racism and Resistance in Mexico - Vanderbilt University.” Accessed December 17, 2022. https://catalog.library.vanderbilt.edu/discovery/fulldisplay/cdi_proquest_journals_2465809671/01VAN_INST:vanui.
Laybourn, SunAh M., and Carla Goar. “‘In My Heart, I Am Cambodian’: Symbolic Ethnicity among Parents Who Adopt Transracially.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 8, no. 1 (2022): 145–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/23326492211043907.