As I looked through Google News to find my source of inspiration for this post, I saw an article announcing Steve Jobs’ unfortunate death, one regarding Sarah Palin’s decision to bow out of the presidential race, and (under more specific search constraints) an article about a group of Japanese women who just completed a national tour of 125 cities throughout Japan. Because of the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan, I assumed this tour was aimed at disaster relief. You know, the standard raising awareness, bringing the country together, etc. And I was correct. But just how these women provided belief was much to my surprise.
Instead of extending their undoubtedly warm Japanese hospitality – meek smiles, sympathetic words, nods of agreement and understanding, and of course, many bows – they danced hula.
These women represent a group hired to dance at the Spa Resort Hawaiian in Iwaki, which was closed due to damage from the earthquake. During the closure they danced their way through Japan, providing their fellow countrymen with relief at evacuation shelters and encouraging them to lend support to Fukushima. As the article describes, they were always greeted with warmly, often with tears of joy and appreciation.
That’s right, a group of Japanese nationals performing the dance of native Hawaiians in front of thousands of people in Japan – talk about going against the grain.
So how would Amy Chua, the controversial Tiger Mom representative, view these women and their hula dancing?
Her view of how Asians should act, which is a direct result of their strict upbringing, leaves no room for dancing hula. Or should I say, no dancing, in general. Maybe Chua would make an exception if the dance were traditional and race-concordant. An activity aiming to perpetuate culture would seemingly be okay in her book, as long as participation did not mean sacrificing education. But dancing hula as an Asian, or even as an Asian American, is unacceptable.
Like the Chua’s native China, Japan is supposed to represent a collectivist culture – everyone blends in with each other. No one wants to stick out and be the oddball. No one wants to be considered different. So how do these Japanese girls maintain their own cultural identity while taking on another culture’s identity so effortlessly and with such poise? How is it that they have found acceptance within themselves and from their countrymen to be unique in this one aspect?
Like them, I am a product of East Asia, passionate about an art form that doesn’t represent my culture. The difference between us is I look less “Japanese-y” than them due to my local, Asian, immigrant-working-on-the-Hawaiian-plantation relatives. Yet despite my closer tie to the Hawaiian culture, it seems I lack their confidence in performing what we both consider to be our passion.
These hula girls of Iwaki are standing out and making themselves known for doing something that is atypical. Dancing hula makes them unique, a trait some would associate with Western cultures and Americans. Thus, they are actively choosing not to conform to the stereotypes of East Asians.
Hats off to them! I am proud and comforted knowing that I am not the only hula-loving Japanese and I aim to be as confident as they are when going against the grain.
Who cares about conforming to the stereotypes of our race?!
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