Blog Post #2: The Meaning of Anurupa

Names entail a lot, especially in my Bangladeshi culture. My name, Anurupa, means "atom (Anu) of silver (Rupa)" in Sanskrit. The way that I interpret my name is that Anurupa stands for something untainted and pure; if something is added or removed from a silver atom, it's not considered a silver atom anymore because it doesn't maintain that same kind of purity. I believe that my name defines me pretty well because I identify with the uniqueness of it.

Not many people have Anurupa as a name, and I view that as a strength but also as a weakness. Living in a Western society where these kinds of names are uncommon, I have gotten used to the mispronunciation and confusion that arises when someone sees my name. I still dread the first day of class when teachers call role or even when we have a substitute teacher. However, I have learned to accept this and embrace the fact that my name is unique. Whenever someone says my name is pretty, I take pride in that. All these scenarios and emotions that come with my own name is why I believe that names are a definitive part of someone's identity.

My Bangladeshi culture also factors into how I am "two" people within my family. My parents are immigrants from Bangladesh, so the culture and traditions they follow have not been that influenced by the Western world. However, being a first-generation immigrant, I have a interesting duality between American culture and Bangladeshi culture that isolates me from my parents. I identify myself as Bengali, but I have certain values and ideals that stem from an American background. That can sometimes conflicts with my parents' beliefs and it causes disagreement within our family, which I do not enjoy.  

Blog Post #1: Wing Young Huie & Margaret Atwood Comparison

Demolition Derby, Baker, Montana, 2001
http://photos.wingyounghuie.com/asianamerica/h4aba9802#h4aba9802

This photo was taken in a rural town during a derby, where the entire town was located. The photographer meant to take pictures of the derby as well, but this image stood out because of the lone Asian American in the audience. The photographer remarks that this man and his wife were just watching; they looked and acted like they belonged there. At first glance, I thought that the photograph was just depicting a typical country scene. The crowd includes many families with children, which indicates that this derby is a community-wide gathering. However, this picture depicts the effects of generalizations on minority groups. Everyone in the background looks to be Caucasian with the exception of the Asian American. He is wearing plain clothes, and apart from his ethnicity, he could fit into the rest of the crowd with ease. This picture isolates the Asian American by centering the photo around him and making him the spotlight of the image.

This picture depicts the concept of "othering" because the layout of the photo immediately considers him as the outcast; the Asian American is in the center of the photo but there is a clear division between him and the rest of the crowd. Similarly in The Handmaid's Tale, Offred and the other handmaidens are surrounded by the rest of Gilead in everyday situation, yet the restrictions imposed on them (no eye contact with others, no conversations, etc. ) makes them feel isolated.