week 10 – Reply to Barry Teshima’ blog

Barry, thank you for your comment and it would be a little helpful when you read mine on it. To help you to understand right now for the effort of the Asian immigrants to be “Americanized” is not easy or maybe impossible. The reason is because nationality is, from my experience as a Korean immigrant, heavily based on culture, which has got imbedded and formed us to be who we are. Even though we try to be Americanized, it is impossible to move until we can get rid of all the memories and ways of life that identified us with. Well, I guess that Filipino guys has to acknowledge that he is Filipino from the land of Philippines and living in America as an immigrant. I am basically saying that he does not necessarily has to be “Americanized.”

Week 10 – Rahab Says Hello to Judith: A Decolonizing Feminist Reading – Musa W. Dube – Sugirtharajah

This article seems to find other oppressive causes for women not only from Patriarchical system in the Israelite society but also from the slavery, concubines, and captives. This multiple oppressions become more complex in a colonial period because the feminist can also be endangered to be affected by colonialism. Therefore, I agree with Dube that it is necessary to liberate the feminism itself first out of the colonialism.

Week 10 Desiring War: Apocalypse, Commodity Fetish, and the End of History – Erin Runions – Sugirtharajah

             What struck me from this article is that the relation between the freedom of Bush’s administration and the epitome of capitalist desire. In this reasoning, I realized how the rhetoric of freedom can disguise the evil side of capitalism to look apocalyptic prophecy for the world peace. I agree with Runions that we need some kind of checks and balances to correct this apocalyptic metaphors of Bush’s administration right.

Week 10 Exodus-Toward-Egypt: Filipino-Americans’ Struggle to Realize the Promised Land in America – Eleazar S. Fernandez – Sugirtharajah

There are many parts in this article I feel sympathy for since I as an international student from Korea. Like Filipino immigrants did, many of Korean immigrants also came to America for “American Dream” and failed to achieve it with a lot of frustration and despair. However, one thing different is that ever since the Korean economy became competitive with other developed countries, Koreans who come to the States  are no more longing for the “American Dreams.” The number of people is increased, who come here for education and go back to Korea. I guess this shows that the immigrants are still more engaged with financial issues to live a better life.

Week 10 Canonization and Marginalization: Mary of Magdala – Karen L. King – Sugirtharajah

I agree with King in his saying that “[The Gospel of Mary]…argued that direct access to God was possible for all through the Spirit” (:288). God is not limited by social gender, roles, sex, and childbearing in order for his mission to be spread out, I believe. I guess I want to look up the book of the Gospel of Mary a little more carefully.