RP1: Ramblings about Lowe

I'm still working on processing the Lowe reading, to be perfectly honest. Parts of it I do understand and can verbalize what I understand, while other parts I can't fully verbalize. It's frustrating, but eventually I'll be better able to fully comprehend the materials we read for class. One skill I want to work on this quarter is improving these verbalization skills, so here we go!
An aspect of the Lowe reading that I really found important was her focus on the position of women within her analysis of how intersectionality plays out within different groups and communities. It was a crucial part of her establishing the falsehood of homogeneity within Asian-American communities and instead emphasizing heterogeneity. In particular, I was struck by her quote from Angela Davis that we discussed at length in class today: "This political commitment is not based on the specific histories of racialized communities or its constituent members, but rather constructs an agenda agreed upon by all who are a part of it. In my opinion, the most exciting potential of women of color formations resides in the possibility of politicizing this identity–basing the identity on politics rather than the politics on identity." I like how this quote synthesizes the different points Lowe is addressing, those points being the subversion of projected homogeneity in politics and the importance of intersectionality within discussions of identity.
There was also a work mentioned in the Lowe piece that I'd been exposed to before. I read Joy Luck Club in high school, so it's really interesting to see how the book was received by some members of the Asian-American community. When I first read the book I was aware of the intergenerational and cultural conflicts that existed between the mothers and daughters but Lowe's analysis helped me better understand the national context that it was addressing and critiquing. I think it's interesting that Frank Chin targeted Amy Tan's work, among others, for feminizing Asian-American culture and undermining Asian-American men's authority. I feel that Lowe's analysis of this conflict also synthesizes the points that she is addressing.