Flattened Ideas and Misrepresented Concepts

       Last Summer when on a cruise in the Bahamas, my boyfriend of the time struck up conversation with out housekeeper. As selfish as it sounds at the time I wish he hadn't. She was from the Philippines and the mother of two children that she hadn't seen in five years. She took the job on the cruise line because there were no opportunities for her there. While this film was specifically about Chinese culture; it instantly make me think of that moment. On the cruise they have this obnoxious display where each staff member waves a flag of the country they are from. The ceremony takes about an hour since the nationalities of the staff is so diverse. No one really watches it. Its uncomfortable. Cringeworthy even. The pain from it comes from the fact that many of these workers have similar stories to that of our housekeeper. After speaking to more and more staff members; we sadly began to realize this was a norm. While the tourism industry presents itself to be about family; those who are making the experience meaningful are forced to be away from theres for years.

       I couldn't help but think of this trip when watching the film Up the Yangtze. While on the ship I assumed that all the workers were in the same condition as the ones I spoke to; but the contrast between Cindy and Jerry's stories clearly illustrate how this is not always the case. That it is not as complex as a universal suffrage. The people are brought together by different scenarios. Their diversity is something that is not cultural but situational. I thought this was interesting because it truly illustrates how we can tend to flatten ideas. That we simplify them and view them in more tangible terms. Up the Yangtze illustrates the complexity behind globalization and cultural stigma. That one country can never truly share an identity. Jerry's options and family's status provided him with more options. He is confident in his attractiveness while Cindy is forced to put on make up and alter herself to be wanted in the work force. This movie opened by eyes up to how different forces are always at play. It also gave me a different perception towards how cultures are represented in the travel industry. The possible complications involved with presented one culture as a capitalized product. I think this film did a great job overall at embracing complexity rather than trying to 'overcome' it. That anytime we present an idea in simpler terms or flattened understanding; we are losing something. This time of flattening is what occurs when stereotypes and prejudice ideas are made; however while these practices are frowned upon the strategies we use to create them is a staple within how much of us reasoning. I think it is worth considering how simplifying ideas can change them from how they are in actuality. If this practice can be universally destructive when applied and not just when it is used against humans. Perhaps understanding concepts in similar ways can be equally detrimental. I think this film does a great job at introducing these ideas without directly stating this because to do so would be the very act of it.