Bringing the Marginalized into Conversations about American Raciality - Erin Kane - Keely Gaeta - Emily Norris

INTERSECTIONALITY

IN ON EARTHWE ARE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS, ADOMINANT THEME IS THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF RACE AND SEXUALITY. EVERY ASPECT OF LITTLE DOG’S IDENTITY LIESWITHIN THEMARGINS; HE IS NEITHERWHITE NOR STRAIGHT. HIS IDENTITY IS NOT DEEMEDAS “NORMAL” ANDHE IS OTHERED IN EVERY ASPECT OF HIS LIFE. FOR EXAMPLE, HIS FAMILY’S SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IS NOT SEEN AS FAVORABLE AND BECAUSE OF THIS, HIS FAMILY IS LOOKEDDOWN UPON. HIS FAMILY IS ALSO NOT SEEN AS TYPICAL BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE NUCLEAR FAMILY THAT EXISTS AS THE NORMWITHIN THE UNITED STATES, ESPECIALLY IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. LITTLE DOG’S IDENTITY HOLDSMULTIPLE LAYERS OF INEQUALITY AND EVERYONE IN HIS FAMILYWAS AWARE OF THIS. WE SEE THIS AWARENESS IN ACTIONWHEN LITTLE DOG’SMOM, ROSE, ASKS HIM IF “DO I LOOK LIKE A REAL AMERICAN?” ROSEWAS SO CONCERNEDABOUT FITTING INTO THE AMERICAN CULTURE IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHED THE BURDENS HER IDENTITY HELD. LITTLE DOG CONSTANTLY FACEDHARASSMENT BECAUSE HEWAS NOT ONLY VIETNAMESE, HEWAS A GAY VIETNAMESEMALE. THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF LITTLE DOG’S SEXUALITY ANDRACE PRESENTEDMANY ISSUES FORHIM IN SCHOOL SUCHAS WHEN KYLEWOULD BULLY HIMAND TELL HIMTO SPEAK ENGLISH. KYLE DISCOUNTED LITTLE DOG’S IDENTITYWHILE ASSERTINGHIS OWN POWER ANDDOMINANCE AS A STRAIGHTWHITEMALE. WHILE GRAPPLINGWITHHIS RACE, LITTLE DOG IS ALSO FACEDWITHHIS SEXUALITY. AS A GAYMAN, LITTLE DOG FACES EVENMORE DISCRIMIANTION BY NOT ONLY STRANGERS ANDKIDS FROMHIS SCHOOL BUT BY HIS OWNMOMTOO. WHEN ROSE SAYS TO LITTLE DOG AFTER PHYSICALLY ABUSINGHIM, “YOU HAVE TOGET BIGGER AND STRONGER, OKAY?”, SHE IS TELLINGHIMTHAT HE CANNOT BE FEMINE BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY AN EASY TARGET DUE TO BEING VIETNAMESE. ROSEWANTS THE BEST FOR LITTLE DOG BUT SHE HERSELF HASMANY ISSUES AND INSECURITIES THAT SHE HAS NOT SORTEDOUT AND THEREFORE IS UNABLE TO EXPRESS HER LOVE ANDCONCERN FOR LITTLE DOG IN AHEALTHY AND HELPFULWAY.

33