Week Eight Reading Portfolio Template:

Weekly Reading Questions (1-2 sentences each):

2 Questions on points from the readings you would like clarified, issues you would like
raised, or ideas you would otherwise like to talk about during class. (1-2 sentences each):

1. Is ragamuffin another term for sticking to the gender binary? What differenaties between
the two terms?

2. Has the dynamic of sex workers and pimps decreased within America since the 1990’s or
is it relatively the same just more hidden?

Quotes and Reactions (2-3 sentences each):

Reading: Kang, Miliann. 2003. “The Managed Hand: The Commercialization of Bodies and
Emotions in Korean Immigrant-Owned Nail Salons.” Gender & Society 17(6): 820-839.

For each of the following questions, please cite a separate quote from the reading.

1. What practical use the reading’s arguments could have: good, bad, or neutral. 

An argument that I found was articulated well as the racism that these women had to
endure. I found that the author mentioned this point, “…You’re not in your country,
speak English.’” (Kang 2003: pp. 831). By Kang bringing up this point about how
Americans will speak to those who speak within another language they are treated
with so much disrespect and our racism towards them. It’s so prominent within
America for workers to get radically ridiculed. That emotional strain that it takes on
these workers causes mental and physical stress on their bodies.

2. What you find plausible in the arguments.

An argument that I found was completely plausible was when it was mentioned in the
article that “…while the performance of caring, attentive emotional labor is
noticeably higher than…it often does not meet customers’ expectations” (Kang 2003,
pp. 829). I found this plausible because these women will put in so much of their
labor both physical and emotional and it is never sufficient enough for customers.
Within society, it is a common theme to see that nobody is ever satisfied with what
they get. These women will drain themselves in both a physical and emotional aspect
and it still will not suffice.
 3. What you find challenging to accept.

An idea that I found challenging to understand is when Kang had mentioned that these types
of salons, “…are constructed from the ground up through gendered ideologies, relations, and
practices of body labor become the locus of expression and negotiating race…” (Kang 2003:
pp.834). I found this challenging to understand because I never truly thought of it this way, I
also thought that most of these salons are worked between both genders, I primarily
understood that the female worker population overrides the male population. However, I
found it challenging to understand that race and ideologies take such a large toll on the
institutions and the services themselves.

Reading: Castañeda, Xochitl and Patricia Zavella. 2003. “Changing Constructions of Sexuality and
Risk: Migrant Mexican Women Farmers in California.” The Journal of Latin-American
Anthropology 8(2): 126-151.
For each of the following questions, please cite a separate quote from the reading.

1. What practical use the reading’s arguments could have: good, bad, or neutral. 

An argument that I found was expressed well is the hardships that farmworkers have to
endure due to their environmental factors. Within the article it was stated that
“Farmworkers have some of this nation’s most severe social problems…are at greater risk
for infectious diseases and chronic health conditions…” (Castaneda & Zavalla, pp. 128).
Since these individuals are among the lower-class within the society they have to deal
with the hardships of being malnourished and exposed to dangerous working conditions.
It’s terrible that these workers are subjected to such a bad living and working
environment due to lack of papers, thus forcing them to not ever be able to get justice.

2. What you find plausible in the arguments.

An argument that I found completely plausible is the idea that a woman who stays as a
virgin is considered a “good woman”. Within the text, it was said that “…women
subscribe to notions of silence about sexuality, the importance of virginity prior to
marriage, and guarding their reputation…” (Castaneda & Zavalla, pp. 134). This brings
back the concept that we’ve learned within class about double standards. While men are
out there sexualizing any women despite them either being married, they are not held up
to the same standards as a woman if she were to do the same. He instead is appraised for
being able to get multiple women, whereas women would be subjected to being called a
“whore”.

3. What you find challenging to accept.

Something that I found challenging to accept is how women were more afraid of the
patriarchal discourse than they were of catching a sexual disease. When the text had stated
that, “They were well aware of the potential deadly consequences of their partners’ behaviors
and that requesting their partners use condoms is unthinkable…” (Castaneda & Zavalla, pp.
141). I found this surprising and sad at the same time because they have to fear more of what
 society thinks more than fear for their health. It’s worse because although these women may
know that there are these types of consequences, they still don’t seek help or refugee from
these men who are giving them these transmitted deadly diseases.

Cultural Artifact (1-2 sentences):

Please link a cultural artifact (e.g. news article, song, meme, tik tok, reddit thread, youtube video,
poem, essay, etc.) relevant to this week’s material. In 1-2 sentences, explain how this cultural
artifact relates to this week’s readings.

Citation: https://www.pinterest.com/reloveit21/nail-tech-humor/

I chose this cultural artifact for this week’s readings because I found it humorous in the sense
that I’m sure that those nail workers who have to deal with constant customer service, especially
from those who are never satisfied probably occasionally feel this way because of the emotional
strain it takes for them to do people’s nails.