Perspectives by Mimi Liu and Sarawan Varagoon

Perspectives by Mimi Liu & Sarawan Varagoon
© February 17, 2000

The chipped cup shows imbalance, illustrates division, confusion and uncertainties. This cup is intended to depict Takaki. Takaki is of Japanese decent who was born in America; his family has been here for over a hundred years. In America he is mistaken for Japanese because he looks Japanese. He does not connect with Japanese culture so he is not considered Japanese but he does not "look" American. Confused, Takaki does not feel that he fully belongs in Japan or America. The broken cup can portray Takaki and the broken piece depicts a sense of belonging that is missing from Takaki's life. Or the chip can be Takaki and he is missing from the whole which is the broken cup.

Ronald Takaki, "A Different Mirror," in Re-reading America, G. Colombo, R. Cullen, and B. Lisle, eds. (Bedford Books, Boston, 1995) p. 332-49.

Perspectives by Mimi Liu & Sarawan Varagoon
© February 17, 2000

The brush painting the cup represents the brush dictating what color the cup is to be. This is intended to illustrate Omi and Winant, who said "race is a more social myth than biological fact." The paint brush depicts society and society has made racism what it is. As the paint brush is influencing the color of the cup, society is influencing our reality and how we perceive it.

Michael Omi and Howard Winant, "Racial Formation," in Re-reading America, G. Colombo, R. Cullen, and B. Lisle, eds. (Bedford Books, Boston, 1995) pp. 356-64.

Perspectives by Mimi Liu & Sarawan Varagoon
© February 17, 2000

Top hand has the cup and the bottom hand wanting the cup represents oppression and the need for recognition. The top hand has the power and bottom hand wants the power. The color gold portrays the power, the authority. This is intended to represent the conflict between the Flaxes and the Floxes. The Flaxes had the upper hand and they controlled the decision making and had the wealth. Since the Floxes were not represented in parliament they had no control, they were oppressed. The Floxes are the bottom hand reaching up trying to grab or touch the cup of gold that was in possession of the Flaxes. Another interpretation is the upper hand pushing down onto the lower hand. That depicts the Flaxes oppressing the Floxes.

"Basic Demographics of Tribus" (Lisbeth Lipari, Environmental Studies Program, Denison University, 100 North Main Street, Granville, Ohio 43023).

Perspectives by Mimi Liu & Sarawan Varagoon
© February 17, 2000

A Reflection of a cup illustrates what we perceive is a reflection of ourselves. That we cannot be unbiased because what we decide now comes from our knowledge which comes from our experiences. This is supposed to represent Trask but it can be applied to anything. Trask was torn because America's history of Hawaii differed so much from Hawaii's own history of itself. The mirror is supposed to portray the different angles that can be presented. When you look at one angle that becomes the truth. Another person can look at the same thing but at a different angle and taking that as a truth too. But when the two truths collide it causes a conflict. Trask was stuck between both truths.

Video on Hawaii's Last Queen (Liliuokalani), whose exact title has slipped my mind.

Haunani-Kay Trask, "From a Native Daughter," in Re-reading America, G. Colombo, R. Cullen, and B. Lisle, eds. (Bedford Books, Boston, 1995) p. 571-9.

Perspectives by Mimi Liu & Sarawan Varagoon
© February 17, 2000

Water spilling from a cup represents pessimism. The cup is not just half-empty it is totally empty. This is intended to represent Tompkins' despair that no historian can record the truth. The fact is that each person has his/her own perspective and that is where history comes from but to Tompkins' disappointment the history of Indians differ drastically.

Jane Tompkins ((1986), "'Indians': Textualism, Morality and the Problem of History," Ways of Reading, 584-605, Univ. Chicago Press.)

Perspectives by Mimi Liu & Sarawan Varagoon
© February 17, 2000

The cup with the flag stabbed through it shows how a perfect cup is marred. The flag represents a claim, very much like when you plant a flag into the ground the land around it is yours. The flag seems to claim the cup but by doing so it has caused a rupture into the cup and water is flowing from it. The cup is intended to depict Hawaii and the flag represents America's annexation. When America annexed Hawaii it lost its most of it's tradition, heritage, and way of life. So the price of annexation is the loss of tradition, heritage, and way of life which is represented by water that is flowing out of the crack which was produced by the flag.

Video on Hawaii's Last Queen (Liliuokalani), whose exact title has slipped my mind.

Haunani-Kay Trask, "From a Native Daughter," in Re-reading America, G. Colombo, R. Cullen, and B. Lisle, eds. (Bedford Books, Boston, 1995) p. 571-9.

The center cup represents the actual cup. It is reality in its barest form. Each cup around it is a mutation of the center cup. They are mutated by people's perspective. The center cup is there to contrast with the other cups around it.

Daisies in a broken cup are supposed to give a pretty picture of happiness. The daisies are superficial, shallow, fake, and a façade. The daisy is the mask that our society puts on. The broken cup shows how our society really is. The cup is imbalanced, ugly, and it cannot hold water. The daisies are abundant to distract the viewer from the imperfection of the cup. The daisies and the broken cup are intended to represent The Color of Fear. On the outside our society might seem perfect with equal opportunities but as it was made clear in the film that there are many things that go unnoticed.

The Color of Fear, Directed by Lee Mun Wah (Stir Fry Productions, 1904 Virginia Street, Berkekey, CA 94709, 510-548-9695, 1994, 90 Minutes).

Two handled cup with two hands pulling it opposite directions represents a struggle to take control of the cup itself. There is a conflict and one hand wants to pull the cup a certain direction but the other hand opposes. This cup is intended to represent the film Double Happiness. Jade and her parents are constantly in conflict and both sides have a need to take control of the "cup." Jade is, of course, one hand and her parents (the father in particular) is the other. While the cup is being pulled it also deforms the cup and it cannot be put back into its original shape, much like Jade's relationship with her family.

Double Happiness, Written and directed by Mina Shum, starring Sandra Oh, Alannah Ong, Stephen Chang, Frances You, Johnny Mah. (Produced by Steve Hegyes and Rose Lam Waddell, Distributed by Fine Line Features 1995, 87 minutes), or
Smoke Signals, Directed by Chris Eyre, written by Sherman Alexie, starring Adam Beach, Evan Adams and Irene Bedard. Produced by Larry Estes, Scott M. Rosenfelt. (Video on Miramax, 1998, 89 minutes).