Father and Sons,
The Springs, California. Wing Young Huie, 2007.
At first glance, we notice 3 men in the picture. All
minorities, one older than the others. Without looking at the text, one could
deduce the relationship between the men. Father
and Sons. Based on the paint on one of the man’s jeans, we can assume that
he is a worker and a hard one at that. It is also apparent that they have few
belongings, in which we can conclude 2 things: they don’t believe in
materialistic things, or they just don’t/ can’t afford it. They are all sitting
on a twin size bed which must be difficult for one adult man to sleep on, let
alone the fact that they share that small apartment with a dozen other male coworkers,
according to the text. However, when looking deeper at the image, we can see a
picture of a man and what appears to be his wife on the beach, as well as
pictures in a church. This reveals that they care very much about their family
and that they are working very hard to support their family, which lives back
in Mexico. A votive candle is also present which signifies that they are
Christians, and more specifically Catholics due to the fact that the majority
of Latinos are. This candle also correlates with the pictures of family in a
church. Not only do they value family, but they value God. When you zoom into the
image, there is a book on the folding chair that appears to be titled Larousse. When you search for a book
with that title, a few kinds of books come up. The one that I felt was most
accurate to this picture and situation was a translation book. This shows that
not only are they trying to provide for their family outside of the United
States, but they’re working hard because they’re trying to learn the language in
order to excel in their jobs. It is apparent that they came to the United
States in search for something more promising than what their native country
had to offer. They were eager to visit the “home of the famous mouse”, which is
why there is a picture of Mickey and Minnie Mouse hung in an altar-like fashion.
It was their dream to enter the United States, and they knew that when they
visited the home of these famous mice, that “they had truly arrived”.
Both Huie and Atwood present “othering” in their works. Huie
through images and Atwood through text. They both use stereotypes to represent
this concept. Atwood’s stereotypes include the role of women and the role of
men. In Atwood’s novel, the Handmaids carry the children, the Marthas (also
women) cook and clean, meanwhile the Commander makes the money and the Guards
work outside the house on things like cars. Huie subtly incorporates
stereotypes through his photograph. The idea of Latinos (or in this photograph
Mexicans) living in unbearable conditions and not being able to afford it, and
more specifically intertwined with the upcoming elections, Mexicans coming to
the United States to “take the jobs of Americans” (Donald J. Trump). Huie’s “otherings”
are much subtler in comparison to Atwood’s. The styles of both Atwood and Huie
emphasize color. Atwood’s description of red ties in with the stereotypes that
women are supposed to hold, such as fertility and seduction. Huie’s photograph
on the other hand is black and white, as most of his pictures are. However, the
use of black and white in this photograph demonstrates the melancholy of those
men who had to leave their families in search for a better life. The black and
white may also bring together diverse audiences. Because his pictures are black
and white, the skin color and nationality remain somewhat unknown. This could
appeal to multiple groups because Huie tries to create the idea of sameness.
There is a bias present for both works—Atwood because she’s a female and likely
exaggerated to emphasize the stereotypical idea of women, and Huie because he
himself is a minority, in which he can accurately depict the lifestyles of
these minorities, which comes across transparently in each one of his
photographs.
Citationshttp://know.wingyounghuie.com/Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. New York,
McClelland and Stewart, 1985.
Both Huie and Atwood present “othering” in their works. Huie
through images and Atwood through text. They both use stereotypes to represent
this concept. Atwood’s stereotypes include the role of women and the role of
men. In Atwood’s novel, the Handmaids carry the children, the Marthas (also
women) cook and clean, meanwhile the Commander makes the money and the Guards
work outside the house on things like cars. Huie subtly incorporates
stereotypes through his photograph. The idea of Latinos (or in this photograph
Mexicans) living in unbearable conditions and not being able to afford it, and
more specifically intertwined with the upcoming elections, Mexicans coming to
the United States to “take the jobs of Americans” (Donald J. Trump). Huie’s “otherings”
are much subtler in comparison to Atwood’s. The styles of both Atwood and Huie
emphasize color. Atwood’s description of red ties in with the stereotypes that
women are supposed to hold, such as fertility and seduction. Huie’s photograph
on the other hand is black and white, as most of his pictures are. However, the
use of black and white in this photograph demonstrates the melancholy of those
men who had to leave their families in search for a better life. The black and
white may also bring together diverse audiences. Because his pictures are black
and white, the skin color and nationality remain somewhat unknown. This could
appeal to multiple groups because Huie tries to create the idea of sameness.
There is a bias present for both works—Atwood because she’s a female and likely
exaggerated to emphasize the stereotypical idea of women, and Huie because he
himself is a minority, in which he can accurately depict the lifestyles of
these minorities, which comes across transparently in each one of his
photographs. 