Transnational America

            In Transnational America, Inderpal Grewal examines the idea of “America” and how the United States is much more than an imperialist nation-state. Instead, Grewal uses a postcolonial feminist’s lens to look at the discourses in circulation and how they create transnational subjects.

            One of the interesting points Grewal makes is regarding gender and class identity in the United States. She uses the example of post-9/11 U.S. to explain further. It’s particularly interesting to me how the United States pushed an even more inflated sense of nationalism rather than pushing a global understanding, or a more transnational identity. Instead, we focused on “’Merica” and the American way.  This idea of what “America” means is being used as a discursive tool. aIn doing so, it really just pushed the White patriarchal society upon which the United States is based. This really reminded me of the first article we read in class, “Do Muslim women really need saving?” What the article could have more accurately read is: How can we frame the sex/gender dynamics in other countries so it seems oppressive and harmful, since it is different than our own? This is exactly what the patriarchy wants. By doing this, we dismiss the reality of sexism and patriarchy in the United States because it isn’t as bad.

            I’m sure we were all intrigued by the Barbie example that Grewal uses, because her fame is far-reaching and a very concrete example of the unattainable ideals enforced by European/U.S. American society. Even when reconciled with more transnational imagery (wearing a sari), Barbie still had her fair skin and European face.