First Thoughts on "Scarred, yet Undefeated"

When I read the essay by Sucheng Chan I was not shocked that once again, like most other groups, the Hmong's kinship system was patrilineal, patrilocal, and patriarchal. Reading further, it made me somewhat angry that even though the men were in charge, the women were responsible for a much longer list of chores. And on top of that, all of them were tedious and very physical. The men are listed as having to make decisions and control their families. So what exactly does that entail? I feel like cultivating and harvesting crops, gathering firewoood and water, and making clothes (and whatever else the women had to do) is just as important, and if not more conducive to the families' well-being. Anyone else agree with that? On the other hand, the part about the Khmer's kinship system took away a small part of the anger. It was nice to finally read that the gender roles were complementary; though the women were required to perform tasks that are typically done by females (cooking, raising children, etc.), they were also allowed to assist in the decision making. Like some of the other essays we have read regarding the Hawaiian women and the Japanese Nisei, it seems as if women are able to make strides in breaking down gender roles, but are also being more oppressed at the same time. The Khmer women are another example we can add to the list. They are given the opportunity to advise their husbands, yet they are still judged on how beautiful they are and how well they carry themselves. I guess I am a bit torn on how I should be feeling about all this. It is unfortunate that this happens, but still encouraging to see that some of the women mentioned in this essay were courageous and strong, and managed to break free.