Mai's America

Coming to America A review of Marlo Poras?Ts film "Mai?Ts America"
By Chris Cooke

Marlo Poras''s film "Mai''s America"


Growing up in Hanoi gives you a unique view of American culture. On the one hand, you have the mean aggressive killers of the world?Ts strongest army, obsessed with the women and addicted to dope, who were beaten back by the hardworking peasant army of a country a mere fraction the size of theirs. Then, of course, you have the glamour and excess of American cinema, all glitter and spotlight and action. At least, that?Ts how Mai viewed America. The daughter of a well-off (by Vietnamese standards) hotel-owner, Mai often wondered how the poor people of her country could get by, happily doing such drudge-work as shining shoes -- and fantasized about America, the land of plenty, where everyone is rich.
All this changed, however, when she spent her senior year of high school in America as an exchange student. Marlo Poras?T documentary "Mai?Ts America" chronicles nearly two years of Mai?Ts life, as she finds herself transported from the packed streets of Hanoi to the backroads of rural Mississippi, from life with a critical mother and supportive father to life with a trio of catatonically depressed, self-proclaimed rednecks. Unemployed and hardly looking for work, her new family only takes interest in her when she puts ketchup on her salad or does some other foreign antic. Her only solace in the family come from the crotchety but loveable old Grandpa. At school, however, a history teacher takes her under her wing, and she makes a few friends who impress (or perhaps scare) her with their plans for conquering Hollywood and having more boyfriends than you can shake a stick at. She makes some Vietnamese-American friends who give her a different take on the Vietnamese plight during the war. But she finds her strongest friendship in a flamboyant transvestite -- Chris by day, Chrissy by night -- who loves to doll her up or just talk for hours.
Needless to say, this is all quite a change for Mai, who reacts to struggle and happiness alike with a laugh. She ends up fleeing the rednecks for Justin and Latoya, a young black couple who make her feel at home, but still all is not well. Eager to go to college in America, she struggles with applications and rejections, unsure if she can even afford the high cost of American universities. Throughout, Poras captures Mai in all her confusion and splendor as she comes to grips with her misconceptions about America and the questions of identity that plague her as a result. By the film?Ts end, the world of shoe-shining boys on the streets of Hanoi doesn?Tt seem such a bad one; they are poor but their lives are relatively free from complication. "Mai?Ts America" offers rich insight into American culture -- touching on religion, socio-economics, the pull of conformity, and more -- from an outsider?Ts perspective. But the real treasure here is Mai herself, whose cheerfulness in adverse situations takes on nearly heroic proportions. It?Ts difficult not to admire and sympathize with her. Smiling and slim on the outside, shê?Ts a tough character underneath, and her story makes for a challenging, compelling film.
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Gà con xem rùi, thấy thương Mai lắm. NÓi chung là năm trước Gà cũng di exchange mà họ đối xự lạnh nhạt với mình đã thấy tủi thân lắm rồi, xem film này còn buồn hơn cho Mai. Mà cũng thương nhân vật Mai, Gà con nghĩ ngoài cố gắng học tập tốt thì gia đình nên có điều kiện một chút thì hẵng nên cho con em đi học. Chứ như gia đình Mai, rõ ràng là ba mẹ không có điều kiện để chi trả học phí cho Mai, đi học mà phải đi làm cực nhọc như vậy thì Gà con nghĩ ở Vn học đại học còn tốt hơn, sau này apply sang Mỹ du học sau cũng ko muộn.
Biết rằng du học là một cơ hội tốt cho tương lai nhưng đừng nghĩ rằng càng ngày càng nhiều người du học thì nhất định mình cũng phải đi du học. Điều đó phụ thuộc vào khả năng học cũng như khả năng tài chính của mỗi gia đình. Và đại học ở Vn cũng tốt, ở VN lúc nào chẳng thích nhất nhỉ.
Được Ga`_CoN sửa chữa / chuyển vào 02:44 ngày 03/06/2004

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_____________________________________
Question 1: When speaking to a stranger in Vietnam, it would be considered polite to:
a) smile showing your teeth and make direct eye contact
b) nod the top of your head to the ground three times
c) cover your mouth with your hand or another handy object and avert your eyes
Answer: C. Covering your mouth when speaking to a stranger is not an indication of unfriendliness, nervousness, or even bad breath. It is considered a sign of respect.
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Question 2: Which of the following is an indication of embarrassment or discomfort in a social situation?
a) laughter and excessive smiling
b) abruptly changing the subject entirely
c) informing the offender in a loud voice what they have done to embarrass you
Answer: A. Laughter is considered an inoffensive way to alleviate tension between parties. Mai actually comments on her own tendency to do this when during the film she reveals, "Sometimes I laugh because I don''t feel very comfortable."
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Question 3: When sitting and crossing your legs, what should you be careful not to do?
a) cross your right leg over your left
b) point the sole of your foot at someone
c) bounce your leg up and down
Answer: B. Directing the sole of your foot at someone is understood as an indication that you think the person is below you, so when you cross your legs, point your toes downward.
__________________________
Question 4: If you want to beckon someone to come over to you, you would:
a) put your palm out downwards and wiggle all four fingers in unison
b) face your palm upwards and crook your index finger
c) put your hand out and bring it in your chest, making sure your hand is in a fist
Answer: A. Putting your palm out downwards and wiggling all four fingers in unison is the most polite way to signal someone to come towards you. B, a gesture commonly used in Western settings, is used only with animals in Vietnam and would be considered a sign of great disrespect.
___________________________
Question 5: Which would be the most proper way to form an introduction?
a) take the initiative to introduce yourself
b) remain silent until the person asks you who you are
c) wait for a third party to introduce you
Answer: C. Vietnamese are hesitant to make introductions for themselves. Although any of these social gestures would be accepted, waiting for a third party to make the introduction would be the safest choice.
__________________________
Question 6: Which of the following is not acceptable public behavior in Vietnam:
a) men holding hands and showing affection with each other
b) women holding hands and showing affection with each other
c) men and women kissing or hugging in public
Answer: C. While it is the norm for people of the same *** to be very affectionate with each other in public, any displays of romantic love, like kissing or hugging, between men and women are considered to be risque, uncouth behavior.
__________________________
Question 7: If you''re a woman who wears long arm gloves and a hat when you go out in Vietnam, people will know that you''re:
a) modest
b) afraid of tanning
c) trying to be fashionable
Answer: C. Light skin is considered beautiful for women in Vietnam, mainly because it is a sign of a person''s social standing. Light skin signals that you are not a manual laborer. A dark tan is a sign that you spend your days in the sun harvesting rice and other crops. In men, however, tan skin is actually considered to be a sign of heartiness, and it is met with approval.
_________________
Question 8: If you''re a man and you grow your pinkie fingernail very long, people will know that:
a) you don''t do manual labor
b) you are a drug addict
c) you play the dan bo, a one-stringed Vietnamese instrument
d) you like to keep your ears clean
Answer: A. Many men in Vietnam grow as many of their nails as long as they can in order to show that they don''t have to do manual labor. It is most common to find pinkie fingernails grown out in this way. It is considered a sign of social standing.
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Question 9: It is never considered rude to ask someone their age in Vietnam because:
a) the Vietnamese are generally curious people
b) you need to know how to properly address the people you speak with
c) the Vietnamese are proud of their age, aging is considered a sign of wisdom
Answer: C. How you address a person is considered important and reflects the level of respect and familiarity between the two parties. Personal pronouns in the Vietnamese language are taken from the family relationship structure (with a couple exceptions). People always address each other as if they are related by family, even if they have no actual blood relationship. So, a young woman would address an elderly woman as "grandmother." Likewise, a young woman speaking to a child would refer to themselves as "Auntie," and so on. In order to know how to properly address someone, people always need to be sure of the age of the person they are speaking with, so inquiring about age is quite common.
Developed with help from filmmaker Marlo Poras and with "Culture Shock: Vietnam."