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Transcription: [00:19:15]

I think that I'm gonna stop here because I would love to take questions or see what's on your mind.

[00:19:21]

I've thrown out all sorts of stuff, but let's find out what's relevant here.

[00:19:25]

And. questions, comments.

[00:19:32]

And if there are no questions or comments, I'm gonna make the people who are in involved with the exhibit talk just a little bit about the exhibit because it's fabulous.

[00:19:52]

This is a troubling American movement by the way. In every good way! It seems... that's what it seems like to me. I'm- and I've- part of the reason I'm delighted to be here is to get feet on the ground on this side of the pond right now.

[00:20:08]

Because from Asia, it does feel like the isolationist moment is not a moment, it's a phase.

[00:20:15]

So, I don't know. I think... I think there is a concern on the Chinese side and in Hong Kong about the fiscal viability of the U.S. economy certainly and then that has a knock-on affect culturally.

[00:20:34]

And so, I dwell mostly in the cultural realm but I think the two are related. There is no doubt about it. And so... I don't know. What do you think about it?

[00:21:10]

In terms of women specifically? Hong Kong women or American women in Hong Kong?

[00:21:15]

I think American women in Hong Kong- I think that label is troubling itself. I don't know who isn't American anymore. I think there's a stereotype of an American woman. And the book talks about it, I think in general; American women for the most part are seen in rather favorable terms.

[00:21:33]

And...there is a certain--We're sporty, we're sure of ourselves--admiration for a certain direct style but there is a belief that American women go too far. They are too assertive. They don't know when to harmonize. And it's interesting because there are a group of very strong women politicians in Hong Kong who manage a very tough political environment and they would say--you know, for Hillary Clinton--we're not going to cut it here. And it's been interesting to watch Hillary Clinton sort-of change her style as she has dealt more with countries outside of the U.S.

[00:22:13]

So sometimes I feel like Chinese women are very strategic. They learn to...Chinese women in politics live to fight another day. They will do the harmony bit and the Chinese translation for female politician is literally translated to handbag society. So these women carry designer handbags and they dress in very fashionable ways in order to not be threatening to the men.

[00:22:40]

And as a result, they are respected. They are given a certain pride of place in the political sphere because they've seated a certain battle. They are not going to be troubling in way #1.

[00:22:52]

They'll say, Look! And they'll actually celebrate the gender difference. They'll say (whether it's the Yin Yan dynamic or they'll say we are softer) and intentionally manage that dynamic.

[00:23:03]

And that connects to younger women in the U.S. who have issues and anxieties; and women who conservative--on the conservative side--who have issues with feminism.

[00:23:12]

So I think there is a critique of American feminism as well as stereotypes of American women embedded in Asian women's stories and Asian men's reactions to American women.

[00:23:24]

But in terms of what's happening in Hong Kong right now; I think you have...what I see is my local Chinese women students performing American-ness in ways that many of my American students coming to Hong Kong don't.

[00:23:40]

So... what is perceived to be American is influx all the time. It's changing and it's highly mobile. And those stereotypes...um...they can be a way to keep women in their place too.

[00:23:54]

And that... that's something that is hard for me. In fact, I sometimes have to take a break. I laugh it out. I'm not very good at harmonizing. So I have to leave, and yeah...you know.