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Postcolonial theory is a perspective of analyzing literature to determine the affects of colonization.  There are several defined lenses of analysis such as identity, race, language, imperialism, etc. Each lens focuses on a particular way colonization impacted both the colonizer and the colonized. Postcolonial theory is used to find a deeper meaning and understanding of how relationships are formed within a story.  Why the characters think and feel the way they do or why they may make the choices they do. It goes beyond the story at hand and allows us to reshape our perception. Postcolonial theory allows people to review a piece of literature from the same starting point. It provides an opportunity to discuss important issues that remain prevalent today, for instance equality and fairness. By opening up these conversations we can build the ground work for a future that opposes the idea that different is wrong and that one way is the only way.

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My last name may be Herrera, but prior to marriage it was Reeh which means "dear" in German and yes, it is a very white last name. Although throughout my life I never saw myself that way, or at least not the way my peers saw white people. Race has created an identity issue for me since the time I first began school. I went to a very small private school from kindergarten to graduation. If I wasn't at school, I was at church or a church function. Since the school and church were together on the same grounds, most of my experiences and world view came from that environment, at least until my early 20's. The school was predominantly Hispanic students. There were very few white or black students other than myself. Most years I was the only white girl in my class. I would often be laughed at for using words like "knick-knacks" and "panty-hose", as these words were silly. I was told that they were "monitos" and "medias". I would be laughed at for eating different foods or if I ate the same foods like tacos, I would be asked, "how does your mom make tacos" with a sarcastic undertone. But as years went by I adapted to the culture, I learned Spanish words and certain slang words that they were using. All the while I formed great friendships. But there were many ups and downs. It didn't matter how similar I was to them, I would have moments where I was reminded of how different I was. For instance, after becoming really great friends with a boy in Junior High, I thought maybe he likes me. Then one day he told me he could never have a "white" girlfriend. That hit me hard. I didn't realize that my skin color had that big of an impact. My Hispanic girlfriends where in relationships left and right, but not me. At least, not until I was a Junior in high school. I didn't really realize the impact my environment had made on me, until one day when I was walking in the mall and I was surrounded by a bunch of "white people" and I remember feeling so uncomfortable. I felt like I didn't belong. I had spent so much of my childhood and teen years trying to fit in that mentally I no longer identified as a white person. Fast forward to the present, I feel blessed to have experienced this conflict of identity at a young age. Although it was difficult at times, I feel that it has made me appreciate different cultures and has also made me more accepting of people that are different than me.

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APPLICATION- Ancestry Pulls Ad After Criticism That it Romanticized Slavery

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APPLICATION- Ancestry Pulls Ad After Criticism That it Romanticized Slavery

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The ad posted by Ancestry received immediate criticism. The ad portrays a white man and a black woman who are in love and trying to escape during the Civil War-era. As I review this ad through the postcolonial lens of race, it is clear why it had such an impact on so many viewers. During the Civil War race caused a major divide. The white man was the colonizer and therefore had the power to make decisions. History has taught us of the horrible acts afflicted on black men and women. Most of the children that were born from inter-racial relationship where from slave masters forcing woman to have sex with them. It was a common practice for slave owners to have sexual relations with their slave even the women in their teenage years. The fact that Ancestry is a reputable company that offers information on peoples DNA and traces their past, makes this advertisement even more destructive. It tries to mask a tragic history into a more glamorous truth. It is unfortunate that in today's society we can see current media representations glorifying the colonizer.

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Ancestry Pulls Ad After Criticism That It Romanticized Slavery

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The DNA testing company Ancestry has taken down an ad, "Inseparable," following criticism that it whitewashed slavery.

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In the film Avatar (Cameron, 2009), there are several postcolonial lenses present. The most obvious is imperialism.  The sole purpose for the humans to occupy the planet, Pandora, was to profit off of the natural resources found there. Sound familiar? The story is very similar to the colonization of Africa. Pandora possessed, Unobtanium, a natural element that was worth a fortune. The men and women who occupied the planet were hired by corporations to ascertain this rare commodity. As the first scene opens we see a large military base along with military equipment and armies carrying weapons. This power was used to force the natives, Na’vi, into submission. Throughout the movie the Na’vi people are referenced as savages, hostiles, and blue monkeys. This of course is only one perspective. On the other end there is a character named Jake, who is able to mentally occupy the body of a Na’vi male, thus the title of the film Avatar (Cameron, 2009).  It is through his character that we are able to review the film through the postcolonial themes of identity and hybridity. Through Jake’s interactions with the Na’vi tribe we begin to see the complexity of their culture and how similar they are to human kind. The more time Jake spends with the natives the more he begins to associate himself with them. Jake often has to reconcile his identity between both who he was and who he is becoming. On one end Jake is a handicap, ex-marine who has been asked to spy on the Na’vi people in order to coerce them to leave their home, a tree that connects them to each other. On the other end, he is a strong warrior who is in love with Neytiri, the daughter of the Omitcayan chief.  Jake is asked to use diplomacy to ask the natives to leave the tree, because it has been discovered that the largest collection of unobtanium is present beneath the tree. In his efforts to ask them to escape he informs them of his identity, leaving Neytiri confused. Jakes identity impacts his relationships as the Na’vi people don’t know how to trust him. Once the army sees that diplomacy has failed they begin to gas the people and tear down the tree. At this point Neytiri chooses to reject Jake. It isn’t until Jake sees this atrocity of his own people destroying the lives and homes of the Na’vi that he determines what his true identity will be. In an effort to protect them he chooses to fight against his own people. It is through this battle that he wins the respect of the Na’vi and the love of Neytiri. At the end of the film Jake is united with his Avatar’s body through the power of their deity, Eywa. Although he will carry the memories of who he once was he is now completely Na’vi.

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Cameron, J. (Director). (2009). Avatar [Motion picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox.

Gajanan, M. (2019). 'A Toxic Representation of History' Ancestry Pulls Ad After Criticism That It Romanticized Slavery. Retrieved from http://time.com/5573935/ancestry-pulls-ad-slavery/

Mcnary, D. (2017).‘Avatar’ Sequel: First Photos of New Cast Members Unveiled. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2017/film/news/avatar-photos-sequel-1202574508/