Claiming Queer Ancestors — Validation and Representation
Asian American values and cultural norms have had much to do with early and modern white supremacy and the effects of colonialism on Asian countries. Living in areas that place Asian Americans into the category of “other” can be extremely challenging. For those who are a part of the queer community facing expectations from their own family, general societal expectations on top of that can be destructive to say the least. Indonesian poet Norman Erikson Pasaribu and Vietnamese American poet Ocean Vuong write of their experiences as both of them are a part of the LGBTQ+ community and highlight the causes of trauma for many people due to the pervasiveness of white supremacy around the world. While looking at history for answers on lack of acceptance and support, the representation of queer figures can be a guide for which many can assert their own identity. It is using these histories that many can find a voice of reason and validation in communities in which they otherwise feel marginalized.
Ocean Vuong’s “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” grounds itself within the intersection of Vuong’s sexuality, family, and his identity as a Vietnamese American. Though his family is Buddhist, growing up within predominantly Christian spaces has influenced not only his life but the undertones of his poetry as well. His identities intertwine within his work and combine aspects of being gay, a person of color, as well as a product of war and conflict in the United States. As one looks at these themes, the effects of colonialism and white supremacy are notability significant causes of the trauma that Vuong endures. His stories are not isolated as just his experiences and the reality of them are quite universal in nature.
One is able to observe forms of colonialism in many different Asian countries in many different points in time. One such example is the influence of colonialism in Indonesia. Influence of the Portuguese can be traced back to the islands of Indonesia tracing back to the 16th century. After which, Dutch and eventually German colonists and missionaries of multiple different denominations came to Indonesia looking to spread their faith. Some attempts were successful as around ten percent of the population is Christian (Livingston). And while Christianity is not the dominant religion in Indonesia by any means, the impact of colonialism and “western” values at the time in Indonesia brings much to light in terms of the resulting impact on Asian Americans today.
The influence of colonial culture and western expectations disrupted many parts of Indonesian society. The rigid structure of sexuality and sexual orientation that can be observed today is stark in contrast to some early Indonesian beliefs and practices. Early manuscripts of the Bugis people in Indonesia have included a spiritual position categorized as the bissu. Accounts of the bissu from colonists consider them to transcend the rigidity of assigned sex and incorporate characteristics of both male and female (Davies). The occupation of a special spiritual status while engaging in forms of gender pluralism has historically been less and less common as colonization has pushed western norms and conformism as opposed to a fluidity that was neither frowned upon nor shame-inducing. This opposition to the majority of modern Christian views has been a result of the disruption of native cultures through colonization.
It is no secret that many Christians in the United States and beyond do not believe in same-sex marriage nor do they accept and value queer individuals as they oppose their “lifestyle.” The obvious aversion to the LBGTQ+ community is contradictory to early religious beliefs in which being queer was not frowned upon nor was it very uncommon. One Indonesian poet’s collection’s namesake is one such representation. Norman Erikson Pasaribu’s collection titled “Sergius Seeks Bacchus” highlights the relationship between the two Christian saints: Sergius and Bacchus within the title. The relationship between the two was widely known to be that of more than a friendship. They have frequently been described using the term erastai, or lovers. Historian John Boswell has argued the relationship between the two was official through the ritual of adelphopoiesis, an early Christian form of same-sex marriage, or “brother-making” (Alvar). The use of these two as the namesake for the title pushes the intersection of Christianity and queerness. Sergius seeking Bacchus as a lover translates to Christians seeking their higher power. The mirror of the two as an intentional push to bring two things, that have in a modern era, have fought to come together is powerful in creating a space for the queer community in a space that so widely does not have much regard for who they are.
Pasaribu’s collection is loosely based on his experiences as a gay man, dealing with the pressures of his family and general societal norms that prevented him from openly expressing himself. One such poem, “He and the Tree” combines familial, societal, and the intersection of religious pressures through a queer, Asian lens:
From afar they used to exchange mischievous glances and winks
and daydream about growing up, when birds and butterflies would alight
on their branches and leaf buds to help them pass notes back and forth.
The tree regretted not telling his friend that he loved him.
If he were here, he would take him to a church. At the altar
they would be joined together before god, who had three branches
— like a tree — and their children would fill the lot, every
single square inch, so that someday everyone who passed
would think a forest had sprung up in the city’s heart.
The man hugged the tree and the tree hugged the man. (Pasaribu and Tsao 10)
The representation of trees as a symbol of transformation, liberation, fertility, and union as well as being at the intersection of femininity and masculinity (Walas) provides a universal representation of the themes he wishes to convey in his work. Themes such as this one in Pasaribu’s work are as common in Vuong’s collection of poetry. Just as he combines aspects of his religion and sexuality in the title of his collection, the poem itself pushes religion and queerness together for them to mesh and melt into each other, just as they were never separated to begin with.
Asian Americans claiming their queer and non-conforming ancestors is an important tool in taking back and defending identities as queer Asian Americans. Familial and societal ties and structures can create a great community in an environment that otherwise is othered in the United States, but also great destruction. White supremacy and colonialism have overtly taken over Asian spaces in the United States as well as Asian countries and it is time to take them back. Turning back conformist expectations and erasure of culture holds much promise but is an obviously difficult task. The pervasiveness of the influence of white supremacy cannot and should not be tolerated as a way of marginalizing already marginalized communities within each other.
Works Cited
Alvar, Oliver G. “The Gay Soldiers Who Were Made Saints by the Church.” Cultura Colectiva,
18 Feb. 2022, https://culturacolectiva.com/history/sergius-and-bacchus-gay-soldiers-christian-saints/.
Livingston, Elizabeth A. “Indonesia, Christianity in.” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the
Christian Church, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, 2006.
Davies, Sharyn Graham. “The West Can Learn from Southeast Asia’s Transgender Heritage:
Aeon Essays.” Edited by Sam Dresser, Aeon, Aeon Magazine, 12 June 2018, https://aeon.co/essays/the-west-can-learn-from-southeast-asias-transgender-heritage.
Pasaribu, Norman Erikson, and Tiffany Tsao. “He and the Tree.” Sergius Seeks Bacchus,
Giramondo Publishing, Artarmon, New South Wales, 2019, p. 10.
Vuong, Ocean. Night Sky with Exit Wounds. Copper Canyon Press, 2016.
Walas, Michael. “The Universal Symbolism and Importance of Trees throughout History.” The
Living Urn, The Living Urn, 8 Oct. 2017, https://www.thelivingurn.com/blogs/news/the-universal-symbolism-and-importance-of-trees.
