americanization

I just read Sarra's blog and I feel the need to comment... I feel pegged. I feel as though I am an American, a Westerner and that because of the reputation that my country has on this planet at the moment that I am being discriminated against.
We had a conversation about Orientalism, or Exoticism. Basically the glorification of the "exotic" nature of other cultures to the western eye, thus the supposed missunderstanding of that culture. Words in Kanji or Arabic put into a piece of artwork without their meaning being understood. Back in the day, the pictures of herams... of hukas... extravagance that was purely the fantasy of the westerner, not the reality of the subject.
Personally, (and of course I need to ask the question who am I before this statement...) I feel as though works such as those by Dorothy Krause are important. Perhaps she has misunderstood some of what she has documented. Of course that is a possibilty, but people in America need exposure to other places. I feel that our country is ill. Somewhere within our boundries their lies a body of disciples to some misshapen ideal; ignorant, egocentric folks that believe the world is theirs to rape and pillage as they see fit... all under the guise of being American. I'm not sure if those people can be educated out of their dillerium, but I know that exposure to the beauty of foreign lands could certainly be a start. Americans could use a little Easternization.
Documentation, pure journalism... that is, documentation with the acknowledgemant that their is always a bias present... is sincere and important to expose the primitive and reputation-forming part of our country to. If not the beauty an artist might see, then what? The "enemy" through another's eye?
I am tired of being thrown into the category of Westerner, American. I was born here, yes, but it is not my fault. I feel that I am more than that. I have renounced the things in my life which I felt were prejudiced, and unfair to the world, such as the religion I was born into... Catholicism. It was no easy thing for me either. I almost isolated myself from my family... I would have if it weren't for their own personal growth and acceptance of "otherness." Unfortunatley I am an American. I know that just because of that I am indirectly loathed throughout the world. Isn't that reaction similar to what we are discussing? Isn't the overall demoralization of a country by outsiders the same as the glorification of one?
I guess that our discussion left me feeling pigeonholed. In my life I teeter on other cultures. My family is Italian. My husband's is Japanese. I am an American, but I don't relate to the ideals of my country and often feel powerless as far as the portrayal of Americans to the rest of this planet.
At my house we fly the Earth flag because in my heart I know we are all related. I think we can all learn from each other and that there are human attributes that connect us all, de-nationalize us. I would like to dwell on that instead of the fact that I am different from someone from India, or Viet Nam or Japan or Brazil. I think that it is high time to begin letting our world become smaller and connected.. perhaps through art. Let someone else come photograph my world and misinterpret it. It's okay. Everything out there is filtered through the eyes of the creator anyway. We all have biases... what do you think is beautiful or hideous, worthy of note? It'll differ from the person sitting next to you, maybe even from the people you share your life with. All of those opinions count. All the different interpretations of life are meaningful. If we only concetrate on what we know then those without a loud enough voice may go unheard. We could remain separate. I suppose if things keep going the way they are, if we leave the power in the hands it is in, we very well may.