Occult Racism: The Masking of Race in the Hmong Hunter Incident: A Dialogue between Anthropologist Louisa Schein and Filmmaker/Activist Va-Megn Thoj
Author(s):
Schein, Louisa; Thoj, Va-megn
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
American Quarterly, Volume 59, Issue 4 (2007-12). pp. 1051-1095.
Language:
English
Abstract:
A dialogue between anthropologist Louisa Schein & filmmaker/activist Va-Megn Thoj centers on Thoj's 2001 screenplay, Die By Night, which describes the terror of Hmong campers who are hunted & murdered by what they think are demons but are actually white hunters in ski masks. The focus is on how the feared demon sheds light on the occulting of race in Hmong-white relations which came to national attention during the 2005 trial of a Hmong man who fatally shot six hunters in the Wisconsin woods. Thoj talks about his experiences as a Laos native who immigrated to the US as a child; his indoctrination into racial politics as a college student; & his decision to become a filmmaker. Excerpts from Thoj's script are included in order to illustrate how the film projects the ability of a supernatural being to invoke the hidden threat of racial hatred. Other issues discussed include the history of racial dynamics in the Midwest; the politics of media representation; & the masking of race in Hmong discourse. Figures. J. Lindroth