Asian American Reproductive Rhetorics: A Rhetorical Analysis of "The Farm" by Joanne Ramos

Author

McKinlee Armstrong, Utah State University

Date of Award

12-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

English

Abstract

Rhetorical scholars have long analyzed the idea of choice in the context of reproductive rights and have concluded that individual choice does not override the systematic barriers women of color face in accessing reproductive healthcare. Most Asian American rhetorical artifacts that have reached this same conclusion are case studies. I propose that analyzing Asian American fiction, specifically The Farm by Joanne Ramos, is just as necessary because fiction demonstrates the barriers that might exist in the future and how to prevent them from happening. The framework I use to analyze this text is the Asian American rhetorical concept of restiveness, a term defined by Tamsin Kimoto that means both staying in one place and moving away from that same place, developed within the context of Asian American culture in Hawai’i. As Kimoto explains, for Asian Americans, navigating their cultural positionalities in relation to Native Hawaiian cultures can help them determine if they are engaging in harmful behavior that contributes to Native erasure and if so, to stop that behavior. My findings demonstrate that restiveness is an appropriate tool for rhetorical analysis because it portrays women of color characters as complex and active agents in their own lives. I also put forth restiveness as a way to unite different racial groups, secure reproductive rights, and achieve liberation under the patriarchy.

Recommended Citation

Armstrong, McKinlee, "Asian American Reproductive Rhetorics: A Rhetorical Analysis of "The Farm" by Joanne Ramos" (2024). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 1041.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/1041