Tiara Amalia Wulandari

11170260000017 – 7 B
Diasporic Literature
Mid-term Test

The Concept of Identity and Hybridity in Always Be My Maybe (2019) Movie

Identity and hybridity always become the issues that cannot be separated in learning
diasporic literature. Identity and hybridity are known as parts of postcolonialism theory
which are developed by Homi K. Bhabha. Identity is also known as a thing to recognize
someone or something in general. Identity tells us about characteristic, origin, quality, and
many more o recognize of someone or something. Identity has some definitions. According
to Merriam Webster Online, identity is 1.) A particular character or personality of someone,
and 2.) Sameness of primary character in different instances (“Identity”). Besides, identity
consists of personality traits, social roles, and also conscious self-images of someone. It
means that identity can show the “real me” of a person.

Identity is also discussed in sociology field. We understand that sociology discusses

about the study of human society that relates to some social dimensions. When we learn
about the norms, beliefs, and values which expects us to be members of a society, it is known
as a process named socialization. Every person is involved in socialization and also has a
sense of ‘self’ to know the identity that distinguishes from other people. It means that identity
is necessary in social interactions. G. H. Mead (1934) stated that the ‘self’ consists of ‘I’ and
‘me’ as two parts. The ‘I’ the ‘self’ as a ‘subject’ which initiates of thought and actions of
someone, while ‘me’ is an ‘object’ as we thinks our ‘self’ from people’s perspective.
(CHAPTER ONE: THE CONCEPT OF IDENTITY IN DIASPORA FICTION 36).

Foucault (1926-1984) argued that individuals live with multiple identities (CHAPTER
ONE: THE CONCEPT OF IDENTITY IN DIASPORA FICTION 37). These multiple
identities involve broader structures in a society, such as class, race, religion, ethnicity,
gender, and sexuality. These elements interact with each other, which causes the interfusing
of hybridity. Hybridity of cultural identities becomes the production of something new, which
is not the product of assimilation of several cultures.

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 Identity has several types; they are “given” identity and “constructed” identity. The
“given” identity is an identity established by ‘birth’ or ‘origin’ of someone. This type
includes nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, and so on, which are beyond our control. In
contrast, the “constructed identity” is established from someone’s effort or control in order to
build up their self-esteem, for example, when someone was poor but became rich, it means
that he or she enhances his or her self-esteem.

Diasporic literature investigates the identity established in different places, cultures,

languages and also religions of ‘homeland’ and ‘hostland’ (CHAPTER ONE: THE
CONCEPT OF IDENTITY IN DIASPORA FICTION 46). Then, diaspora makes an encounter
between many aspects, such as languages, cultures, thoughts, and people, which initiate the
theory of “hybridity” by Homi K. Bhabha. It makes identity and hybridity cannot be
separated in diasporic literature.

Bhabha introduced term hybridity in his book, The Location of Culture (1994).
Bhabha in Zohdi stated that hybridity is the reversal strategy of the process of domination by
using disavowal, which is known the production of discriminatory identities in order to
secure the original identity of authority. Hybridity reflects deformation and also displacement
of all aspects which come from domination and discrimination (Zohdi 146). Hybridity can
appear when someone is trapped between two different cultures which makes him or her has
double vision. This situation can make someone lost his or her identity. Zohdi explained that
hybridity also can appear when a person leaves his or her country to another country, and he
or she gets new experience in the new country, such as language, culture, and so on that
brings he or she to a dual life (Zohdi 146). Living in the in-between spaces can makes
someone has a merged identity, which Bhabha called as “third space”. Hybridity can create a
new culture consisting of two different cultures.

Young (1995, 15-17) in Lestari explained that hybridity is a cultural phenomenon

which has double functions, disjunction and fusion. Disjunction appears as a result of
hybridity on purpose, which has the chance to tear down and dissociate a culture. In contrast,
fusion occurs as a result of accidental hybridity that leads to a new creation or culture (Lestari
148). It means that disjunction is a process of hybridity that aims to ruin one culture, which is
the colonized. In contrast, fusion is a process of hybridity that creates new culture from two
different cultures.

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 Identity and hybridity can be found in Always Be My Maybe (2019) movie. This
movie is directed by Nahnatchka Khan. This movie tells about two childhood friends, Marcus
Kim and Sasha Tran that fallout and do not speak for 15 years. Sasha becomes a successful
celebrity chef, while Marcus becomes a musician and has a band, which also works and lives
with his father. They meet again when Sasha comes home to San Fransisco and wants to open
a new restaurant. After their meeting, the old sparks between them reappears. After reuniting,
they are in conflicts for several times which caused by their different perspective about life,
career, and even culture. Both of them are Asian. Although it is a romantic comedy movie,
the director gives some cultural aspects in this movie. Living in the United States does not
affect them to forget their roots, although in some scenes gives us that Sasha almost lost her
real identity as an Asian. Thus, we can see identity and hybridity from several characters in
this movie. 

This movie shows us the identities of Marcus and his family as Korean people by
seeing they cook and eat Korean food. In Always Be My Maybe movie, we can see that Mrs
Kim, Marcus’s mother, and Shasha cook kimchi-jjigae, which is known as Korean food
(Khan 00:02:38). Kimchi-jjigae is a spicy soup made with napa cabbage kimchi,  tofu, pork or
beef. It shows to us that Marcus’ family does not forget their roots as Korean people by still
cooking and eating Korean dishes, although they live in San Fransisco. The dishes they cook,
or anyting that they bring such as traditional foods or instant spice from their homeland
become the artefacts that remind and hold the continuity their original identity before they
create new identity in their hostland.

Cooking and eating dumpling also show us their identity as Asian people. In this
movie, Sasha and Mrs Kim make dumpling together (Khan 00:04:22). Dumpling is known as
a kind of Asian dishes, and it has many various kinds. There is also scene that shows us that
Marcus, Sasha, and Veronica eat dumpling at a Vietnamese restaurant (Khan 00:04:29). The
scene of Marcus and Sasha eating dumpling and shumai at the same restaurant shows us that
they still hold their identity as Asian people by eating Asian foods (Khan 00:46:18).

The using of chopstick also shows some character’s identity while they are eating,
especially when eating Asian foods. For example, when Marcus’ family and Sasha eat
Korean food and use chopsticks (Khan 00:03:20). In addition, Marcus, Sasha, and Veronica
use chopstick when they are eating in a Vietnamese restaurant (Khan 00:04:29). Chopstick is

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known as a pair of the tapered stick made from wood or plastic, held together in one hand.
Chopstick is usually used by Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and people in eastern Asian.

We can also see Marcus’ identity as Asian person by seeing his band name, called
Hello Peril. “Hello Peril” is a pun of term “Yellow Peril”, a phrase appeared in 1800s that
describes white people have xenophobic bigotry against Asian. It appeared as the result of
white people that cannot accept when Asian people move to their land, and think that they
just bring their problems here.

Marcus, who still lives with his parent, shows us that Asian children have a
responsibility to take care of their parents when they are getting older indirectly. It makes
Marcus does not choose to show in another city. Thus he can take care of his father. This
responsibility prevents him to develop his career in music. It is different from Sasha that does
not want too involved with her parents, because she thinks that she can be like a celebrity
chef with her effort without her parents' support. Sasha's parents are always busy with their
business, which makes Sasha feels alone in her house. Thus, she befriends with Marcus and
often comes to his house and meets his parents.

Sasha starts to forget her identity as an Asian person by creating innovation in her
food which is too far. It proves that she also creates hybridity, but it makes her forget with her
origin. Marcus sees it as a representation that Sasha starts to lose her identity as an Asian
person. In his view, Asian food is supposed to be authentic, not elevated. He also thinks that
Sasha’s food is not authentic because her food is served in Western style, which is shot glass,
not in a bowl. He also says that Sasha only serves food to rich white people (Khan 01:17:24 -
01:17:41).

Although Sasha almost forgets her identity as Asian person, she opens a new
restaurant which serves Korean foods. The recipes are originally made by Mrs Kim, Marcus’
mother. Sasha wants her foods can make everyone feel at home, just like what Marcus’
mother made Sasha feel (Khan 01:33:52 - 01:34:09). It shows us that food can help people to
remember and feel their home, help them to remember where they come from wherever they
are.

Identity also relates to hybridity. We can find the hybridity in this movie. First, Sasha
opens a new restaurant in San Fransisco with Vietnamese and Western in its design and also
foods. It shows us that Sasha creates a new culture by opening a new restaurant which mixed

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from Vietnamese and Western culture. Creating a new culture from two different cultures is a
process of hybridity.

Second, Jenny, Marcus’ girlfriend, also occurs hybridity in her appearance. Jenny has
dreadlock hair (Khan 00:33:53). This style is not common in Asian people. Black people
usually has dreadlock, not Asian people. It shows us that Jenny creates a new culture from
two different cultures by having dreadlock, although she is Asian, not African.

Third, Marcus speaks Cantonese although he is a Korean while he is eating in

Vietnamese restaurant (Khan 00:46:48 - 00:46:52). Cantonese is a part of Chinese language.
He speaks Cantonese to the waitresses in the Vietnamese restaurant. His ability in speaking
Cantonese make the waitresses humble to him and gets better service there. It means that he
creates a new culture by speaking Cantonese in order to get better service in that restaurant.

Last, Sasha innovate in her Asian cooking. She tries to combine Asian dishes and
Western dishes and it makes her a famous celebrity chef. Her innovation is an example of
hybridity that occurs by Sasha’s efforts. This innovation creates “Elevated Asian Cuisine”
that appears in this movie.

In conclusion, some characters in this movie show their identity and hybridity in
several ways. Marcus and Mrs Kim are seen as people that still keep their identity as Asian
people and rarely creates the hybridity. It is because they want their identity is pure, not
affected by other cultures. In contrast with Sasha and Jenny, they do not really show their
identity as Asian people. Sasha almost forgets her identity as an Asian person. However, she
creates hybridity in her passion which is cooking. Jenny creates hybridity only in her
appearance. We can understand that identity cannot be separated from hybridity. They affect
each other in someone’s self. Also, the type of their identity as Asian people is the “given”
identity based on their race which beyond of their control.

Bibliography:

CHAPTER ONE: THE CONCEPT OF IDENTITY IN DIASPORA FICTION.

“Identity.” Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity#learn-

more.

Khan, Nahnatchka. Always Be My Maybe. Good Universe, 2019.

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Lestari, Ummu Fatimah Ria. “ANALISIS PASCAKOLONIALISME GADIS PANTAI

KARYA PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER DALAM TEORI HOMI K. BHABHA.”

Medan Makna: Jurnal Ilmu Kebahasaan Dan Kesastraan, vol. 14, Dec. 2016, pp.

144–53, doi:https://doi.org/10.26499/mm.v14i2.1197.

Zohdi, Esmaeil. “Lost-Identity; A Result of ‘Hybridity’ and ‘Ambivalence’ in Tayeb Salih’s

Season of Migration to the North.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics &

English Literature, vol. 7, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 146–51,

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.1p.146.