Week 9 Discussion

The trailer to “Coming to you, Minu” reminds us of the important role that music plays in fights for migrant justice. Why do you think this is the case? How can we connect this question to the first reading you did in this course by Goffe, who also talked about the relationship between Chinese shopkeepers in Jamaica and music?

I believe that the trailer of “Coming to you, Minu” reminds us the importance of the role that music plays in fights for migrant justice because it is an idea that many people and relate to. Personally, I consider music as a form of comfort. Music allows me to see and experience the humanity and emotions through the lyrical content or soundscape.

We can connect this to our first reading of Goffe’s, in which she described the relationship between shopkeepers in Jamaica and reggae music, in that the history of reggae promoted justice of the underrepresented Jamaican Chinese community through scholarly representation. Basically, simply explaining the contributions that the Jamaican Chinese community had in reggae music, which is something that is not retold in the dominant narrative of reggae history, serves them justice because their efforts are being acknowledged. Additionally, reggae music and its creation likely was also a means of placemaking for the Jamaican Chinese, thus helping them create and understand how their identity and lived experiences related them to their environment.