Not really sure where to start.
OK gonna not go in any kind of chronological sense, but here goes:
White lady "Martha" whining about the historical focus on the Chinese in Locke, and I actually YELLED at the TV. (Daughter yells down the stairs :YES MA! WE KNOW IT"S DUST ON THE LENS.) "99% of any visit to a US historical site, pick almost any one, and you'd think the entire population was White and Christian since forever... Wedding destination at Plantation houses, and everyone pretends the slaves that supported the place didn't even exist. That Asian Americans have been part of the US, since the late 1700s (China trade merchants/shipping partners), Jews and Muslims too, OBVIOUSLY Native Americans.... but does any of that get mentioned unless it's "Oh there was a war with the Indians" or "This particular building was the Synagogue/ Mosque".... " y'all are freakin everywhere and given priority everywhere, don't whine about the ONE PLACE where someone else is given priority.
Ok so that is my exhibit A.
Zach and Co aren't exactly heroes here, so much of the narration is "blah blah blah the Tong... the Chinese Mafia... Crime! Prostitution! Lawlessness! " DUDE you know the decendents of those folks are the people still living there, right? And how about some notation about how the population of this town had to flee other places after harassment, riots, mass murder by the White populations of the other places they lived. How about mentioning how because the majority's law enforcement and justice system was a source of more trouble and not HELP to them. That the fraternal organization that the Tongs had been (literally it's like the Rotary and the Moose suddenly had to step up and be the police, justice system, as well as business regulation of the businesses <vice and otherwise> for a community that was NOT being served by the wider community.) And that so much of the population were just people trying to live their lives, with White folks coming to town to induge in the vice-industries, and not exactly being non-abusive in the process....
How about a little respect for them.? And y'know the security guy of the casino who shot the guy who robbed the place in the 1920s/ what would have happened in a casino in say Vegas in the 20s and 30s if someone tried robbing the casino? Why is the feeling that the spin is "worst of the Wild West" when it wasn't unusual for it's placement in time?
And with some of the EVPs it sounds like there are responsed in Chinese. Maybe it would have helped to bring a few Chinese speaking (same dialect as had been common in town) Chinese Americans along? To address the spirits respectfully, translate answers and maybe provide for responses to whatever the EVP said? (though with the older guys they talked to, I know that generation of MY family <nonChinese> doesn't like to talk about, let alone TOO ghosts. (and that's both the Asian side and the Jewish side)
Zach trying to ask questions in Chinese is not the same, they see a White guy, speaking badly, and they're not going to trust him. (Bearded guy is doing a better job of behaving respectfully. The empathy of "Yeah I'm a foreign guy and I don't really belong here too, I'd be annoyed... " and he got a much better response from the spirits.)
Ok cultural "OH GOD OH GOD GUYS NO...." here, DON"T ASK A SPIRIT WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR BODY IF IT WASN'T LIKELY A PROPER PUTTING TO REST.... ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN"T FIX IT, YOU GUYS NEED TO READ SOME CHINESE GHOST STORIES!!!!! (Unless you can see her and have her *guide you* to the burial/ dump site and you have *appropriate* clergy to fix it don't get their hopes up.)
Ok now that I've unloaded that... (still in the middle of rewatch but GEEZE man,... )
The part with the Ghost town, and the "archbishop" being attacked by *something* in the church, and then brining up the witches with "they don't want to talk to us either on or off camera"... GEE I WONDER WHY?! Yep, it's another marginalized community with a history of talking to tv shows and media, and being edited to be the most salacious presentation, and not respecting their beliefs... and that's treated as Suspicious? Oh guys No No no no NO.... Not wanting to talk to people from outside who have historically been biased, disrespectful and sometimes violent, no that's not suspicious, that's self protection and self respect and already there's danger that now that the woods are identified they'll have to deal with curious site see-ers. You want tourists at your church service? No you do not. Neither do they.
OK thanks for letting me vent. Please Use this as a learning experience if you might ever be in a similar experience.... Please don't go with an all White crew (or all Christian crew) to ghost hunt a minority (religion or ethnicity) site. Educate yourself, with direct contact and supervision of people OF that culture, take them along.
THANKS.
Edited by trin, 14 December 2018 - 08:45 PM.