meline of Sexualization of Asians

ections: Click on the event you want to learn more about, or go through the slideshow sequential

By: Jessica Liaw

Attempts at
Activism

Fake Travel Diaries

Chinese Exclusion
Act

Marco Polo

180
0

1300

The Girl with the

Dragon Tattoo

World War II: Amusement

Association

190
0

200
0

Anna May Wong

War Brides Act
Concubines

SF Tongs (Prostitution)

Japanese Student
Abduction
Memoirs of a
Geisha

REFLECTION

OKCupid: Oniine
Dating

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1300S: MARCO POLO

RatherthanhearaboutMarcoPolosexplorationsaboutthegreat
civilizationintheEast,thePopeusedhisdivinerightandjailed
him.InordertoappeasethePope,MarcoPoloultimately
fabricatedanarrative shamingAsianmenandhyper
sexualizingAsianwomen.
Analysis:ChristianitypromotestheexistenceofofoneGod,hence
anyonewhodoesnotbelieveisthoughttobelesser.WhenMarco
PolofoundevidenceofanothergreatcivilizationintheEast,this
threatenedthefoundationsofChristianideology.Thisiswherethe
termWhitebegancomingintoplay,asitwasnecessaryto
distinguishAsiansfromEuropeans.

Source: Aieeee Preface

CONCUBINES

InEasternculture,itwasthe
normtohavegroupsofwomen,
concubines,availableforthe
sexualgratificationofprivileged
men.Concubinesweresoldand
tradedasmaterialgoods.
Overtime,thiscultureentered
Westerncapitalisticenterpriseas
Westernersgainedimmense
buyingpower.
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SEX WORKERS
Concubineseventuallytransformedintosexworkers.
Thesesexworkersbelievedseducingaforeignerwastheirbest
hopeforlivingtheirdreamedlife.Theirsubmissiveattitudes
attractedwhitemen,asthisattitudewasarefreshingchangefrom
amoredominantattitudeWesternwoman.
Analysis:ThroughHaremculture,wecanseetheoriginsofwhy
Asianwomenarestereotypedasobedientandsubmissive.The
desiretopleasewhitemenforthechanceatabetterlifereinforces
thebeliefthatWhitemenarethedominantgroup.

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1800S: FAKE TRAVEL DIARIES

FaketravelbooksoffakedupmissionaryadventuresinChina
wereimmenselypopularamongwhites,distinguishingthe
Chineseasaliens.
AtthebeginningoftheEuropeanandAmericanmilitant
Christianmissionarymovement inChina,FrenchauthorArthur
deGobineaupublishedtheEssay on the Inequality of
Races, ratingwhite,yellow,andblackraces,rating yellows
asthemostsexuallyrepulsive.

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Source: Aieeee Preface

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FROM ORIENTAL TO EXOTIC

EversincetraderoutessuchastheSilkRoadopenedinthe
1200s,productshavebeenlabeledasOrientaltohighlightthe
exoticnatureofEasterncommodities.
Thislabelhasbeentransferredfromlabelingobjectstoalso
labelingwomen.
Asseeminglyfarawayculturesandplacesbeginbeing
definedbyobjectsandartifacts,theseaestheticsendup
gettingimposedontopeopleandtheirphysicalappearance
(Kuo,2015).

Source: Everydayfeminism: Asian woman fetishes hurtful

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OBJECTIFICATION OF ASIAN WOMEN

Asaresultoftheirexotification,Asianwomenhavecometobe
definedbyjetblackhair,darkalmondeyes,andpetite
figures.
Theyhavebeencomparedtoporcelainvasesbecausetheyare
seenasdecorativeandfragile,qualitiesthattransformtheminto
passivecommoditiesofsex.

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BIRTH OF THE MORAL SEXUAL IMPERATIVE

OF THE WHITE SUPREMACIST STEREOTYPE
Maintakeawayforwhites: HATEYELLOWMEN.
Inapatriarchalsociety,menarethe mastersofcivilizations.
TheseAsianmenarealsoperverts .Itistheresponsibilityof
whitementosaveAsianwomenastheirsoulscryforhelptobe
savedfrombecomevictimsofuncivilizedAsianmen.
Analysis:TheOrientisprimitive,vulgar,anddefenseless,
makingitinherentlyinferiorandopposetotheWest.Thisapplies
inmilitary,intellectual,cultural,andsexualdisciplines,hencethe
Orientmustbecivilizedforitsowngood.

Source: Aieeee Preface, Tizon

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1850S: PROSTITUTION AND THE SAN

FRANCISCO TONGS
WhenChinesewomenfirstarrivedinSanFrancisco,theywere
beingputupforauction.Theyweresoldbasedonappearance,
withtheugliestgirlsbeingsenttotheworstconditions.
ChinesegangscalledtongstraffickedChineseprostitution,using
briberytoevadeconflictswiththelaw.
SexualinteractionsofChineseimmigrantswastightlycontrolled
throughimmigrationandsegregationlaw.
Analysis:Inthemidnineteenthcentury,theviewthatallChinese
womenwereprostituteshascontinuedtoaffectpublicperception
ofAsianwomentothisday.EconomicscontinuetoexploitAsian
womenssexualityastheyworkinthesexindustry,massage
parlors,stripjoints,bars,informalbrothels,etc(Sridharan,2000).

tp://www.dartmouth.edu/~hist32/History/S02%20-%20Early%20Chinese%20Prostitution.htm

1882 CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT

Thepassageofthisactwasthefirstexclusionaryimmigration
lawinAmericashistory.ItfrozethenationsChinese
populationfor60years.

TheExclusionActwaspassedpartiallybecausethepublic
believedAsianwomenwereonlycomingtoAmericatoworkas
prostitutes,consequentlyathreattoAmericasmoralfabric.

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Source: Robert Lee: Orientals

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FEMINIZATION OF CHINESE MEN

Chinesemenweredrivenoutofindustrialandagriculturalwork,
forcingthemtoseekemploymentinthehomeoropensmall
businesses.
Menendeduptakingonwomanswork,suchasopening
laundries.
Analysis:Duringthistime,Chinesemenbecametobeviewedas
morefeminized,astereotypethatstillexiststoday.

Robert G. Lee: Orientals

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1920S: ANNA MAY WONG

ChineseactressAnnaMayWongwasthefirstChineseAmerican
actresstogaininternationalrecognition.
Shewasonlycastedforstereotypical Dragonladyanddemure
Butterflyroles.
In1935,Wongwaspassedupfortheleadingroleofthe Chinese
characterOLaninthefilmTheGoodEarth.AGermanactress,
LuiseRainer,wascastedinstead.
Analysis:AlthoughalmostacenturyhaspassedsinceWongs
popularity,littlehaschangedaboutthetypeofrolesAsian
Americansareoffered.Theycontinuetobecastedasdemure,
subservient,anddelicateButterflyrolesthatportrayAsian
womenaslessthan,especiallyintheauthorityofwhitemen.

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1939-1945: WORLD WAR II

DuringWorldWarII,theU.S.beganestablishingamilitarybase
inAsia.
ThousandsofAsianwomenwerecoercedintoprostitutionin
ordertoserveU.S.soldiersunderthe Recreationand
AmusementAssociation.
Thesewomenwereonlyviewedascommoditieswhossole
purposewastoservethesoldierssexualneeds.
Analysis:DuringWWII,thefirstinteractionmanyAmericanmen
hadwithAsianwomenwerethroughsexualfavors.Thesewere
strippedoftheiridentitiesandsimplyarecreationalactivityfor
boredsoldiers.

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1946: WAR BRIDES ACT

Thisactallowedalienspouses,naturalchildren,andadopted
childrenofmembersoftheUSarmedforces,ifadmissible,to
entertheUSasnonquotaimmigrantsafterWorldWarII.
MostlyJapaneseandKoreanwivesofsoldiersimmigrated.
AmericansviewedJapanesewivesasvirtuoushomemakers.
Analysis:ThefantasyofhavinganoverseasAsianwifecontinues
toprevailthroughthemailorderbrideindustryinwhich
womenaresimplybought,returned,andexchanged.

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1970S: ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN

ACTIVISM
AsianAmericanwomenwerecriticizedforthepossible
consequencesoftheirprotests:weakeningofthemaleego,
dilutionofeffortandresourcesinAsianAmericancommunities,
destructionofworkingrelationshipsbetweenworkingmenand
women,setbacksfortheAsianAmericancause,cooptationinto
thelargersociety,andeventuallossofethnicidentityasa
whole(Chow288)
Analysis:Duetothepressuresofrepresentingandlivinguptothe
imageofamodelminority,AsianAmericanwomenactivismhas
beensuppressed.

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1997: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

GainedcommercialsuccessthroughtwodistinctportrayalsofAsian
women:
1)ThesubmissiveAsianprostitute
2)TheDragonLady

Criticism:Geishasweresimplytreatedas objectsintendedtobe
sexualized,eroticized,andromanticizedbytheWest (Kimiko
Akita:OrientalismandtheBinaryofFactandFictioninMemoirsof
theGeisha)
ThemovieutilizesorientaliststropesthatportraytheJapanesecultureof
geishasasexotic,backward,irrational,dirty,profane,promiscuous,bizarre,
andenigmatic.

Analysis:Again,Asiansareportrayedinalightthatindicatestheymust
becivilizedandthewomenmustbesavedfromthissavageculture.
Oddly,thisnovelwaswrittenbyawhitemale,highlightinghowwhite
peoplearewritingnarrativesforAsians.

ource: JSTOR http://193.147.33.53/selicup/images/stories/actas4/comunicaciones/minorias/BELLO.pdf

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NOV. 2011: ABDUCTION AND RAPE

OF TWO JAPANESE STUDENTS
InSpokane,WA,twowhitemenandawomanspecifically
targetedJapanesewomeninanelaboratelyplannedschemeto
kidnap,rape,sodomize,tortureandvideotapethem.
Uponfurtherinvestigation,therapistsweremotivatedbya
sexualfantasyandfixationaboutJapanesewomenbeing
submissive.
Analysis:TheseJapaneseAmericanwomenweretargetedasa
resultofthesexualbiasessocietypromotesaboutAsianwomen .

ource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaemin-kim/lets-call-it-what-it-is_b_163698.html

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THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON

TATTOO
ThenovelwrittenbySwedishauthorStieg
Larssonandpublishedin2005.Inthenovel,
Mimiisastronglesbianwhoisfearlessin
regardtohersexuality.
Thiscontrastswiththemovie(2012),in
whichtheproducersrelegatesMimitoa
nearlynonspeakingrole.Sheonlyhastwo
scenes,inwhichsheisexploitedforHot
AsianLesbianSexScenes.
Analysis :Mimisportrayalinthemovie
reflectshowHollywoodbelievesAsianwomen
aremostusefulforaddingelementsof silent
exoticismintomovies.Althoughithasbeen
almostacenturysinceWongssuccessin
Hollywood,therolesavailableforAsian
womenhavenotchanged.

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2009-2014: ONLINE DATING OKCUPID

CofounderofOKCupid,Christian
Rudder,exam inedmillionsof
OKCupidinteractionsbetween
2009and2014.HefoundAsian
men,blackmenandblackwomen
gottheworstratings.Asian
womenandLatinawomenhadthe
best.
An alysis:Therearemanypositive
stereotypessurroundingAsian
women,whichcouldexplainwhy
theyarebeingmessagedthem ost.
Althoughthesestereotypesare
consideredpositivesincethey
playintothemodelminority,they
stemfromexpectationsbased
race,whichcanbedam aging.

http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/race-attraction-2009-2014/

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SELF-REFLECTION
Fromthisproject,Ihavegrownmorewaryoftheideaof
YellowFever.WhilesomepeoplebelieveAsianwomenare
luckyinthedatingworld,Inowrealizearethedeeper
implicationsofsuchafetishprettydisturbing.Ifaguylikesme
becauseImAsian,itimplieshealreadyhasapreconceived
sexualbiasaboutme.Thisusuallymeansheexpectsmetobe
docileandsubmissive,implyingIcantbetooloudor
opinionated.
ThehypersexualizationofAsianwomencanpotentiallyput
womeninseriousdanger,asrealviolenceandabusive
dehumanizationhasresultedfromsuchperceptions.Thoughit
mayseemlikeaharmlesspositivestereotypeonthesurface,
objectifyingAsianwomensilencesanderasesidentityofAsian
women.