You've Come a Wong Way 4/4 | Asian American Features

YOU'VE COME A WONG WAY, BABY!
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The Feminist Era, 1973-1990

merican universities of the late 60s and the 70s, especially eastern Ivy League institutions that boasted long feminist traditions, were exceptionally nurturing of the kinds of grievances carried by the current generation of young Asian American women. The students and faculty at such institutions were placing under glaring scrutiny virtually every aspect of American society and finding much to decry. Racism, militarism, sexism, media stereotyping, ethnocentricity were concepts that provided a readymade vocabulary with which Asian American women could voice their rage and frustration.
"For centuries, they bound our feet. Now, the issue is whether they're going to bind our minds."
     Some rejected marriage and child-bearing altogether. Others waited until well into their 30s before having children, if they had them at all. There was a perception that motherhood was somehow a sign of failure, that the only way to find fulfillment was through a successful career.
     The feminist movement produced some desirable results. It became much harder to ignore Asian women when they protested in a way that American society understood: loudly. Third generation Asians, or sansei, led by powerful nisei like Senator Daniel Inouye, finally succeeded in forcing the U.S. government to concede that there had been no national defense justification for interning Japanese American civilians during World War II. The upshot was that the U.S. government began paying reparations to Japanese American veterans of the internment camps.
     The feminist strain continues vigorously among a sizeable minority of Asian American women in their late-20s and early 30s. But as younger Asian women began seeing less overt signs of racial oppression and more of their elders succeeding in the workplace, they began toning down their rhetoric. Feeling more secure about their place in American society, they began directing more of their energies toward reclaiming their cultural heritages and enjoying the life of successful young Americans.

The New Asian American Woman
he current phase of the history of Asian American women is manifested in those Asian female success stories that have served as inspiring role models to show young Asian women an attractive alternative to the rather austere feminism of the past. These women can compete on an equal footing with the most aggressive of men while acting like the most feminine of women. Having realized the advantages of being feminine and strong at the same time, they take immense pride in their Asian heritages. Even Hollywood is sitting up and taking notice of the resurgence in our cultural pride. The women in The Joy Luck Club may not have pleased everyone in the Asian community, but theyšre light years away from the one-dimensional harlots portrayed in The World of Suzie Wong or Madame Butterfly. Even more promising was the NBC sitcom All American Girl starring Margaret Cho. Unlike the Asian female universe depicted in The Joy Luck Club, the series portrayed a functioning Asian American family. There are rumors that more Asian-based projects will be airing on American TV in the coming season.

kind of Asian chic is now emerging in Amerian society. The trend is likely to remain on the upswing for years to come as Asian economic success in America and around the world continues to accelerate. For example, on a per capita basis already more native Asian American women work as newscasters, doctors, attorneys, entrepreneurs and business executives than white men. Young Asian women are three times as likely to finish college as young American women in general.
     Our new status as an American socio-economic elite has diminished the urge to deny any aspect of our identities. We're less likely than the previous generation to deny our femininity by dressing in masculine clothes or to criticize Asian women who display sexuality. We are coming to recognize that we can have successful careers and children at the same time. As we mature we understand that our earlier ambivalence or outright rejection of Asian culture was based on stereotypes created by westerners, not on Asian culture itself.
     Of course, our society isn't yet perfect by a long shot. Nearly every professional woman can tell horror stories about being pigeonholed at work on the basis of race and sex. The perception still lingers in some quarters that Asian women are docile and easy to take advantage of.
     "You're always having to deal with other peoples' misconceptions about you," says J. E. Aeliot Boswell, a 30-something attorney and international law expert.
     "For centuries, they bound our feet," says Joni Hiramoto--a Sansei securities attorney in her early 30s who is currently on maternity leave after giving birth to her second child--quoting from a slide show she recently saw on the struggles of Asian women in America: "Now, the issue is, whether they're going to bind our minds."
     The truth is, the struggle for respect and equality will never be over for any group of people. On the other hand, how proud would our great-grandmothers be if they could see how far we've already come? Think about that the next time you think you've got it bad.

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