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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Are AA Women the Real Victims of Prejudice?
sian women get a free ride at the expense of Asian men. That's the received wisdom here in the U.S. This belief appears premised on the suspicion that American society sees Asian women as sexy exotics in need of rescuing from the cold clutches of Asian men who don't know how to smile except evilly.
The real victim?
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Credit Hollywood for its tireless casting of Asian women as sexual accessories to white heroes while suppressing the very existence of Asian men except as unsavory paper tigers. Credit too the TV networks that uncover bevies of talking Asian women but rarely their male counterparts.
In fairness this media fantasy of the Asian race was partly inspired by recent history. Devastated and impoverished Asian nations sent tens of thousands of war brides and orphans, followed by several million desperate immigrants willing to hock their identities while toiling to build new lives.
Male-dominated societies toast new women as exotic sexual prospects while suppressing new men as an exploitable lower class or even enemy aliens. The women get all the breaks and the men get all the lumps. Even worse, the women have their heads turned and adopt a scornful attitude toward their own men. So goes the complaint of some AA men.
The women have a different take. Sexual predators bearing insulting stereotypes must be fended off while coping with women who see them as unfair competitors. Add to that the pain of being scorned as sellouts by AA men for no more reason than their apparent welcome by American society. Worst of all, complain AA women, is being begrudged the right to take simple pleasure in their own identities. How much easier just to face straightforward racial prejudice!
Do Asian women really have an easier time in America? Or do they suffer from the double-whammy of insulting stereotypes from non-Asians and unfair persecution from Asian men?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:55 AM)
Asian Dom,
what about being blonde??? i sat at a table of senior american business types discussing a new hire who happened to be blonde in a very denigrating way.....could you imagine if they did the same thing along racial lines?
my point is look at the bigger picture.....sure asians are marginalised in the US media.....but that is because it is a money making machine that doesn't take risks....it's not a charity....there are plenty of asian role models in asia......of course i would like to see more AF's & AM's in hollywood but not if it's just a token effort.
i agree that there are plenty of AF's out there who could walk all over some WF who make it into fashion mags but i guess i don't feel the need to make a big deal out of it coz i know my preference and i don't take too much notice of the media anyway
cheerio
maxdacat
Friday, May 17, 2002 at 08:14:03 (PDT)
When it comes to making a buck, the entertainment world doesn't care who graces the cover as long as a profit is made. I believe the reason the majority of these people are white is because white sells. It's true that this country is becoming more diverse everyday, but for now the majority are still white. Times are changing, though. I'm not saying it's right or it's wrong, and I can only try and understand the frustrations of minorities. However, looking at this situation in an objective manner, I can only conclude that economics is the culprit here. I'm not going to speak for all whites, but I will say that a lot of us WF don't see the AF as inferior to us or lacking in any way. I find in all races there are those who adhere to an ethnocentric attitude. I find these people silly myself. For now just know that all white people don't see you as coming in second to us. A lot of us are smarter then that.
WF
Thursday, May 16, 2002 at 22:15:06 (PDT)
I am a 14 year old Korean female. Although I'm young, I don't feel that whole "Asian sex kitten thing" as applying towards me. A lot of times I feel very unattractive to guys because I am Asian. I was adopted when I was only a few months old, so I don't know anything about my culture. I was brought up around basically all whites. I attend school where you are beautiful if you're Italian, so I do feel like an outcast at times. I suppose the media makes it worse, because whatever magazines I read seems to portray the average teenager as extremely pretty and white. I've had boyfriends before, but I still have an overwhelming amount of insecurites based on the way I look/my nationality. I just want to know if I will ever be able to feel like I "fit in" and am attractive to guys.
Insecure Girl
Thursday, May 16, 2002 at 17:33:33 (PDT)
Asian Female Pespective:
appreciate your perspective and it was well-said. Still it just doesn't seem the same. despite your good points, the very fact that issues like this arise is due to a larger strucutral problem that goes even beyond personal subjective reactions. Ultimately, we as individuals need to make choices. But let us not deny the enormous inequities in the mainstream media and in soceity. It is NOT merely relative. It is grossly unfair. While we should take your advice on how we REACT to the unfairness, we must first be honest and acknowledge the true existence of these inequities. And that means avoiding a "false equivalence" of AF and AM, or to even compare our reactions as equal when the simple fact is that it is NOT. We are different. We are treated in different ways. The treatment towards AF by the media is offesive, and the resentment by AM is uncalled for, that is quite true. And to compare the suffering of one group to the other to see who has it "worse" is kind of pointless. It is more complex and nuanced than that.
Asian Male
Thursday, May 16, 2002 at 10:26:34 (PDT)
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