|
|
|
|
|
GOLDSEA |
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?
|
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?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
CONTACT US
|
ADVERTISING INFO
© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.
|
|
|
|
WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:10:53 PM)
Of course, many women, regardless of race, are portrayed as "sluts." I guess sex sells all nowadays.
However, the difference in the portrayal of Asian women is that they are almost ALWAYS portrayed as sluts. Or badass dragon ladies. Or submissive lotus blossoms. Sometimes all three! In RH2, for instance, nearly all of the Asian women can't wait to get into Chris Tucker's pants while the Zhang Ziyi character is, yes, a dominatrix figure.
Now for sexy, attractive blondes: no one can deny the occasional stereotypical bimbo roles, but blondes have played many other roles as well. After all, when is the last time you've seen Gwyneth Paltrow, Catherine Deneuve, Helen Hunt, or Meg Ryan play an all-out slut? Don't forget, we also see white women in primary roles as executives, journalists, mothers, welders, etc. Julia Roberts as the principled and SEXY Erin Brockovich. Diane Keaton as an executive who finds happiness in mothering her cousin's child. And Lifetime TV shows a wealth of white women in different walks of life with different virtues. Why can't they do the same for Asian women?
I seriously doubt that all or even most whites want to see minorities downgraded but the problem is that this is what the media execs think the mainstream American public wants.
Asian Dominatrix
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 20:19:24 (PDT)
"media execs assume that the general American public only wants to see Asians devalued. But whether ALL whites really want to see Asians devalued is questionable."
However, I do not see white American audience protesting against it.
Researcher
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 09:59:10 (PDT)
Asian Dominatrix,
You're wrong... affluent asians "OUTSIDE of CA" are not all white-washed. I think people in California tend to be scared/ignorant of the rest of America, especially white America.
Asian women do often play sexualized roles in movies and TV, but so do black girls, latino girls, white girls... girls in general. Asian guys, we may not be represented equally, but I think it's much, much better than it was in the days of "Lo Duck Kwan" in Sixteen Candles. We can thank the HK and Taiwan entertainment industry for that.
DC2NYC
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 09:41:12 (PDT)
"I thought American women were liberated by the "feministic movement" in the 60's."
So did I before I came to this country. However, this is not true.
"They think they are the most independent and can always choose what to wear, what to say and whom they date."
It is more acceptable for an American woman (at least for celebrities in the media, such as Jane Clayson) to call a dog her daughter (happened today in the Early Show) than to reveal that she has an Asian daughter in law or that she is dating an Asian man.
"Why did I just hear some daddy's little girl worried about bringing an ethnic man home?"
You should go to the Asian Man/White Woman board to read some of the experiences.
"Do you think this whole American feminist movement was only some political rhetoric?"
Yes, you should look at history. Feminist movement was not for white women dating ethnic men but for equality with white men. Susan Anthony made it clear that black women are not welcome.
"Asian women selling themselves as "sluts" or "whores" to white men?"
I work for an international organization and there were three white American women and one Asian woman after this Italian chap and he fell for the Asian woman. The white American women called her a slut and a whore and accused AFs of stealing all the best white men worldover and asked me to put some sense into the AF's head.
"I suggest that Asian American should watch when Japan & Korea play. These two teams have really stunted the European & South American teams with their dribbling skills & attacking power."
Hope so, I am from Japan.
Japanese Female, Geneva, Switzerland
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 08:06:26 (PDT)
"Are you writing a book on Asians in IR?"
Thinking about it. A lot of people tell me that AFs are actually as accepted as WFs in most white American families. I do not believe this to be true. I would actually like to get some experiences that would break this stereotype. I thought that from the statements you have made in this and the annoyances board, you may be able to give some valuable insight. Actually, I am of South Asian origin, and in many South Asian families it is more acceptable to marry whites of a different religion (Christianity) than other castes of the same religion nationality and religion (Hinduism) and for that matter other Asians. For instance, if a Tamil Hindu in Sri Lanka married a white American it is more acceptable than if he or she married a Hindu Balinese or a Bengali or Punjabi Hindu. Strange, is n't it. Similarly, I am finding at least in Asia that it is OK for a Buddhist Korean to marry a white Christian than for the Buddhist Korean to marry a Buddhist Vietnamese or a Buddhist Japanese.
I am trying to get at the white side of the prejudice. More Asian women tell me that the women in their white boyfriends' families are more insular and less accepting than the men. But, I know of only two cases...one involving my cousin who is half white and a Norfolk, VA family and the other invloving another white upscale New Jersey family. She tried to get herself accepted as white, but failed miserably, although she looked and talked white and was born in this country. The moment they found out that she was contaminated with non-white blood all the sisterhood with the white women in her boyfriend's family stopped. But, that is a rather small sample of two people.
Sociologist
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 07:55:38 (PDT)
Other Positive/Netural Asian Females on TV/in movies:
Ensign Hoshi Sato, played by Linda Park on "Enterprise":
Some folks griped that she was sort of a "weenie" when she was scared seeing a bunch of dead aliens on board an abandoned starship. I don't think that was a reaction based upon her being Asian, but based upon most people's reaction to suddenly finding a bunch of dead bodies anywhere. Also, she engaged in consentual sex with an Alien in the Shore Leave episode. However, that doesn't make her a "slut" either. If she were banging the captain, the engineer, the helsman, the doctor, the weapons officer and other male characters in every episode, then THAT would make her a slut.
Bottom line: no slut designation for Hoshi or Linda Park for that matter.
Bring on Dark Angel (played by Nicole Bilderback):
She kicks butt, just like Jessica Alba. She was a cool character and wasn't shown ever kissing or being sexual with any man. Where's the slut in that?
Ms. Kwan on DeGrassi Next (played by Linlyn Lue): Other than being shown to be a bit of a taskmaster who assigns Spinner to Cafeteria duty and detention, she's portrayed as a dedicated teacher who doesn't put up with crap from students--even if they are White or Black. She's married (though her husband is never shown) and teaches an Adult English class at night. No slut here either.
Those are two examples on recent TV shows. I could go further back and name other characters like Keiko O'Brien, Alyssia Ogawa, Mrs. Fong, Charlie the Crime Lab Scientist, and so forth on down the line. Yeah, not a lot of AA Female roles here, but still I don't see too many sluts here either.
TV Viewer
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 07:40:14 (PDT)
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|