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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?
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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
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:10:45 PM)
huu76:
Have you been burned by AFs yourself?
About the AFs with their WM "trophy" partner: have you considered that maybe the media only wants to focus on those couples--apart from WM/WF couples, of course--because the white-male-run media feels threatened by non-white males?
If you want to blame anyone, you should be blaming the MEDIA. Remember, too, that the VAST MAJORITY of AFs date and end up marrying AMs.
Asian Dominatrix
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 08:57:35 (PDT)
"Wish there were more Asian magazines written in English!!"
Asian English-language media hasn't got something on the equivalent mindlessness of People, which is what it needs to make it big. The magazines that are around have trouble cuz of their insistence on tying a pan-Asian American consciousness to the Democratic party platform. I gave up on reading Asian-American magazines cuz I can get pictures just as cool from HK magazines, and more interesting content to boot (it's unrelated to America, true, but at least it's fun reading). This week in AsianWeek Phil Nash is going on about school vouchers, of all things, like they were the incarnation of the antiChrist. this kind of intense partisanship turns lots of people off, because there's no real consensus on such issues - some people are for, some people are against. remember 20% of AAs are politically independent and another 30% vote Republican.
T.H. Lien
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 22:27:00 (PDT)
Let's all stop making ourselves victims here.
Yes, there is racism against Asian people, but other people also suffer from racism, sexism, ageism and any other "-ism" there is.
I'm of Chinese descent. While I consider myself to have an open mind, my parents still think all black people are dirty and stupid and primitive and that disabled people are useless. For years, they thought all white people were trashy welfare recipients who allowed their children to roam the streets. Unfortunately, my parents show their ignorance every day in the way they treat others.
So don't go believing that Asian people are the only ones who suffer from the ignorance of others. If you don't like the area you live in because of racism, fight or leave.
My two young kids are mixed (Chinese-Caucasian) and they look it. As much as I would like to shield them from the ugliness of the world, I know they will experience racism at some time in their lives, probably from both Asians as well as Caucasians. What I hope they learn, and what I hope to model for them, is that while you can't always control other's behavior towards you, you can control your reaction to it. I hope they will learn to be pro-active about life and not sit around whining about being oppressed.
Wouldn't you rather have our AA children learn to go out and get what they want rather than think up reasons why they can't?
Northwest Girl
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 22:25:07 (PDT)
Huu76...
I highly agree w/you! I'm not even Asian and I have noticed the disturbing trend. I am mixed and have recently began dating Asian men and quite a few have told me they actually stopped dating AFs b/c so many of them are chasing men of other races. Primarily white men but the number is also rising for those dating black men. There's nothing wrong w/it I guess if that's their preference but all I can say is that AM need to open their eyes. You are a perfect example. You see the imbalance. And you are right that they are just like BM. If BM aren't loyal to BF, then why should the women be loyal. So if your Asian sisters aren't loyal to you...you should be more open to dating non-Asians. Not out of spite but simply to expand your horizons and better your chances of meeting the right girl for you. Again, it's a numbers game and by opening the door to other races, you better your chances. By the way, don't exclude BF. More and more of them are also dating outside their race and there are certainly PLENTY of beautiful black women that are interested in Asian men. And you're right...I also don't see any need in you defending Asian women if it's not in your heart. You shouldn't do it simply out of obligation from being Asian!!
CaliGirl
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 21:01:00 (PDT)
"No offense. But, I really hate AM/nAf couples a whole lot. It makes me sick to my stomach. Although, that is the AM's decision. Oh well. It's a free country, and AM's have the right to date nAf's if they want to. That is just my opinion."
No offense. You are a bigot but you can think what you want to. It is a free country. That is just my opinion.
Sociologist
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 11:41:48 (PDT)
"When one of my WF friends (2nd generation German-American)--a very good HS friend too--told me she had to "culture" her husband from Hong Kong, "you know, teach him about great literature and music", I responded, "Why should you? He's got 10,000 years of culture; you only have about 5,000." Needless to say, she wasn't too happy...!"
Sorry, AD...you have your facts wrong. See the attachment below, and note how Tacitus describes the Germans "as blonde, pale skinned and dirty."...and that was about 2,000 years ago. Germans have had only about 1,000 years of civilized history and it began only after they gave up paganism, human sacrifice and other horrific practices. So, no...the Chinese chap needs to "culture" the German American female.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.html
Historian
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 11:39:47 (PDT)
I really, strongly like AAf's (especially the Chinese). They are beautiful in their hearts, and AAf's have beautiful looks or shall I say "skoolnikufesin". Don't take my word for it.
dsfbcbsijbdax
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 11:12:03 (PDT)
huu76:
I, too, have noticed that AFs don't hang out with AMs, at least at the gym where I work out. There seems to be an equal number of AM and AF, and most are very attractive. However, the AFs are either with their white husbands, (I know 3 couples) or talking with WMs. I don't know who strikes up conversations first, so I don't want to make assumptions, but it does seem a bit coincidental. And the AMs there are extremely good-looking and sexy. (I find them returning my stares, which is fine by me!) I think "Geez, ladies, do you need your vision checked? Those AMs look NICE!" I know that this is not the case with all AFs, but I have noticed this trend. Maybe the AMs don't look at the AFs, either, who knows.
size 2 WF
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 10:59:22 (PDT)
dsfbcbsijbdax,
Why do you hate AM/non-AF couples so much? I know you have a right to your opinion, but what's the big deal? They're not hurting you. If you're an AF are you jealous that non-AFs are dating Asian men? Or if you're a man, do you think that it's somehow just wrong for Asian men to date outside their race?
curious girl
Monday, July 08, 2002 at 10:34:50 (PDT)
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