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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Are AA Women the Real Victims of Prejudice?
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:10:39 PM)
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.]
AM to AF:
If you've ever felt as if you were just cute... cute like a child, and not capable of being sexy or hot...
Stop.
You're measuring yourself -relative- to European standards. Rather than view yourself as child-like or gamin-faced or waif-like, how about viewing yourself as youthful, and Caucasians as looking older?
By the way... let me add...
It's not your fault.
You've been given storybooks with Caucasian princesses in your childhood, magazines with Caucasian pop stars in your adolescence, and a media dominated by a Caucasian standard for most of your life.
It may be difficult given the society we live in... but as soon as you're aware of this, isn't it great to know you can step outside of it and lock on to something more appealing, something much more compelling...?
Asian girls ARE sexy. Asian girls ARE hot. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise.
An
animarex@ML1.net
Saturday, November 30, 2002 at 20:21:44 (PST)
[68.5.212.12]
You are sweet, tazadar. :)
sweet girl
Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 21:34:56 (PST)
[64.130.204.9]
(AM)
I'd like to share a quick story:
I recently had a convo with an AF friend of mine and she was talking about how she despised being treated as "exotic," but when I asked her why she wasn't really able justify her reasons. Perhaps she was just confused about what she was SUPPOSED to be indignant about? Any AF have an opinion on this?
Personally, I don't see the depiction of Asian women as exotic as necessarily detrimental. It allows for many Asian women to compete on par with Caucasian women in a Caucasian society. Maybe it's not about the image of "sexy exotic" that bothers AF, maybe it's about them being sexually available. That is, ready to blindly throw themselves into the hands of Caucasian men for the sole reason that they're Caucasian. To me, THAT'S offensive, not the fact that they're seen as exotic.
I actually think it's wonderful that AF's are finally gracing the covers of magazines and the big screen. Not that equal opportunity objectification is any measure of societal progress, but it does help bolster their image.
Another story:
I have a very interesting AF friend (different from the story above). Before when she was dating a Caucasian, she found it necessary to patronize all AM and later when she was dating an AM, she found it necessary to patronize all Caucasian males. This has continued for two more boyfriends: WM, AM, WM, AM, like that. That's twisted and SICK isn't it? I've actually run into quite a few AF that do this. Now, I'm not saying all AF are like this and I think 90% of them are great, so don't go bombarding my inbox with hate mail just yet.
I find that a lot of AM do this also (including me back in high school). As soon as someone hears, "oh, you have a WHITE girlfriend?" they either start cheering or become stupefied. Conversely, if you're the one being addressed, you might become very proud or feel like you have to somehow justify your "crime."
I just wanted to comment that... very often people tend to break things down along racial lines. Boy, rather than stereotyping entire groups, why not judge people on an individual basis? Then you can get the best possible mate of ANY race and that way everyone can stop with all of the overt racial segregation.
Phew, that was long :)
An
animarex@ML1.net
Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 15:09:54 (PST)
[68.5.212.12]
I am attracted to both asian and white females. Sometimes I go in phases, where my preference all of a sudden changes. But I think both are very attractive!
If you ask most guys and even caucasian girls, they'll say they admire the beautiful jet black silky hair. If you ask asian girls, they'll say the eyes of caucasian females.
To me, the best would be an asian girl with blue eyes (cuz they do exist), an Aussie accent, and a great personality as the topper!
md man
Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 15:45:08 (PST)
[64.157.190.213]
sweet girl:
"As an Asian American woman, I understand the social conditioning of AMs with regards to a preference for WFs.
I respect their decision, and wish only the best for my Asian brothers.
However, I likewise expect the same respect from them.
This, especially when I see anti-AF comments from my fellow men."
I haven't gone through the entire thread. I do love Asian women the most, more than any other.
tazadar
Monday, November 25, 2002 at 15:58:59 (PST)
[63.200.37.21]
Kudos to An for a very insightful look at what passes for beauty. Growing up, I was indoctrinated into the belief that blonde meant beautiful. With my jet black hair, I would never naturally be beautiful, or so I thought. So many AA's grow up with confused ideas on their own identity, and that is a pity. I think it is time for AF's to throw away the TV, and judge beauty for ourselves.
Siu Pan
Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 23:19:58 (PST)
[66.222.141.187]
Historian,
Sorry to steer so far off topic Ed, but Historian's version of the history of human sacrifice needs a minor correction. Both the Sumerian civilization of Mesopotamia and the Shang dynasty of China indulged in human sacrifice. We know this to be true through the ancient texts of both cultures. In the Zhouyi (a bronze age document) written by the Shang, there are over 35 references to sacrificing rival clans of Chi'angs in various rituals. I don't wish to start an ancient history debate on this forum because I know that would be about as far off topic as basket weaving, but it is worth mentioning the whole and not parts of this anceint and bloody practice so as to diffuse its usage in condemning entire cultures.
Sea
Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 17:23:40 (PST)
[68.101.69.58]
[So ends this anthropological digression. --Ed]
response to: "has revealed that nordic Whites are universally recognized as the most attractive humans, even by Blacks. The judges were instructed to evaluate the faces solely on his or her "personal standards of beauty and not to consider popular norms. -truth"
fool. how can the judges be unbiased about such a topic as human beauty? it would be impossible for the judges to erase the 'popular norms' that were already inculcated in their minds throughout a long life-time of exposure and brainwashing by western media/movies. Scientific research with 300 judges? pretty freakin' rediculous. Personally as well as man other 'minorities' i know the 'nordic ideal' is by no means superior to any other ethnicity in aesthetic beauty. the judgment of beauty is relative. haven't you heard of the saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder? and that 300 of so called various backgrounds surely do not represent the opinions of the entire human race. listen to yourself for you don't speak the universal truth regrettably. only your own.
some asian guy
Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 01:16:33 (PST)
[65.184.91.9]
Wow, this has become the Asian female bashing board by both Asian males and non-Asian women. Talk about haters!! We really are the "real victims of prejudice." So you don't like AF?? Big deal, no need to insult.
AF built like "preteen"
Tuesday, November 19, 2002 at 21:45:50 (PST)
[65.29.143.146]
As an Asian American woman, I understand the social conditioning of AMs with regards to a preference for WFs.
I respect their decision, and wish only the best for my Asian brothers.
However, I likewise expect the same respect from them.
This, especially when I see anti-AF comments from my fellow men.
sweet girl
Monday, November 18, 2002 at 14:10:20 (PST)
[64.130.204.9]
"You will see that almost all the civilizations arose in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, whose populations will naturally have lighter skin than the tropicals."
Almost all civilizations arose in between the temperate areas and tropics...Rome, Greece, Egypt, China, Indus Valley Civilization, etc. Anglo-Saxons were not part of this civilization. In fact, anglo-saxons had no civilization. Read history of Germania by Tacticus and how the Picts and Druids who were the ancestors of current day whites lived. The ancestors of most American whites had a primitive lifestyle either hunting or gathering (Picts) or performed barbaric acts such as human sacrifices (Vikings and Druids)...not much of a civilization if you ask me. True, Indians practised Sathi, burning widows, not very civilized either. So you need to get your historical facts straight before you make incorrect statements.
Historian
Monday, November 18, 2002 at 10:37:06 (PST)
[138.220.110.174]
blondies are usually the homeliest looking. brunettes look more sophisticated and classy IMO. blonde is like the girl next door.
yo...
Monday, November 18, 2002 at 09:53:20 (PST)
[61.11.245.8]
As for that lighter skinned study, think about before the cultures came into contact with each other. You will see that almost all the civilizations arose in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, whose populations will naturally have lighter skin than the tropicals.
2nd, I am not naturally attracted to blondes. I love the, *gulp* hapa look. Flame away, but that and curly dark hair seem most "natural" to me. (I am Chinese btw)
I am conditioned to like blondes however. Aside from cursory encounters with artifacts of the blonde mystique in American culture, certain blondes I knew have, um, insinuated themselves into my psyche.
These are not the only women in the world for me; I only mention the first b/c of its difference and the 2nd b/c it was mentioned.
Bataar
Sunday, November 17, 2002 at 21:39:01 (PST)
[63.162.229.2]
I just wanted to make a few comments on beauty, since that appears to be a popular topic on these forums.
1) We are biologically hard-wired to PREFER those who are similar TO OUR OWN PARENTS
2) The only standards that have gathered a considerable amount of evidence are those of facial symmetry (in men and women) and youth (in women).
I'm not going to discuss evolutionary reasons, simply because I have a strong aversion to people attributing arbitrary evolutionary reasons to justify THEIR OWN standard and I don't want to be associated with that.
3) Historically, (for the most part) the conquered accept the standards of the ones doing the conquering. Think about that one for a second.
I assume that most of the readers here will give cultural or psychological reasons, but for those of you who think that the ones who "win" are genetically superior on some level, it would benefit you to realize that (1)if history is any indication, the balance of power is dynamic and (2)the paradigm through which you see the world has been passed down by culture and environment(as is mine).
One more comment:
I'm an AM who prefers WF's, but I do REALIZE that the preference comes primarily from cultural conditioning. Before that, when watching movies with eroticized AF's, my preference for AF's was very strong. Even before that, when I was into BET, I started seeing some BF's as being attractive DESPITE what my parents have taught me. If you don't believe in conditioning, then why are so many of you fighting for a better image of Asians in the media?
Ah ha,
so it DOES make a difference, doesn't it...
An
animarex@ml1.net
Saturday, November 16, 2002 at 01:52:53 (PST)
[4.43.131.127]
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