Asian women have been hypersexualized since the very beginning by the general public of America. There is an idea that women want to be dominated and love it. This idea is still around today despite the progress that has occurred. The most apparent place is in the media as it reaches across to many people. Television shows, cartoons, and even movies depicted the Asian women as being sexy, exotic, and submissive. So where did this idea come from? Well, to understand that we must look at the past. Examining the past will explain the present situation of the Asian American and Asian women living in the United States.
According to Uchida, the beginning of the “Oriental Woman can be traced back to the anti-Chinese period in 1870-1900’s, during which the image emerged” (163). The young Chinese women were brought to America to be used as prostitutes for the Chinese men. This was because of the fact that Chinese men would come to America to work, but the United States government did not want them to establish a family. Uchida argues that it was this reason that all Asian women were categorized in this manner (164). I would agree with Uchida in that regard as well, but I would also like to mention the mail order brides that come for the Asian males. The only exposure that the white Americans had were the brothels filled with Chinese women. Without seeing any other type of Chinese women, they assumed this was the case for all Chinese women. I think that this is how stereotypes begin forming as well. Exposure to one particular group establishes a trend for everyone, even if it is not entirely true.
Adding to the idea of Asian women as being promiscuous, the GI’s going to Asian countries had this image in their minds. The culture around the base camps also reinforced the idea and also added a few more labels on the Asian American women. The labels that were also added were submissive and being a good homemaker. These labels were carried back as soldiers married Asian women and brought them back to live in the United States. The labels that were brought back, were due to the lack of exposure to Asian women. There were not that many Asian women that come the United States, compared to the Asian men that would come.
According to Uchida, the beginning of the “Oriental Woman can be traced back to the anti-Chinese period in 1870-1900’s, during which the image emerged” (163). The young Chinese women were brought to America to be used as prostitutes for the Chinese men. This was because of the fact that Chinese men would come to America to work, but the United States government did not want them to establish a family. Uchida argues that it was this reason that all Asian women were categorized in this manner (164). I would agree with Uchida in that regard as well, but I would also like to mention the mail order brides that come for the Asian males. The only exposure that the white Americans had were the brothels filled with Chinese women. Without seeing any other type of Chinese women, they assumed this was the case for all Chinese women. I think that this is how stereotypes begin forming as well. Exposure to one particular group establishes a trend for everyone, even if it is not entirely true.
Adding to the idea of Asian women as being promiscuous, the GI’s going to Asian countries had this image in their minds. The culture around the base camps also reinforced the idea and also added a few more labels on the Asian American women. The labels that were also added were submissive and being a good homemaker. These labels were carried back as soldiers married Asian women and brought them back to live in the United States. The labels that were brought back, were due to the lack of exposure to Asian women. There were not that many Asian women that come the United States, compared to the Asian men that would come.
Media is also very responsible for reinforcing the stereotypes of Asian women. This is very apparent in the movie “Life of Susie Wong”. In that particular movie, the character Susie Wong is in love with Richard, a white male. She desires for him to be dominant with her. In one scene in the movie, Susie is assaulted by a sailor and Richard saves her. When talking to her friends about this incident she does not mention the sailor at all. She instead says that Richard was very jealous. He was so jealous that he beat her. All of her friends were happy for Susie because they took that as a sign of love. The fact that her friends were happy about it also shows that all Asian women seek to be dominated. This movie did portray the stereotypical view towards Asian women, and in particular Chinese women.
Media is a double edged sword, especially when it comes to depicting certain stereotypes. For example, there is a YouTube video that is extremely degrading towards the Asian American women. The music video is titled “Asian Girlz” by A Day Above Ground. This music video has almost every stereotype for Asians in general and Asian women. It is also extremely degrading towards Asian women. When this music video was released, many Asian Americans were outraged and rightly so. Although this incident shows the bad side of media, there are good points as well that change the way people see Asian American women. The idea of the ideal Asian women is seen in the Disney movie Mulan, and in the scene where the soldiers sing about a girl worth fighting for. Ideas of being a good cook and finding no faults in her husband. When Mulan sings along, she sings about a girl who is intelligent and speaks her mind but is quickly shut down by the other men in the group. So in the Disney film, there was this idea of the ideal submissive and silent Asian wife.
On the flip side media has helped empower the Asian women. For example, in Grey’s Anatomy, actress Sandra Oh has been depicted as being sexy, but also independent and successful (Shimizu,268). Instead of taking the shy role in the television series, she is competent and a strong lead character throughout the show. So the media has been both a platform for Asian women to be empowered, but also a platform to be stereotyped.
Media is a double edged sword, especially when it comes to depicting certain stereotypes. For example, there is a YouTube video that is extremely degrading towards the Asian American women. The music video is titled “Asian Girlz” by A Day Above Ground. This music video has almost every stereotype for Asians in general and Asian women. It is also extremely degrading towards Asian women. When this music video was released, many Asian Americans were outraged and rightly so. Although this incident shows the bad side of media, there are good points as well that change the way people see Asian American women. The idea of the ideal Asian women is seen in the Disney movie Mulan, and in the scene where the soldiers sing about a girl worth fighting for. Ideas of being a good cook and finding no faults in her husband. When Mulan sings along, she sings about a girl who is intelligent and speaks her mind but is quickly shut down by the other men in the group. So in the Disney film, there was this idea of the ideal submissive and silent Asian wife.
On the flip side media has helped empower the Asian women. For example, in Grey’s Anatomy, actress Sandra Oh has been depicted as being sexy, but also independent and successful (Shimizu,268). Instead of taking the shy role in the television series, she is competent and a strong lead character throughout the show. So the media has been both a platform for Asian women to be empowered, but also a platform to be stereotyped.
Uchida writes that Asian women are a paradox (167). On one side of the coin, Asian women know how to please a man sexually, but on the flipside, she also makes a great wife. The idea of being a submissive house wife also goes into being a model minority. The label of the model minority is one of the reasons why the idea that Asian women are submissive will be hard to shake off. This idea that Asians are obedient and submissive is something that was brought up by the outside as well as internally.
Traditionally, Asian families come from a very patriarchal according to Uchida. Also in an essay by Thao, she writes about having to be silent no matter what happened. In Thao’s essay, she wrote how her mother gave her advice which was to be silent. She writes about the pain that she had endured in order to uphold the image of being a good Hmong woman. However, her mother felt differently. Her mother found empowerment with her silence. Her mother’s silence kept the family together, and that is the power that silence gave her. However, Thao’s experiences of remaining silence to avoid conflict affected her and she has a negative feeling towards her ethnicity. I think that the idea of silence brings an idea of being a submissive wife as well. By not saying anything to fight back, the wife is seen to be submissive.
Now the idea of the submissive Asian women is something that is being commercialized. For example in Koreatown there is a service called domi. This service is for karaoke bars in Koreatown. This service is also exclusively for Koreans. However if you are not Korean, you can also receive this service if you have another Korean male with you. The essence of this service is to be submissive. The domi will act like they are in love with you and will do everything for you. For example, when I was there the girl would not let me do anything. I tried lighting up a cigarette and she would take the lighter and light it for me. With the introduction of domi, the idea of a submissive Asian women is being commercialized. I still think that this does enforce the stereotype of the submissive Asian women. The Asian women are wanting to be submissive, but in return for money. These services shows a hegemonic relationship, but instead of wanting domination from a white male; it is for money.
Asian women have been subjugated to being a sexual deviant and being known to be a good house wife. They have been called the virgin whore. Asian women have been objectified and used for pleasure as seen in history. The history of the Asian woman has caused the stereotypes that are still around today. However, there has been much more progress than in the 1870’s. Like all stereotypes, the stereotype of the Asian women will need time to change. Although time is needed, if Asian American women begin to have roles in the media that are outside the stereotypical roles, the views can and will change for the general American public.
Traditionally, Asian families come from a very patriarchal according to Uchida. Also in an essay by Thao, she writes about having to be silent no matter what happened. In Thao’s essay, she wrote how her mother gave her advice which was to be silent. She writes about the pain that she had endured in order to uphold the image of being a good Hmong woman. However, her mother felt differently. Her mother found empowerment with her silence. Her mother’s silence kept the family together, and that is the power that silence gave her. However, Thao’s experiences of remaining silence to avoid conflict affected her and she has a negative feeling towards her ethnicity. I think that the idea of silence brings an idea of being a submissive wife as well. By not saying anything to fight back, the wife is seen to be submissive.
Now the idea of the submissive Asian women is something that is being commercialized. For example in Koreatown there is a service called domi. This service is for karaoke bars in Koreatown. This service is also exclusively for Koreans. However if you are not Korean, you can also receive this service if you have another Korean male with you. The essence of this service is to be submissive. The domi will act like they are in love with you and will do everything for you. For example, when I was there the girl would not let me do anything. I tried lighting up a cigarette and she would take the lighter and light it for me. With the introduction of domi, the idea of a submissive Asian women is being commercialized. I still think that this does enforce the stereotype of the submissive Asian women. The Asian women are wanting to be submissive, but in return for money. These services shows a hegemonic relationship, but instead of wanting domination from a white male; it is for money.
Asian women have been subjugated to being a sexual deviant and being known to be a good house wife. They have been called the virgin whore. Asian women have been objectified and used for pleasure as seen in history. The history of the Asian woman has caused the stereotypes that are still around today. However, there has been much more progress than in the 1870’s. Like all stereotypes, the stereotype of the Asian women will need time to change. Although time is needed, if Asian American women begin to have roles in the media that are outside the stereotypical roles, the views can and will change for the general American public.
Works Cited
Mulan. Dir. Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. Buena Vista, 2004. DVD.
Shimizu, Celine Parreñas. The Hypersexuality of Race: Performing Asian/American Women on Screen and Scene. Durham: Duke UP, 2007. Print.
Thao, Mai Kao. "Sins of Silence." Women: Images and Realities: A Multicultural Anthology. By Lily D. McNair and Nancy Schniedewind. 4th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 18-19. Print.
Uchida, Aki. "The Orientalization of Asian Women in America." Women's Studies International Forum 21.2 (1998): 161-74. Web.
-Joshua Chung
Mulan. Dir. Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. Buena Vista, 2004. DVD.
Shimizu, Celine Parreñas. The Hypersexuality of Race: Performing Asian/American Women on Screen and Scene. Durham: Duke UP, 2007. Print.
Thao, Mai Kao. "Sins of Silence." Women: Images and Realities: A Multicultural Anthology. By Lily D. McNair and Nancy Schniedewind. 4th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 18-19. Print.
Uchida, Aki. "The Orientalization of Asian Women in America." Women's Studies International Forum 21.2 (1998): 161-74. Web.
-Joshua Chung