"Me Love You Long Time:" the Fetishization of Asian Women in the Media

CONTENT WARNINGS: mentions of sexual assault, racialized violence

The depiction of Asian women in American media always shares a common theme: fetishization. It trivializes the historical violence perpetrated against Asian women during World War II. Asian women are drawn as and cast in roles that focus on their “doll-like features” and sex appeal. The eroticization of the image of the Asian woman has roots in colonization, but media such as the opera Madame Chrysanthème and the movie Full Metal Jacket continue to make light of it. When the general population is unable to recognize all of the examples listed above as the fetishization of Asian women, we are faced with two challenges—first, in recognizing what fetishization is, and secondly, in combating it.

The fetishization of women’s bodies can be defined as viewing them as sexual objects. It strips them of their personalities and reduces them to their physical features. This eroticization also extends to their culture and aesthetics, such as the over-sexualization of traditional clothing and food in movies, pornography and books. There are two characteristics that distinguish Asian fetishization from that of all women.

Firstly, their “exotic” features define them— “her eyes almond-shaped for mystery, black for suffering, wide-spaced for innocence, high cheekbones swelling like bruises, cherry lips” (Woan 279). Rather than generic “attractive” features such as voluptuous curves or long legs, the appearances that Asian women are abated to have specific meanings. The description of her “eyes as suffering” is seen as something that makes Asian women attractive. The characterization of her pain as pleasing reminisces of colonization in Asia—stories of Southeast Asian comfort women who were forced to serve the Japanese Imperial Army, and later, the American army’s sex slaves during World War II, come to mind. Whereas Latina and Black women are also reduced to vessels for white consumption due to mass media, the specific use of Asian aesthetics and their history in colonization create a “doll-like, innocent” and identical image of Asian women in the minds of western men. They are all seen as serving the same purpose; objects of sexual satisfaction for white men.

The second reason that Asian fetishization is distinct is that it has its roots in Western imperialism. In 1899, Rudyard Kipling characterized the campaign of Western imperialism as “the White Man’s Burden.” Kipling was an English journalist who saw imperialism as the duty of the white man and colonization as a favor to the native people. In this way, we can see how the conquest of Asia itself correlates to the sexual conquest of Asian women (Woan 282). Both are seen as favors to the people being conquered and as duties of the conquerors.

This popular narrative has evolved into a view of fetishization as a compliment. European men wanting to marry Indian women because they “love the brown color” is not seen as problematic (Mishra). Neither is saying “you’re only my second Asian” on a date with an Asian woman (Woan). These are instances of fetishization that are often misunderstood as appreciation because they sound like compliments. In order to distinguish between the two, we must acknowledge that these women are more than their physical features or exoticism. They are not just “brown” or “Asian.” They are individuals with specific interests and personality traits that combine to make them human. To appreciate rather than fetishize, we must holistically evaluate Asian women as people rather than mere objects with aesthetic value.

Asian women are the flavor du jour—in a recent study, NPR found that men of all races, except Asian men, prefer Asian women compared to women of other races. While analyzing this statistic, researchers found that there may be symptoms of “yellow fever” at play. These statistics force Asian women to question whether she is “loved because she… is assumed to be subservient, or does [she] have actual value as an individual” (Hu). This often takes a psychological toll because women are constantly questioning whether they are loved for the right reasons. Women can also be physically harmed by these stereotypes. Sexual assault and domestic violence can often be consequences of men failing to understand that Asian women are not their possessions or submissive china dolls.

Popular stereotypes surrounding Asian women often characterize them as “weak” or “subservient.” Historically, this was used to justify Asian women, “innocent as lilies,” being the perfect complement to the hetero-masculinity of the American soldier. Contemporary media capitalizes upon this connection; the 1989 musical Miss Saigon features an Asian woman who commits suicide after realizing that an American soldier she had fallen in love with only wanted her for a one night stand. The musical quickly rose to popularity and “symbolized the growing sex tour industry that sprouted in Asia as a result of American military presence” (Woan 281). The musical represented the reality of western men wanting Asian women for their “exoticness.” However, Asian women are not solely the military’s fetish. Some may claim that that was years ago and that that type of media is not produced anymore. However, the song “Asian Girlz,” released in 2013 by the band Day Above Ground features a skimpily dressed Asian woman and lyrics like “I love your creamy yellow thighs/Ooh your slanted eyes.” Although decried by Asian women, no one questioned the content of the lyrics or the potential harm they could cause in fueling stereotypes of Asian women. The overtly sexual image created by the lyrics is ingrained into our culture by our media history, yet people fail to recognize it. “Asiaphiles” still exist today, and their actions can be dangerous. For example, Michael Lohman, a Princeton graduate student, admitted to pouring his urine and semen into the drinks of Asian women more than fifty times (Woan). Although it seems absurd, these instances are not isolated or uncommon. The trope of the oversexualized, “exotic” Asian woman has real world impacts. Violence including sexual and physical assault, sex trafficking and harassment plague them. Specifically, Western men who believe in this trope treat Asian women as less human, more sex doll.

At its core, this is an issue of misunderstanding and dismissal. People are unaware of the impacts that their words and actions may have, and they may dismiss this issue as being less than urgent. Being able to recognize fetishization and understand the violence it causes is the first step to stopping it. Considering America’s historical involvement in the perpetuation of these stereotypes, it falls upon Americans to aid in eradicating them. This cannot be accomplished in a day. It consists of being an ally on a daily basis by calling people out and actively stopping ourselves from making jokes about and participating in fetishes. It can be done by boycotting movies and refusing to listen to songs that explicitly fetishize Asian women. We must also recognize and support strong Asian women who control their own narratives within the media. Sandra Oh in Killing Eve and Constance Wu in Crazy Rich Asians are examples of Asian women being portrayed as more than their physical features. There are numerous ways in which we can align against racial fetishization— in the end, struggling against it comes down to who is willing to do what is right. Although it was once the “duty” of American men to conquer foreign lands, it is now their duty to combat fetishization.

by SHWETA KONDAPI