The Fetishization of Asian Women

By: Faye Shen Li Thijssen

‘Exotic. Obedient. Well-behaved.’ 

Most often meant as a compliment, these descriptions fall on my ears with the bitter connotation of foreign fetishization. Asian-Americans are often set apart from other minorities by the stereotypes enforced upon us by society. The ‘model minority’ myth designates us as universally high-achieving, obedient, and hard-working, and the oversexualized yet submissive and infantile female stereotype leads to the fetishized desire for Asian women as romantic partners. 

Many people often fail to see the negative sides of these ostensibly positive generalizations; some believe if all Asians are seen as smart, that is a privilege, and if Asian women are seen as desirable, that serves as an advantage. However, as a Chinese-American woman, the drawbacks of these generalizations are inescapable. 

The model-minority myth perpetuates the idea that people of Asian descent can only exist within the bounds of our stereotype, obscuring the vast differences among Asian-Americans. The pressure to conform to the expectations of the model-minority not only invalidates the lives, ambitions, and identities of anyone who identifies differently, but the fabricated correlation between obedience and financial success also legitimizes the white supremacist ideals of which minorities are designated as ‘good’ versus ‘bad.’

The model-minority stereotype of Asian-Americans exists in tandem with the fetishization of Asian women. By portraying Asian women in adherence to western norms of femininity – slim, light-skinned, submissive, and childlike yet hypersexualized – it takes away independent agency and degrades the entire demographic to nothing more than sexual objects, easily manipulated according to the will of American/Western men. The empowerment of Asian women includes, in large part, refuting the typecast of fetishization by uplifting the voices of Asian-American women of diverse identities. 

From my earliest memories of comments from my peers in pre-school to my most recent memories from my freshman year of college, I have felt the pressures and influences of Asian stereotypes, particularly for Asian women in America.

For myself, and many others who identify similarly, the assumptions made by society and the roles placed upon us are difficult to ignore. Unfortunately, the same awareness does not always permeate the rest of society. 

Recent rises in hate crimes against Asian Americans and the tragedy which occurred in Atlanta in late March brought these long-lasting issues into the public eye. For weeks, there was social media engagement (including the coining and popularization of the hashtag #stopasianhate), political and social discourse, and news coverage of the effects of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States. In many circles there were discussions of stereotyping, advocacy for affected groups, dissemination of information and a general push towards ‘raising awareness.’ 

Ultimately, it is my hope that these movements will not only succeed in bringing about real changes in legislation and public perception but will also encourage increases in Asian representation in music and popular culture to create a more comprehensive depiction of Asian-Americans. As more diversity is brought to the media consumed by people of every age and interest in this country, nuance is added to the perception of Asian-Americans by the general public.

The existence of three-dimensional and complex representation will inevitably minimize the influence of current stereotypes. 

However, much like with other movements against injustice, the momentum of public discussion and engagement faded after a matter of weeks. The recurring amnesia of the public and unaffected demographics when it comes to issues of injustice once again became apparent in the past few weeks.

It is not enough to simply become aware of the issue, or to only educate oneself on the difficulties and injustices faced by the community in question.

We have to go beyond just recognizing and identifying the issue and move into persistent action; the catalyst for real change lies in sustained attention and effort, not in momentary interest.