Spring Break
Exploring the sexualization of Asian women
Rose Hansen
Issue date: 1/20/09 Section: Forum
Today, a black man is being sworn into the presidency for the first time in United States history. With it, there's a rumor floating around: change is coming - especially when it comes to the way race influences our society.
A few years ago, I probably would have agreed. But now, I'm not so sure.
Take a look at my column photograph. It doesn't take a brainiac to figure out that I'm not white. I was born in Southeast Asia, and I'm one of 140,000 Asian adoptees who have been brought to the United States since 1948.
I was raised in a small coastal community that was 100 percent white, including my parents. Traditional dinner meant pot roast and mashed potatoes. We had a border collie. In second grade, I misspelled "kitchen" in the school spelling bee. Later on, I did the things most American teenagers do - cut class, drive too fast, shot-gun beer, smoke pot and have a little sex.
Throughout my entire childhood, there wasn't a single event to make me believe I was any different from my peers. So what if I had darker skin and almond-shaped eyes? I had no cultural memory of anything but a western lifestyle. Academics could argue all they wanted about the importance of race. It was just background noise. I wasn't Asian; I wasn't even Asian-American.
I was white.
And then I came to college.
During the second week of my freshman year, I went out on a date with an upper-classman named John. He was majoring in international politics and had just returned from an internship in Shanghai. About 20 minutes into dinner, he told me, "I guess you could say I have 'yellow fever.'"
I smiled politely. "Fever?" I didn't get it. Was he sick?
After he explained what "yellow fever" was, I realized he hadn't asked me out because he was interested in me. He was interested in my Asian-ness.
Since entering college, I have been consistently categorized by race when it comes to academic performance, sex and dating. My friends joke that I must be smart because I'm Asian. I've been the "Asian" girlfriend. I've been the "token Asian" hook-up. Men have asked if my vagina is slanted. I've overheard guys being encouraged to try sleeping with me because "sex with an Asian girl changes your life." And guys who genuinely like me are accused of having an "Asian" fetish.
A few years ago, I probably would have agreed. But now, I'm not so sure.
Take a look at my column photograph. It doesn't take a brainiac to figure out that I'm not white. I was born in Southeast Asia, and I'm one of 140,000 Asian adoptees who have been brought to the United States since 1948.
I was raised in a small coastal community that was 100 percent white, including my parents. Traditional dinner meant pot roast and mashed potatoes. We had a border collie. In second grade, I misspelled "kitchen" in the school spelling bee. Later on, I did the things most American teenagers do - cut class, drive too fast, shot-gun beer, smoke pot and have a little sex.
Throughout my entire childhood, there wasn't a single event to make me believe I was any different from my peers. So what if I had darker skin and almond-shaped eyes? I had no cultural memory of anything but a western lifestyle. Academics could argue all they wanted about the importance of race. It was just background noise. I wasn't Asian; I wasn't even Asian-American.
I was white.
And then I came to college.
During the second week of my freshman year, I went out on a date with an upper-classman named John. He was majoring in international politics and had just returned from an internship in Shanghai. About 20 minutes into dinner, he told me, "I guess you could say I have 'yellow fever.'"
I smiled politely. "Fever?" I didn't get it. Was he sick?
After he explained what "yellow fever" was, I realized he hadn't asked me out because he was interested in me. He was interested in my Asian-ness.
Since entering college, I have been consistently categorized by race when it comes to academic performance, sex and dating. My friends joke that I must be smart because I'm Asian. I've been the "Asian" girlfriend. I've been the "token Asian" hook-up. Men have asked if my vagina is slanted. I've overheard guys being encouraged to try sleeping with me because "sex with an Asian girl changes your life." And guys who genuinely like me are accused of having an "Asian" fetish.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
Wade Caves
posted 1/20/09 @ 1:03 AM PST
I found this article to be timely and informative, and appropriate for Obama's inaugural day. White privilege has been a pervasive influence in American society since the country's beginnings, and regardless of your political identity, we can all celebrate the progress that America must be making to be able to elect an African-American man as the foremost leader of the free world. (Continued…)
wscaves
Wade Caves
posted 1/20/09 @ 1:05 AM PST
I found this article to be timely and informative, and appropriate for Obama's inaugural day. White privilege has been a pervasive influence in American society since the country's beginnings, and regardless of your political identity, we can all celebrate the progress that America must be making to be able to elect an African-American man as the foremost leader of the free world. (Continued…)
Lia
posted 1/21/09 @ 2:56 PM PST
I agree that it's great Obama was elected, and I also agree that there's still work to be done - clearly, because otherwise you would know better than to use the term "colored people". (Continued…)
Anon79
posted 3/12/09 @ 7:58 AM PST
"If it's so prejudiced, we should stop using terms such as "African" or "European" as well. Or are you implying that other continents contain only one standard culture and Asia is the exception?"
K, here is something to consider in your argument that you may have forgotten. (Continued…)
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