Asian fetish

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An Asian fetish is the attraction or sexual preference, usually of non-Asian men or women, for Asian women or men. In colloquial usage, a non-Asian person who is primarily interested in Asian people for sexual and/or romantic relationships is said to have an Asian fetish. Some believe Asian fetish to be both racist and sexist against Asians and Asian Americans because the attraction or sexual preference is based either partly or wholly on race or racial stereotypes. However, others disagree with this assertion, and believe that the use of the term to describe one's sexual preference for Asian women is a way to indiscriminately condemn all relationships between Asian women and non-Asian men. The first known usage of the term "Asian fetish" came from Asian American author David Henry Hwang.

Controversy rages and criticism abounds on this topic. Controversies include disputes over the definition of the term "Asian fetish", the credibility and validity of sources on this topic, and its potential relationship to racism and reverse racism.

Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Origin of the term 1.2 Usage of the term (applicable to which persons) 1.3 Synonyms and associated words 2 Explanations for Asian fetish 2.1 Asian fetish as a stereotyping of Asian personality traits 2.2 Stereotypical media portrayals 2.3 Asian fetish as an aesthetic preference 2.4 Anthropological explanation of Asian fetishes 3 Use in pornography 4 Use as a condemnation of intra-race relationships 5 Asian fetish as a cause of crime 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] Terminology

In all of its usages, Asian fetish is a colloquial reference to a sexual fetish. It has not been recognized as a paraphilia or fetish by the medical or psychological community. It is often used to refer to a strong preference for (arguably a fixation on) Asian people themselves, their physical appearances, or personality that they are presumed to have. Those who consider Asian fetish to be harmful believe it to be a fetish in the sense of "a fixation" on stereotypes of Asians.

The word "fetish" has various definitions, and various users of the phrase "Asian fetish" have at times used various shades of its meaning. There is no agreement on the correct or preferred usage of "Asian fetish", and a fortiori no definition of the term is contained in any dictionary or peer-reviewed reference work. The only definition for asian fetish in a reference work occurs at the non-authoritative Urban dictionary. The word appears in written form most often in reporting on how it is used verbally. The types of publication involved include scholarly articles pertaining to race relations, internet zines, newspapers and college newspapers, Internet forums, blogs, the talk page for this article, advice columns, and the websites of various Asian American advocacy groups. This term is most often used informally, and when used formally, it appears as a direct quotation or in quotations to indicate its informal character. This term originated from the Asian American community, although it is now used more broadly. It is not an accepted part of the vocabulary of any academic or scientific discipline.

Fetish in this context has been used to mean sexual fetish, racial fetish, or Commodity fetishism (viewing Asian people as a form of property), as well as sexual attraction, interpersonal attraction, irrational attachment, fixation, or even cultural attraction. The only uses of fetish that have not been documented are the usual definitions of fetish as an object with magical properties, or an object or body part arousing sexual feelings that cannot be reciprocated. (See paraphilia) The object of the attraction ranges from specific features of specific people, to specific groups of people, to Asian culture generally. The word "Asian", while seemingly clear, can at various times and in diverse contexts mean Asian, Asian American, East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, etc. although there is no documented usage for Turkic peoples, or Near Eastern peoples. Depending on context and audience, it can refer to more specific subgroups within these groups such as Japanese Americans or Korean Americans, to specific traits and features of specific groups which may be real or imagined, or to multiracial Asian persons. It can also refer a combination of physical and personality traits embodied by certain Asian characters in movies, TV shows, pornography, and other cultural icons.

[edit] Origin of the term

The earliest discussion of Yellow Fever in a sexual usage which later became known as the Asian fetish, seems to be in the play M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang written in 1988. The play, based on a true story, is about a British diplomat who is seduced by a male Chinese spy pretending to be a female "Oriental" opera singer, by playing to the diplomat's stereotypical beliefs of how Chinese women should act. In the afterword Hwang writes:

Similarly, heterosexual Asians have long been aware of "Yellow Fever" -- White men with a fetish for exotic Oriental women. I have often heard it said that "Oriental women make the best wives." (Rarely is this heard from the mouths of Asian men, incidentally.) This mythology is exploited by the Oriental mail-order bride trade which has flourished over the decade. American men can now (in 1988) send away for catalogues of "obedient, domesticated" Asian women looking for husbands. Anyone who believes such stereotypes are a thing of the past need look no further than Manhattan cable television (in 1988), which advertises call girls from "the exotic east, where men are king; obedient girls, trained in the art of pleasure."[1]

Although it should be noted that Hwang's comments are themselves open to criticism, as his argument rests on the implied premise that the opinion of Asian men is authoritative as to whether Asian women make the best wives (and that non-Asian men are unable to make such judgment). Ultimately, the notion that any woman would make a "good wife" based on her race and/or culture alone is a stereotype.^{[citation needed]}

The first academic treatment of the fetishism of Asian Americans was by Columbia professor David L. Eng, in his dissertation work at the University of California, Berkeley.^[2]

Activists claim that the term has its ideological origins in the concept of "racist love", the idea that there exists racial stereotypes of minorities, such as Charlie Chan, that are "acceptable" to white people, but are just as harmful to minorities themselves as "unacceptable" racial stereotypes such as Fu Manchu.^[3]

[edit] Usage of the term (applicable to which persons)

There is also controversy over who can have an Asian fetish. Many people believe that if someone is Asian or hapa, that he or she should be exempt from the label, while others contend that anyone from any race can have an Asian fetish.^[4] This becomes increasingly problematic amongst non-Asian men who have spent considerable amounts of time living within Asia, or Asian men who have been raised outside of Asia by non-Asian parents. In both cases, the respective cultures in which the men were raised indicate a case going against the norm, which might exempt a non-Asian from having an Asian fetish or enabling an Asian to have one. This all depends on the criteria and motivations of the accuser.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Synonyms and associated words

American and British slang contains a number of terms considered equivalent to "Asian fetish". Some of these terms are used predominantly by those of Asian descent while others are used predominantly by members of other ethnic groups. Many of these terms are considered extremely offensive either by the recipient of the phrase or by people of Asian descent:

• having "Asian fever"
• having "a thing for Asians"
• having "yellow fever"
• having "yellow plague" (from untreated yellow fever)
• having "bamboo fever"
• being "of the Asian persuasion"
• being a "pinkerton" (after the character from Madama Butterfly)
• being a "rice king" (contrast with "rice queen" below)
• being a "rice lover" ^[5][6]
• being a "rice chaser"

In gay slang, a homosexual man who has an Asian fetish may be referred to as:

• a "rice queen" if he is non-Asian
• "sticky rice" if he is Asian

The wider term: having "jungle fever" is used to indicate a preference for the members of any ethnic group whose members tend to have a darker skin tone.

Some terms can be used innocuously or even in a positive way to indicate a great interest in Asian culture but may also suggest an Asian fetish depending on the context and the intention of the speaker:

• Asiaphile
• Sinophile
• Japanophile
• Orientalist
• an Egg (person) - the opposite of an Asian being a banana
• being "down with the bamboo" (although this is more likely to imply an Asia fetish)

Sexual slurs exist to describe the act of sex with Asians, or the behavior displayed by those thought to have an Asian fetish:

• "hitting the slopes"
• "Capturing the Pokemon"
• "Raping the flower"

[edit] Explanations for Asian fetish

This topic of Asian fetishes is extremely controversial with some people claiming it is a harmless sexual preference while others argue that Asia fetish is both racist and socially harmful. The distinction between these viewpoints is linked to different positions as to the underlying cause of the underlying sexual preference.

[edit] Asian fetish as a stereotyping of Asian personality traits

Asian American social activists primarily use the term "Asian fetish" to address what they see as stereotyping and objectification of Asians in Western society^[7]. According to author Sheridan Prasso, "Asian fetish" denotes a perceived sexual attraction favoring Asian women:

"...not for who they are as people, but for their race or perceptions of the culture that they come from." ^[8]

Thus it has been argued that Asian fetishists are racist and sexist against Asians because the attraction or sexual preference is based either partly or wholly on race or racial stereotypes.

Some argue that there is a distinction between individuals who are attracted to Asians for those stereotypes and individuals who are attracted to Asian culture. However, some Asians do not accept the explanation of a generalized and gender-specific attraction toward Asian women, given the diversity of Asian cultures and different degrees of acculturation among Asians and Asian Americans, and the prevalence of non-gender-specific cultural differences between Asians and Americans. Some Asians also argue that the interest in Asian culture is limited to the most accessible aspects of the culture such as cuisine and fashion.^[9]

[edit] Stereotypical media portrayals

Recent portrayals of Asians in the American media, in some cases, have avoided many of the stereotypes of the past (see Ethnic stereotypes in American media), and the increased availability of media directly from Asia makes the stereotypical basis that would support an Asian fetish less relevant than in the past. However, many note that Asian-Americans in every day situations are not being portrayed in these foreign media, adding to the perception that they are foreigners, even when they are not. The bulk of media directly from Asia tends to be martial arts related. Some believe that these foreign media reinforce the stereotypes that others claim that they are eliminating, or create new ones.^{[citation needed]}

See Ethnic stereotypes in American media

[edit] Asian fetish as an aesthetic preference

Some people argue that a preference for Asian partners is no different to a preference for blond haired partners.

Some authors, such as Phoebe Eng, argue that not all Asians feel that the current trend of "Asian fetish" is bad, since it has given new sexual visibility and liberation to an otherwise invisible and disempowered minority ^[10].

However there are Asian women who claim that it is "not as innocent as it looks"[1] . Yin Ling Leung, organizational director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum states:

"Asian fetish is seen as a tongue-in-cheek thing, like 'We just happen to like Asian women,' 'It’s not as innocent as it looks.' Leung said."

[edit] Anthropological explanation of Asian fetishes

It has been commonplace among anthropologists since the 19th century to describe East Asians as "pedomorphous races". Egon Freiherr von Eickstedt e.g. in his "Rassengeschichte Ostasiens" gives a uniquely exact description of the East and South East Asian racial realities and analyses the pedomorphosis in Bolk's sense as a childlike "ontogenetic primitivity". This could be one explanation for certain men's attraction to East and South East Asian women. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Use in pornography

In its use in pornography, an Asian fetish is claimed to be a form of sexual fetish in which preferences are given to pornography that feature White man/Asian actresses or White women/Asian actors.

See also:

• Pornography by region
• Race oriented pornography

[edit] Use as a condemnation of intra-race relationships

There is strong disagreement with the assertion and believe that a sexual preference for Asians is essentially harmless. Such a view is sometimes criticised on the basis that the use of the term to describe one's sexual preference for Asian women is a way to indiscriminately condemn all relationships between Asian women and non-Asian men.

It is also the basis of angst for people in interracial relationships or contemplating them. Erika Kim^[11] explains the impact this concept has had on her life:

I started to think any white guy who had a proclivity for Asian women automatically had an Asian fetish. I started to feel more pressure to associate with Asian people, and I felt guilty when I had a crush on a white guy because of the debates over the politics of interracial dating and miscegenation among Asians and Caucasians.

And it can cause non-Asian men in these relationships or contemplating them to feel persecuted by social disapproval of an "Asian fetish."

Many people consider the term "Asian fetishist" to be racist, complaining that the people who use the term treat all cases of sexual attraction as objectification or fetishism, dismissing the possibility that Asian fetish is perfectly normal and socially healthy. Users of the term may be accused of being racists who unfairly hold up to greater scrutiny and criticism interracial relationships involving Asian people, and thus use the term to discourage these interracial relationships by stigmatizing them. In the past, racial supremacists opposed such relationships, though today in the United States, critics of interracial dating are sometimes from non-White ethnic groups[2]. Some critics find irony that in an attempt to fight negative stereotypes about Asians and minority Asian populations, new stereotypes about interracial couples are being created and spread.^{[citation needed]}

See also Interracial marriage

[edit] Asian fetish as a cause of crime

While many consider an Asian fetish as a benign phenomenon that does not need to be taken seriously, some Asian American authors and activists claim that the proclivity has dangerous implications ^[12] . There are critics of the negative connotations of Asian fetish that claim that Asian fetish is a harmless behavior or preference. Although some Asian women view it as harmful^[13], others find it empowering ^[14].

There are those who claim that Asian fetish is the cause of sex crimes targeting Asian American woman. In an article in AsianWeek[3], author Lisa Wong writes:

Asian American women across the country are outraged and disgusted by the arrest of a Princeton student two weeks ago for harassing fellow Asian women students. Many believe the incident is symptomatic of larger problems, including stereotypes and the exotification of Asian women.

See also Sex crimes against Asian women in the United States

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Angry Asian Man
• Asian American contemporary issues
• Asian pride
• Asiaphile
• Goldsea Asian American Daily
• Interracial marriage
• Japanophile
• Stereotypes of Asians
• Popular psychology
• Racist love
• Sex crimes against Asian women in the United States
• Sinophile

[edit] External links

• AMPHA | Asian Male Public Health Association (another satire website on yellow fever)
• AMWF | AMWF forums (forums for Asian Male and Non-Asian Females)

News reports:

• "Facing Up to Facebook Racism", Campusprogress.org, May 24, 2005. -- News survey of campus racial bias cases. Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "AASA accuses publications of racism", Yale Daily News, April 17, 2006. Accessed May 3, 2006.

Editorials:

• Princeton Incident Shows Extreme Case of Asian Fetish, AsianWeek.com.
• For Asian women, 'fetish' is less than benign, YaleDailyNews.com.
• "The How's and Why's Behind the Fetish - Opinions of an ABC", asiazine.com.
• "The Asian America That Can Say 'No'", Modelminority.com. (Originally published in The Daily Californian, September 9, 1991) Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "Why Do Asian Women Date White Men?", Modelminority.com. (Originally published on Usenet, April 22, 1992) Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "The Foreigner as Fetish", Salon.com, July 23, 1999. Accessed May 3, 2006.
• "The Yellow Fever Pages", Zukazuka.com, 2002. Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "Asian Fetish?", Salon.com, December 4, 2003. -- Sex-advice column. Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "Sex and the Campus Case 6: Attack of Yellow Fever", The Harbus Online, January 26, 2004. -- Op-ed piece from Harvard student newspaper. Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "The Asian Female Mystique", The Korea Times, May 27, 2005. Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "Racial Fetishes", Punchandus.com, October/November 2005 issue. -- Humor. Accessed February 17, 2006.
• "Confessions of a 'Rice King'", The Asians in America Project, May 2005. Accessed June 4, 2006.
• Origins of the Angry Asian American LeftA pundit who claims that the creation of "angry" politically-minded Asian American men is caused partly by Asian fetish and an interracial dating disparity between Asian men and Asian women.

Multimedia:

• Yellow Fever (Video) Humorous take on its title by Asian American filmmakers
• Some Questions for 28 Kisses (8 mins, ©1994) by hapa filmmaker Kip Fulbeck Clip (requires Quicktime plugin) Preview examines Asian fetishes