Costume Party

From being racially segregated to fetishized, the perception of Asian women in America has evolved drastically through the decades; racial violence against Asian-American women has taken on a new mask in recent years through the form of Asian-fishing. As Asian women continue their struggle to overcome harmful stereotypes that have been forced upon them, white women promote those same stereotypes through what their privilege allows them to see as simple fashion choices —lining and taping their eyes, donning Japanese school-girl uniforms, and assuming the docile, child-like, yet overtly sexual caricature that dangerously threatens their Asian counterparts.  

As the year 2019 drew to a close, Pornhub proudly boasted that there were 45 billion visits in the past year; visits where terms such as “Japanese,” “hentai,” “Korean,” “Anime,” “Chinese,” and “Indian,” were among the most searched terms of the year, and with the majority of Pornhub visits coming from the U.S., Pornhub’s search history shouldn’t come as a surprise. The popularity of Asian porn is simply an extension of America’s long history of demonizing and fetishizing Asian people, especially Asian women. 

Following the flood of Asian immigrants into the U.S. during the 18th century, Asian women were immediately met with hostility. As the new, racial “other,” many believed that Chinese women posed a threat to the morality of American men, perpetuating the belief that Chinese women had only immigrated to the U.S. as prostitutes (Ramirez). The Page Act of 1875 was quickly enacted, prohibiting “the importation of unfree laborers and women brought for ‘immoral purposes’ [which was] mainly enforced against Chinese” (Immigration History). But, the demonization of Asian women coincides with their fetishization; Americans love the role of the obedient and exotic sexual figure that Asian women are forced into, just as much as they hate Asian women. From the first Asian-American movie star, Anna May Wong, who was only given “sensual and subservient” roles, to the flood of Asian-related search words that have overtaken Pornhub, Americans love to see Asian women in media, but only when they can fulfill Americans’ fetishizing perception of Asian women as exotic and sexually deviant objects. 

The sexualization and objectification of Asian women are not only dehumanizing but dangerous as well. In 2020, up to “55% of Asian women in the U.S. [reported] experiencing intimate physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime” (APIGBV). According to Stop AAPI Hate, an organization dedicated to standing against and tracking the recent wave of hate crimes against Asian-Americans, 68% of the reports they received concerning anti-Asian hate or violence, came from women. In Atlanta, Georgia, six Asian women were shot and killed by Robert Aaron Long, who stated his actions were in response to his “sexual addiction” and to eliminate his “temptation.” Asian women are disproportionately affected by physical and sexual violence, and their sexualization and objectification are harmful— deadly, even. So, why do white women perpetuate the violence by condoning the dangerous stereotypes that are forced upon Asian women? 

White women, such as the infamous porn star, Belle Delphine, do their hair and makeup according to Asian trends, put on anime-inspired outfits and accessories, and act out the exact obedient and sexually deviant fantasy that American men have of Asian women. But, whereas Delphine can wipe off her makeup and change out of her clothes at the end of the day, Asian women have no choice but to face the dangerous consequences of their white counterparts’ actions. 

Despite the numerous attempts Asian people have made to advocate for themselves, Asian-fishers often respond defensively with statements such as, “It’s just eyeliner,” or “It’s just clothes.” But the issue has never been just the eyeliner or just the outfit — the issue has always been the incessant encouragement of the obedient, yet sexually deviant stereotype that has proven to be dangerous and deadly for Asian women. To don a character that imitates the most dangerous facets of Americans’ perception of Asian women, whether it be through seemingly harmless makeup, clothing, or accessories, is to condone the violence against Asian women and to play an active hand in the deadly sexualization of Asian women.
 

Sources
“The 2019 Year in Review.” Pornhub Insights, PornHub, 11 December 2019, https://www.pornhub.com/insights/2019-year-in-review. Accessed 5 July 2021.
“8 Dead in Atlanta Spa Shootings, With Fears of Anti-Asian Bias.” The New York Times, New York Times, 26 March 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/03/17/us/shooting-atlanta-acworth. Accessed 5 July 2021.
Gonzales, Erica. “Hollywood Tries to Right Anna May Wong's Story -- Here's What Really Happened.” Bazaar, Harpers Bazaar, 1 May 2020, https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a32346961/who-is-anna-may-wong-hollywood-star/. Accessed 4 July 2021.
“Page Law (1875).” Immigration History, The University of Texas at Austin, 2019, https://immigrationhistory.org/item/page-act/. Accessed 4 July 2021.
“Statistics on Violence Against API Women.” APIGBV, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, 2017, https://www.api-gbv.org/about-gbv/statistics-violence-against-api-women/. Accessed 5 July 2021.
Vox. “The History of Fetishizing Asian Women.” Vox, VoxMedia, 19 March 2021, https://www.vox.com/22338807/asian-fetish-racism-atlanta-shooting. Accessed 4 July 2021.