The Asian Perspective: At the Intersect of Racism, Sexism & Assimilation

Maya Bingaman (left): Chinese, adopted, grew up in Lancaster, PA

** Just a friendly disclaimer that these thoughts are my own and do not reflect the entirety of the Asian population

Michelle Truong (center): Vietnamese-American, grew up in San Jose California

Maggie Peng (right): Chinese, residing in the United States for 6+ years

Right now is a pivotal time in United States history, where we the people are experiencing a civil rights movement, pandemic, and many other things that we should be aware and concerned about. However, the internal struggles that I have been feeling are that the topics of racism and oppression have either become biracial or are silenced all together. Many times growing up, when I learned about diversity and inclusion or asked about it, the discussions tapered off completely or to the dichotomy of Black and White.

The “oppression olympics” is not necessary. I believe that most individuals who come from an underrepresented group have experienced a form of racism, prejudice, or another type of oppression at home, in the workforce or even in their day to day life. However, the type of oppression that each marginalized group sees varies.

It is important for me as an Asian woman living in the United States to shed light on the history of racism that Asians (specifically with a focus on East Asians) have faced before me and ongoing concerns that the community may have.

A BRIEF History of Racism, Oppression and Prejudice Towards Asians

During grade school I’m sure you learned about the triangular slave trade and the atrocities that Africans faced as they were forced from their countries and traded by Europeans for American goods such as sugar and weapons. However, what our educational systems forgot to mention is that as slave trade of African was slowing in the early 19th century, the trade of “coolies” (i.e Asians) was just beginning.

May 6, 1882, President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which denied Chinese laborers the ability to immigrate to the United States. This law came after decades of service that Chinese immigrants put forth to create the transcontinental railroad. The reason behind this law was contention and bitter attitudes towards Chinese immigrants who were taking part in the Gold Rush.

The attack on Pearl Harbor is a point in U.S history that will not be forgotten. However, that event also sparked paranoia and racism towards Japanese and Japanese-Americans residing in the United States. Many Japanese individuals were subject to curfews, frozen bank accounts, detention without trial and confined to internment camps without charges.

Those are just a few examples of a long unspoken history of discrimination that Asian and Asian-Americans have faced. Additional pieces of history to look into are the murder of Asians like Vincent Chen and anti-miscegenation laws that prohibited Asians from being in interracial relationships.

Racism Persists, But Who Noticed?

Because of the “model-minority” title that Asians have been given, there is tension between us and other racial minorities that sometimes don't even acknowledge us as people of color (POC). As a “model-minority,” it is especially important that we stand in solidarity with all people of color, as our privilege may create a platform for others. That being said, it is also appreciated when other people of color and allies stand in solidarity with us and acknowledge the discriminations that Asians are facing.

(See the original post here)

Anti-Chinese sentiment is on the rise and has been since the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The United States President, Donald Trump, and other leaders have been documented numerous times referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus,” thus emboldening the racism towards Asians in our country. I personally have experienced this racism while being berated on the street as I walked home from my last day of graduate school as quarantine was predicted.

Many popular news outlets haven’t shown the prevalence of this racism, that’s why I implore you to follow a variety of news and pop culture accounts tailored towards a variety demographics such as @JackFroot or the New Humanitarian.

Westernized Beauty Standards and Appropriation

If you’re Asian and grew up in the U.S. the image of a white kid making “Asian eyes” towards you at recess will still make you internally cringe as a full-grown adult. I don’t even have a single eye-lid as some Asians do, but that gesture alone made me feel alienated and insecure when I was a child. For some East Asians, their eye shape is a major insecurity. Many people don’t realize, but some East Asians undergo surgery or use eyelid tape to create a crease and get rid of the single eye-lid they have.

Of course, after years of making fun of slanted eyes, Western society has embraced it as its own and deemed it a new beauty goal. The fox eye challenge has recently made its debut in pop-culture and many East Asians are patiently waiting for White people to understand that forcing a slanted eye look for Instagram is kind of triggering and still cringeworthy.

(See the original article by Sydney Ling here)

Skin tone was another one of the first physical traits I noticed that differentiated me from most of the people around me growing up. I remember not wanting to tan too much at one point in my life, granted that fell by the wayside since I spent all of my summers playing and then working at summer camps.

Michelle Truong has noticed colorism in her life as well. She says, “My family members wear long sleeves and hats to avoid tanning, so it's interesting seeing beauty standards. I know for Vietnamese people specifically you have to look spotless and white to fit the skin-tone beauty standards. Tan is not the goal.”

Additionally, we see East Asian women bleaching their hair in the desire to assimilate and look more western (some people do it because they just like it too).

The long-lived expectation for Asian body types has also been confined to being petite and thin. Take for example, the “paper thin” craze in China a few years ago. I remember asking some of my Chinese friends this past year why Chinese girls wear baggy clothes and they explained to me that women do that to cover their figures if they don’t think they’re small enough. This could be an effect of western influence or the strong sense of patriarchy and male judgements in Asia. Truong shares, “Patriarchy has always been a huge thing, but in Asian communities it's still prevalent.”

Real flattery or “Yellow Fever”?

We just discussed beauty standards and the struggle East Asian women may face to feel beautiful and appreciated in society; however, there is a double-edged sword to being attractive and Asian. This is the place where racism and sexism collide.

East-Asian people, but especially women, have to question if they are being seen as wholely human or if men are objectifying them and seeing them as as the cure to their “yellow fever,” “Asian fetish,” “rice queening,” or whatever other terms exist for the preference towards dating Asians.

I need to preface my next statement by explaining, most people do have a preference of characteristics in partners. Some individuals like tall people, blondes, big eyes etc. Some men really do just find dark hair, dark eyes and tan skin tones because they genuinely find it appealing.

However, East Asian women are typically objectified and sought after because of the stereotype that they are exotic, subservient and docile. I am personally very aware of this stereotype and enter relationships skeptically to avoid being a trend. Truong shares, “I was actually with a friend who had a guest with him who said he would love an Asian in his life. It makes me wonder if people are judging me or the look of me...I don't even want to trust anyone. Who knows if they’re appreciating me for me or because I could be ‘the Asian in their life.’”

To be clear, exoticization is a micro aggression and can be considered racist.

Microaggressions, Stereotypes and Ongoing Concerns

Beyond fetishes and beauty standards, I also want society to understand that Asians experience oppression, prejudice and other microaggressions like any other minority and are made to feel out of place in U.S. society.

Some examples of these are :

● Strangers asking, “where are you from,” when they wouldn’t typically ask other people that question.

Maggie Peng clarifies that for some people like herself, this question isn’t bothersome. She explains, “It’s half confidence and half having low expectations of people. We’re doomed to have biases and stereotypes. I also don't think there is a difference between asking what your nationality is and people guessing where I’m from? In both situations, a person most likely has a hypothesis. I have every right to correct them.”

Truong says, “I disagree a little. How you frame questions is important. But when you ask someone something, out of respect, asking what your nationality is is different than assuming race.”

● Lumping all East Asian students into one group. Throughout college and jobs, I have been mistaken for other Asian females. I get it, mistakes happen, but when we are the minority and take time to differentiate our workers, it does make me feel kind of invisible for someone to not care about my identity enough to figure out the differences between me and the other Asian women.

● In university: Assuming Asians are incompetent international students (or the opposite-- math geniuses with tiger-moms who earn straight A’s that should carry you in class projects). The same applies to the workforce when Asians receive jobs. Co-workers may hold higher standards and expectations and assume Asians don't need as much assistance with work, leaving the group burnt out and feeling undervalued or underpaid. This is very concerning considering that Asian Americans are three times less likely to ask for mental health help compared to White Americans.

● Prevalence in abuse against Asian women, who are also the least likely group to report abuse or seek help.

● Keeping Asians in subordinate positions and not allowing them to try leadership positions even with the technical skills necessary.

Asian Americans are seen as the worker bees and reliable but this positive bias also leaves us with more work and less reward. Asians Americans are the least likely group to be promoted to management level positions. Additionally, I will add that Asian’s are also heavily underrepresented in some working sectors. From the communications industry alone, only 3.4% of the public relations sector is Asian, leaving us as the most underrepresented group other than Native American if it were to be included.

- Hispanic (13.6%), and Black (11%) groups

● Confronting non-English speaking Asians in situations when language competency is unnecessary and unfair to expect.

Peng shares, “The most prejudiced situation I remember was one time that I was getting coffee. I was ordering and they said “please” after I was done ordering and I realized they were correcting me to be more courteous. It was enraging and embarrassing at the same time for them to correct my mannerisms.”

Why Don’t Asian’s Assert Themselves?

An ongoing question I have recieved is why Asians lack a voice in society? Why are we known as being complacent and having less allies than other marginalized groups such as African Americans?

Peng adds, “African American may have a stronger community because there is a bigger collective struggle that is imminent.” When I thought about this, it made sense. Asians and other minorities within the United States experience different racism and prejudice that Black people do. Although we do experience aggression and blatant racism, much of the prejudice we experience is quiet bias and microaggressions.

"Truong states that there still needs to be conversations. I try to share my background and learn about others, support my Asian-American friends, and lift them up. Our generation has already began spearheading these conversations about race but we need to keep educating each other. There is a line in a song I like that goes, ‘If you only have love for your own race, you only have space to discriminate.’”

She adds, “Of course I love the movies Crazy Rich Asian and Black Panther where there’s a cast of one race but we should have more content that displays the social makeup of the society we live in. In our everyday lives we interact with people from various backgrounds. Movies like Ocean’s 8 is a good example. Netflix also does a good job with shows like On My Block, Never Have I Ever, and Dear White People."

I still question the lack of intersectionality and why my society seems to keep diversity discussions centered on Black and White while excluding sexuality, other races, abilities and other identities. I have hope that change is coming, especially with our newly elected Vice President, Kamala Harris, who is the nation's first female, Black and Asian-American VP-- intersectionality at its finest. However, we cannot rely on one group of politicians, leaders, or figureheads to solve all of our problems, no one is going to know there is a problem unless we self-advocate and educate others.

I may never have the answers I’m searching for, so all I can do now is keep dialogue going and my mind open to new perspectives and facts. As Jimmy Yang put it once, “When you wake up Asian, you can only represent Asians.”