Race Issues in the Asian Community

What is racism?

Racism is the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another. Racism includes prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed towards another racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized. Racism can also be systemic in how institutions and policies oppress BIPOC folks while giving advantages to white people.

Racism in the Asian community

There are many race-related issues in the Asian community, whether it is towards ourselves or from us onto others.

Asians face many forms of discrimination such as the normalization of racism in forms of offensive jokes, stereotypes, and cultural appropriation. The Asian culture is also not as represented in films but when it is, it's usually whitewashed or based on stereotypes.

Despite the discrimination we face, Asians are also discriminatory towards others. There's a lot of anti-Blackness in the community as well as prejudice against other minorities.

It is time to step up and make a change to help better the community by educating ourselves and unlearning what was taught wrong to bring justice.

The normalization of racism against Asians

Normalized racism against Asians includes offensive jokes, mocking gestures of Asian characteristics, assuming one's ethnicity based off their appearance, etc.

Things that should be considered racist aren't because they have been normalized and accepted.

The "fox eye" trend is when people use make-up and pull their eyes back to make the eyes look more slanted. Although there is no problem with the make-up, the gesture is equivalent to people pulling their eyes back to mock Asians for their eyes shape.

This trend has now become an example of normalized racism. This seemingly popular and well known style has ironically become a form of oppression. It is considered offensive because when white people pull their eyes back, it's viewed as attractive stylish meanwhile Asians get mocked for having slanted eyes.

A scene from "American Born Chinese" shows how a classmate assumed Jin to eat dogs based off him being Chinese.

The students in the class also assumed that Jin and another Asian student were related based on their race and appearances.

Asians are commonly mocked for their culture and appearance whether it's in the form of a joke or an insult. Stereotypes lead to racial bias and the more racial biases someone has, the more likely it is that they are racist. Assuming all Asians eat dogs is a form of normalized racism and having a racial bias. Although it is okay to be curious about Asian cultures and question about them, it's better to be respectful and understanding, not overtly racist.

Cultural appropriation

Cultural appropriation is when someone takes an aspect or customs from a culture that is not their own, and uses it for their own personal interest without acknowledging the culture.

Cultural appropriation is most prominent in pop culture like music and fashion. Hairstyles, clothing, and make-up can be taken and used for trends or looks. This is harmful because the tradition and history that makes up one's culture can be overlooked and get their meaning erased over time. Certain hairstyles, clothing, and make-up have many meanings and value to one's culture, and not acknowledging them are disrespectful.

Examples:

Katy Perry dressing up in a geisha outfit in a performance
BTS Park Jimin wearing an Indigenous headdress for a W Korea photoshoot
Fashion brands/designers taking Asian minorities' designs/textiles

Culture appreciation is when someone acknowledges and seeks to understand another culture by following and learning about the customs. Dressing in traditional garments and respecting the culture is an example of culture appreciation.

Asian representation in the media

Asians are barely represented in foreign media despite there being 18.2 million Asians living in the US and when they are presented, they aren't done so in a good light.

The history of Asians aren't studied in schools creating a gap in literature.
Hollywood's portrayal of Asians are usually based on stereotypes or Asian characters are portrayed by Non-Asians.
- Ghost in the shell character, Mokoto Kusanagi, was played by Scarlett Johansson, a white actress, even though there are many Asian actresses in Hollywood able to play the character as well.
- Wendy Wu portrayed Asian characters in a very stereotypical way -- All Asians know martial arts, speak with an accent etc.
- Crazy Rich Asians although played by all Asian actors and actresses, did not portray Asians in an accurate way. The characters in the movie were very westernized. They lived very lashived lifestyles and gave off the message that Asians are only seen as cool or successful and can only be accepted if they adhere to western standards.
Asians that are shown in the media don't fit into the western standards of beauty so they are usually fetishized and sexualized.
- When portrayed in films, Asians usually have monolids and are short. They follow stereotypes of what Asians would look like despite there being many types of Asians; even Asians that fit into western standards with double eyelids and strong nosebridges.
- Asian women are seen as submissive, hypersexual and exotic which can lead to violence against them.

Model Minority Myth

Model minority myth is the idea that the Asian community is the example as to what all minorities should be (using stereotypes) to repress them. Asians were seen as obedient, quiet and hardworking. People who don't complain about injustice and just accept it. These stereotypes were used to pressure other minority groups into adhering to the system that oppresses them.

The model minority myth started in the 1960s during the civil rights movements. It was created to pit Asians against Black folks (Asians are able to succeed so Black folks shouldn't need to be fighting for civil rights. If Black folks can't find success, it's not the fault of the societal structure but their own failure. Created to benefit the state; doesn't actually benefit Asians or any minority).

All minority groups are harmed because the success of a few Asians are being used to oppress every other minority so their struggles are invalidated.

Yellow peril is an ideological view of what Asians are; Asians are viewed as threatening to the West. Some examples are COVID-19 and Asians taking over jobs and lands.