Read on Twitter
There have been several occasions where people have implied that I look "effeminate." Other Asian American men have experienced this as well.
According to some research on gendered racism, this effeminization of Asian American men has a long history.
When Chinese men came to
According to some research on gendered racism, this effeminization of Asian American men has a long history.
When Chinese men came to
California to work in mines and on the railroads, the KKK employed racial terrorism that forced Chinese men to work in "feminine" jobs like laundry and housekeeping.
Xenophobic laws prevented Chinese women from immigrating to the US, and antimiscegenation laws prevented Chinese
Xenophobic laws prevented Chinese women from immigrating to the US, and antimiscegenation laws prevented Chinese
men from marrying outside of their race, resulting in tons of single Chinese men. Whites then used the media to make mainstream the idea that Asian men were either uninterested in sex or were homosexuals.
Further, White supremacist ("White is right") definitions of masculinity
Further, White supremacist ("White is right") definitions of masculinity
made preposterous assumptions about Chinese men and their clothing, hairstyles, and bodily features in order to prop up the White ideal of masculinity and protect the White ideal of femininity.
A resurgence of this effeminization occurred during World War II and Japanese
A resurgence of this effeminization occurred during World War II and Japanese
internment. On top of all of this is the "yellow peril" stereotypes and "model minority" myth that presented both a dangerous foreign invasion as well as a robotic, emotionless (therefore romance-less) asset for the White status quo.
This stereotype continues today, & sadly,
This stereotype continues today, & sadly,
I've heard it most from professing Christians, especially of the complementarian stripe. It's also a huge reminder that the whole "gender roles" conversation in evangelicalism is very much tied up with White masculinity ideals and the subjugation of non-White men and women.
Also, gendered racism explains the hypersexualization that is stereotyped of Black men and women at the hands of White supremacy and White masculine ideals.
