Draft:Asain-American Women

• Comment: Reads like a school assignment on stereotypes of Asian women. Bkissin (talk) 01:10, 4 February 2024 (UTC)

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History

In 1875, Congress passed the Page Act, the first federal immigration restriction statute which resulted in harmful stereotypes about Asian women. This Act forbids "'the importation of [Asian] women for the purposes of prostitution'." This prevented Asian women from immigrating to America, regardless of whether they were in prostitution or not. The 14th Amendment "granted citizenship to all persons 'born or naturalized in the United States'." This meant Chinese women posed a threat because of their high fertility rates. Therefore, the enactment of the Page Act prevented a growing population of American-born Chinese children.

Stereotypes

The "Military Man"

The American "Military Man" identity shaped by military culture, comes from hypersexual stereotypes about Asian women. The "Military Man" is expected to be masculine; not feminine. Prior to President Truman singing the Women's Armed Services Integration Act in 1948, allowing women to serve in the military, women were excluded from participation. Although restrictions set the percentage of women in any branch to 2%. The terms "ladies" or "girls" have been used to insult and degrade soldiers. Gay soldiers are perceived negatively as they are seen as a woman soldier. Socially, Asian women are perceived and stereotyped as the opposite of the "Military Man", "'whether she is serving him, seducing him, loving him or simply part of the context in which he acts, the key ingredient is the man, especially a white, Western man'." This view was supported by the military's connection to prostitution during wars in Asia.

"Hospitality Women"

Soldiers stationed abroad have been supported for a long time to be active in the sex industry by the military. During the Vietnam War, soldiers serving in the War were entitled to seven days "Rest and Recreation" (R&R) or "Intoxication and Intercourse". The United States set up R&R centers in Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Tokyo and Sydney, boosting the economy: "Almost 300,000 Americans and 18,000 Australians spent their R&R in Sydney, and the scheme contributed $80 million to Australia's economy." Referred to as "hospitality women", women from working-class backgrounds worked in bars and massage parlours, selling sexual labor. In the Philippines, hospitality women had to register for health checks with the U.S. military "to ensure they were healthy enough to engage in sex work."

Lotus Flower Trope

The "Lotus Blossom", also referred to as "Celestial Lady", "Geisha Girl", "Butterfly", and "China Doll" typically refers to East Asian women as "subservients, sexually submissive, and docile objects for the taking." Often perceived as the ideal woman, they are seen attending to every man's need, appearing innocent and pure while possessing sexual awareness and knowledge.This trope comes from "early Western exoticization and fetishization of Asian women" where many U.S. soldiers engaged in the sex trade during wars in Asia, leading to an association between Asia, Asian women, and prostitution.

Noteworthy Representation

Robert G. Lee's book Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture portrays the historical accounts of American newspapers amplifying the connection between Asian women and the sex trade during the late 1800s; a period when Chinese and Japanese women, usually sold as prostitutes, were forced to U.S.

Full Metal Jacket a 1987 film depicts this trope through a Vietnamese prostitute who using the line "'Me so horny. Me love you long time'", approaches two American soldiers. Since then, this line has been used in various other products. Such as Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back," Fergie's "London Bridge", Nelly Furtado's "Maneater", South Park, The Office, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Miss Saigon the musical depicts this trope through a 17-year old Vietnamese girl who works in a brothel and is impregnated by her U.S. marine lover who abandons her. This character is portrayed as "sexually available, helpless, and completely centered around her love for a white man, the classic hallmarks of the Lotus Flower trope."

Kim from "Miss Saigon", Chiyo from "Memoirs of a Geisha", and Mantis from "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2", these Asian female characters are portrayed as submissive to white men and easy to take advantage of. This stereotype is prevalent in anime and manga, where Asian women are sexualized as "Schoolgirls".

Some other films that depict this trope are Sayonara, The World of Suzie Wong, and Year of the Dragon.

The Dragon Lady Trope

The Dragon Lady archetype embodies a powerful and ruthless character, based on biased views that consider the East as uncivilized. This role originates from anti-Asian sentiments and the concept of yellow peril. They are stereotyped as cunning and thieving, using their "sexual prowess in a cunning, deceitful, and manipulative manner." This portrayal involves elements like samurai swords, martial arts, dragon imagery, and body-con qipao or kimonos. In the early 1900s, Asian women were restricted from playing lead roles opposite white men. This meant they were often casted as villains. This trope is still prevalent as can be seen in action movies or violent video games.

Noteworthy Representation

Shoba Rajgopal's article "The Daughter of Fu Manchu", the Dragon Lady "'seduces and then destroys'."

Terry and the Pirates a 1934 comic strip originates this trope through a seductive and evil Asian woman named "Dragon Lady".

Lucy Liu's early career as an actress was spent playing Dragon Lady characters. She acted as Ling Woo in Ally McBeal, a sexually manipulative and villainous lawyer. Some of her lines were "'sex is a weapon', and '[t]here's nothing I enjoy more than seeing a happy couple and coming between them'."

Anna May Wong is Hollywood's blueprint of the Dragon Lady. Actress of princess in Daughter of the Dragon, prostitute in Shanghai Express, and a Mongol Slave in The Thief of Bagdad.

Princess Ling Moy from "Daughter of the Dragon", O-Ren Ishii from "Kill Bill Vol.1", and Ling from "You Only Live Twice" are characters who depict this trope and are hypersexual and lack emotional depth.

Notable Figures

Patsy Mink, an American born Japanese, became the first woman of colour elected to the House of Representatives in 1964. Her career in Congress spanned from 1964 to 1977 and 1990 to 2002, representing Hawaii state. Before her election, she faced gender discrimination. However, Mink later penned the first draft of Title IX, later renamed to Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in honor of Mink. This legislation advanced gender equity for education within federal funding policies.

Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first Asian American, to hold this position. She was also the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco's history, and the first African American woman and South Asian American woman in California to hold this position. Additionally, she is also the first female Attorney General of California. Prior to her election as vice president, Harris served as an United States Senator.

Chien-Shiung Wu was the first woman to be president of the American Physical Society. Wu's team confirmed the theory of subatomic particle behaviour. Wu is believed to be the only Chinese person to have worked on the Manhattan Project. During the project, her research area included "improving Geiger counters for the detection of radiation and the enrichment of uranium in large quantities." Later, she made the first confirmation of Enrico Fermi's theory of beta decay. Wu has also been awarded many medals and prizes, including the National Medal of Science, the Comstock Prize, the Wolf Prize in Physics, and the first honorary doctorate awarded to a woman at Princeton University.

Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii was the only queen regnant and the last sovereign ruler of Hawaii. She was also a songwriter, when she were still a princess, she wrote the song "Aloha Oe". After being crowned queen in 1891, she "advocated for Hawaiian sovereignty and cultural retention for the rest of her life." Her goal was to restore the Hawaiian monarchy power although in 1895, she was forced to surrender the throne.

Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-born American woman to go to space in 1997. In the 1980s, Chawla immigrated to the United States and earned a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado. She worked at NASA's Ames Research Center in 1988, and in 1994, Chawla was selected as an astronaut candidate. "During her time as an astronaut, NASA invited Chawla's secondary school to take part in their Summer Space Experience Program", because of Chawla's passion for providing opportunities for young girls in India. In November 1997, Chawla boarded the space shuttle Columbia on flight STS-87. In January 16, 2003, Chawla boarded STS-107. On February 1, 2003, the shuttle broke and Chawla died. Chawala has been awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and the NASA Distinguished Service medal.