This piece connects the imagery of postcards and sex tourism. It discusses how ideas of sex tourism affect Asian women ie. men thinking they have the right to touch Asian women when travelling abroad, seeing Asian women as being inherently linked to sex work and how that can lead to abuse and violence, etc.
Connecting the iconic schoolgirl sailor uniform to the infantilizing of Asian women, who have been stereotyped as “immature, childlike, small, infantile looking, needing guidance and not to be taken seriously.” The sexualization of this uniform speaks to a number of things, namely infantilism but also the inherent pedophilia that exists within aspects of Asian fetish.
Monument imagery, in which the large sculptural monument represents East Asians being seen as the “default” Asian, and sometimes the only type of women that fetishizers see as being “Asian,” completely disregarding other Asian women in favour of their ignorant fetishist ideals. Many times the “ideal [east] Asian” is not necessarily rooted in reality, but instead takes on the form of the fetishist’s generalizations and stereotypes of [east] Asian women. Asian women who exist beyond these stereotypes (ie. Asian women who have traits such as being darker-skinned, having curly hair, being hairy, southeast Asian women, South Asian women, etc.) are of little or no value to some Asian fetishists. East Asian women are made into a pinnacle of fetishization against their unwillingly and against their control. Subsequently, they represented by the monument, which is overshadowing and standing before other Asian women, illustrating how not all Asian women are equal in the eyes of the fetishizer.
A comic that touches on the aspect of Asian fetish where Asian women are seen as a means of fulfilling the fetishist’s obsession and/or fascination with anime. In other words, Asian women as a substitution for some kind of anime fantasy.
Purikura photos in relation to “kawaii” culture & how many Asians feel forced to emulate this kind of aesthetic. It connects being Asian to a specific aesthetic & exemplifies the statement that Asians themselves are simply an aesthetic for fetishists. Perpetuated by weeaboos, koreaboos, &/or those who partake in “asianfishing” (ie. the attempt to convert your current facial features to more resemble facial features that are more prominent to Asians in general. In extreme examples, asianfishers will also lie about/pretend to be Asian or of Asian descent.)
Paperchain dolls in connection to the idea that all Asians are seen as interchangeable by some fetishizers. In this case, we’re not viewed as individuals, we are seen as lacking any real identity to the fetishizers besides being Asian. They completely ignore different ethnicities, and more importantly, they ignore that these women are their own people with value and their own lived experiences. The fetishizers take interest in them solely because they’re Asian regardless of their actual ethnic background because they just want to date an Asian and any will do.
This piece touches on the term “dragon ladies” where Asian women are seen as gold diggers. I wanted to take the term and make it something more empowering, where Asian women can embody the dragon and get their coin without being ashamed. It also ties into how dragons have different connotations in western vs. eastern cultures ie. evil/greedy/hoarders vs. benevolent/lucky/symbols of power, respectively.
Re-framing the “Tiger Mom” stereotype as a caged tiger, playing on the idea of “model minority” stereotypes in relation to Asian fetish. Asian women are seen as domestic, naturally fit for being housewives, mothers, etc. and are desired for that reason. Subsequently, it is a role Asian women are often forced into by fetishizers who latch onto such stereotypes, effectively caging them in misogynistic ideals.
Not Your Waifu
“Not your Waifu” questions the grounds of race fetishization, particularly the fetishization of Asian women, by comparing instances of fetishization to particular objects which exemplify and help illustrate those occurrences.
