Stereotypes of East Asians in the United States

Stereotypes of East Asians in the United States are ethnic stereotypes found in American society about first-generation immigrants and their American-born descendants and citizenry with East Asian ancestry or whose family members who recently emigrated to the United States from East Asia, as well as members of the Chinese diaspora whose family members emigrated from Southeast Asian countries. Stereotypes of East Asians, analogous to other ethnic and racial stereotypes, are often erroneously misunderstood and negatively portrayed in American mainstream media, cinema, music, television, literature, video games, internet, as well as in other forms of creative expression in American culture and society. Many of these commonly generalized stereotypes are largely correlative to those that are also found in other Anglosphere countries, such as in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, as entertainment and mass media are often closely interlinked between them.

Largely and collectively, these stereotypes have been internalized by society and in daily interactions, current events, and government legislation, their repercussions for Americans or immigrants of East Asian ancestry are mainly negative.[1][2] Media portrayals of East Asians often reflect an Americentric perception rather than authentic depictions of East Asian cultures, customs, traditions, and behaviors.[1] East Asian Americans have experienced discrimination and have been victims of bullying and hate crimes related to their ethnic stereotypes, as it has been used to reinforce xenophobic sentiments.[1][3] Notable fictional stereotypes include Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan, which respectively represents a threatening, mysterious East Asian character as well as an apologetic, submissive, "good" East Asian character.[4]

East Asian American men are often stereotyped as physically unattractive and lacking social skills.[5] This contrasts with the common view of East Asian women being perceived as highly desirable relative to their white female counterparts, which often manifests itself in the form of the Asian fetish, which has been influenced by their portrayals as hyper-feminine "Lotus Blossom Babies", "China dolls", "Geisha girls", and war brides.[6] In media, East Asian women may be stereotyped as exceptionally feminine and delicate "Lotus Blossums", or as Dragon Ladies, while East Asian men are often stereotyped as sexless or nerdy.[7]

East Asian mothers are also stereotyped as tiger moms, who are excessively concerned with their child's academic performance. This is stereotypically associated with high academic achievement and above-average socioeconomic success in American society.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b c Kashiwabara, Amy, Vanishing Son: The Appearance, Disappearance, and Assimilation of the Asian-US Man in US Mainstream Media, UC Berkeley Media Resources Center
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference felicia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference sfgate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ William F. Wu, The Yellow Peril: Chinese Americans in American Fiction, 1850–1940, Archon Press, 1982.
  5. ^ "Racial Stereotypes and Interracial Attraction: Phenotypic Prototypicality and Perceived Attractiveness of Asians" (PDF). Washington.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2021. Cultural studies literature has suggested that stereotypes of Asians portray both genders as being feminine. According to Fujino (1992) and Williams (1994), Asian women are portrayed in the media as "exotic, subservient, or simply nice" (Mok, 1999, p.107) – all feminine traits. Asian men, in contrast, are presented as lacking in the physical appearance and social skills needed to attract women (Mok, 1999, p. 107).
  6. ^ Tajima, Renee (1985). Lotus Blossoms Don't Bleed: Images of Asian Women in Making Waves: An Anthology of Writing By And About Asian American Women (PDF) (1 ed.). Beacon Press. pp. 308–309. ISBN 9780807059050.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ukockis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Moro, Marie Rose; Welsh, Geneviève (March 7, 2022). Parenthood and Immigration in Psychoanalysis: Shaping the Therapeutic Setting. Routledge. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-000-54479-4. "...Amy Chua's book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (Chua, 2011), depicts a strict, rigid form of Chinese mothering, in contrast to permissive Western parenting, as essential to the academic and professional success of Chinese Americans (Cheah et al., 2013; Guo, 2013).
  9. ^ Tullis, Paul (May 8, 2013). "Poor Little Tiger Cub". Slate.