In the process of globalization, a lot of stereotypes and tropes have been carried through history unwillingly among the Asian community, often being seen by Western men mostly as either seductive and exotic (dubbed “Dragon Ladies”) or submissive and vulnerable (dubbed “China Porcelain Dolls”). The second trope being submissive aligns with certain physical features like being smaller in stature. This is what closet pedophiles look for while choosing women; someone with prepubescent looks, such as lacking body hair.
It’s nuanced in thinking but the tropes make perfect sense, and on online communities it’s been seen that this is what men seeking Asian women look for. Googling “why do white men like Asian women” will yield many scary and often fetishized results. “Freaks in bed,” “super tight,” and “they’re docile and respect their husbands” are all statements found online.
The argument “well I like what I like” is a preference that can teeter easily into racial fetishism, defined my medium.com as “only acknowledging and fixating on someone’s race, making it the only part of their identity you consider. Furthermore, you do not take their personality or opinions into account and your perception of them is based on harmful stereotypes.”
This phenomenon started during Asian immigration to the United States and the U.S. military’s engagement with Far East Asian countries. During World War II, the stereotypes and fetishization truly got on a roll, as soldiers were getting intimate with Asian women while deployed.
Within the East Asian community itself the stereotypes are very strong because of how traditional they become. During wartime, things got serious and more psychical with women becoming “comfort women.” These women and young girls were abducted or mislead and then forced into being sex slaves by the Imperial Japanese Army and others in blatant pedophilia.
Post World War II these notions that East Asian women can be used to please men have carried on into Western mindset, manifesting in racial fetishization. A study done by Alice Mayall and Diana E.H. Russell called “Racism in pornography” uncovered that in instances of rape in pornography, East Asian women were overrepresented, suggesting that the hyper sexualization yet compliant representations of East Asian women in media is the cause.
Some pornography videos are based in history, giving visuals to the traumatic experiences of that World War II generation and on. Triggering those who may have been involved and those who have heard the harrowing stories told by their mothers, grandmothers, and other family.
Self-actualization of these harmful stereotypes in the media and stopping them from continuing is the start of overturning many harmful ways of thinking towards Asian women. Pedophilia is unfortunately ingrained in many Asian cultures and during World War II it was brought back to the United States, being cultivated secretly and then in online communities.
