Asian History in America Research Paper Sample

Asian history in America has been defined by cruel treatment and unfair stereotypes. Chief among these stereotypes is the hyper sexualization of Asian women in the eyes of white America. Women in Asian cultures are often thought of as offering only sexual value, with little else to provide the world. Cathy Park Hong’s “Bad English” and Janice Mirikitani’s “Looking for America” both use the author’s own experiences to portray overt sexualization that Asian American women face in their everyday lives. In Hong’s essay she exemplifies the objectification that Asian women face. She describes “fetishized anime eyes” and a “snubbed peck of a nose” (95). In Mirikitani’s poem, the hyper sexualization is again shown, with the narrator describing her life spent “in a brothel, compliant and uncomplicated” (16) and “wiping some imperialist’s lips” (17). How these two differ from one another is their reaction to this objectification. While Park tries to conform to these stereotypes by squishing “her nose down to a button”, Mirikitani takes a different approach (95). Instead, she tries to revolt against these stereotypes, as she hits her “head against the glass of their ceiling” (19-20). In this essay, I show how Mirikitani uses her reaction to sexualization to show how this stereotype is something that Asian women need to overcome to achieve their goals, while Hong feels that Asian women must meet these criteria to be valuable. Thus, Mirikitani portrays a certain level of perseverance that must be had to achieve despite overt sexualization, while Hong illustrates a level of acceptance of this objectification in order to be seen as worthy.

Through her essay “Bad English” in her novel Minor Feelings, Cathy Park Hong depicts the sexualization that Asian women face in America. Hong describes this objectification by recounting her own thoughts and expressing, “I took pleasure in drawing the eyes, because I, like everyone else, fetishized anime eyes … But the nose eluded me. I could not get that snubbed peck of a nose right, no matter how much I practiced drawing it” (Hong, 95). Through her description, Hong shows what type of appearance is valued in Asian Americans by white society. In America, “anime eyes” and a “peck of a nose” are physical characteristics that are valued within Asian women. As Hong writes, she indicates that these are the specific traits that she lacks, describing her eyes as “meager slits” and her nose as “pronounced” (Hong 95). The juxtaposition between the anime girls that Hong presents shows the difference between the fantasy that white society has about Asian women and reality. Asian women are an extremely diverse group of people that vary in their appearance. However, white society often fails to grasp this, assuming Asian women all fit the same mold, which comes in the form of a hyper sexualized woman. Additionally, Hong’s dedication to master drawing these traits shows her desire to make these traits a reality in her own life. Her wish to change her own physical appearance to match that of the stereotype of sexualized Asian women shows how ingrained the objectification of Asian women is in American society, and how it can play a massive role in the lives of Asian women in America. 

In a similar fashion to Hong, Janice Mirikitani uses her own experiences to show the sexualization of Asian women through her poem “Looking for America.” Throughout Mirikitani’s poem, the narrator reflects on her time in the US and looks at herself from the perspective of white America. Mirikitani writes, “I found myself in a bar, dancing for a tip, cheong sam slit to my hip, or in a brothel, compliant and uncomplicated, high-heeled in bed, wiping some imperialist’s lips” (Mirikitani, 13-17). Through her description, Mirikitani highlights stereotypical roles that Asian women can fill in American society, with the narrator symbolizing the entire cohort of Asian women. Jobs working in “a bar” or “a brothel” are jobs that clearly rely heavily on the sexual aspect of Asian women. The fact that she is “compliant and uncomplicated” while working these jobs shows that she offers little else besides her sexual value, exemplifying white-centric view that all the worth Asian women contribute is found in their sexuality. The passage concludes with the narrator completing an act with sexual undertones, “wiping some imperialist’s lips” while she lays in bed with him. The “imperialist” in question can be viewed as a white individual, particularly a white man. The image of wiping his lips builds upon the already established stereotype, with narrator serving the white man through her sexuality. This further exemplifies the value that white society sees in Asian women in America. 

Throughout her essay, Hong takes a surprising approach to the stereotype of oversexualized Asian women. Instead of protesting these unrealistic expectations, Hong subconsciously tries to fulfill them to feel validated amongst her peers. When describing her feelings toward her features, Hong writes, “Once I dreamed of anime girls soaring up and down on pogo sticks … to pogo my nose down to a button” (95). Here, Hong admits that she wishes she could change her own features in order to conform to society’s standards. The “anime girls” that Hong depicts are representative of the stereotypical, sexualized Asian American woman. She subconsciously hopes that she is forced to conform to this stereotype, with her nose being crushed “down to a button.” The echo of the nose is significant as it is a feature that distinguishes Hong from white America’s stereotype of an Asian woman. The change of her nose being “pronounced” to being “a button” represents a larger, overarching change, as Hong moves closer and closer to fitting the stereotype of sexualized Asian women. Additionally, this is not a change that happens to Hong against her will. Instead, it is among her deepest desires, occurring subconsciously within her dreams. This is evidence of the ingrained desire to be valued, which is what is driving Hong to change her appearance. Hong believes that Asian women should be willing to conform in order to be seen as valuable in the eyes of American society.

While Hong and Mirikitani both depict the hyper sexualization of Asian women in America, they differ in their response to this stereotype. While Hong seems to strive to conform to this stereotype, Mirikitani takes a different approach. She instead aims to persevere through these unfair perceptions and make a life for herself despite what white America believes about her and Asian women as a group. When chronicling her struggles to fight through this oppressive stereotype, Mirikitani writes, “I see myself pound my head on the glass of their ceiling, two rungs up a short corporate ladder” (Mirikitani, 19-21). Through the description of her own experiences, Mirikitani shows the perseverance she possesses. The ceiling she depicts represents the over sexualization of Asian women and the barriers that it creates. The fact that it is the “glass of their ceiling” echoes the mention of imperialists earlier in the poem, with the ceiling being created by white America to oppress Asian women. The fact that is “two rungs up a short corporate ladder” means that although she has not climbed very far, she is not far from reaching the top. All that is stopping her is the ceiling, representing how the hyper sexualization of Asian women can impede their success in America. Additionally, the juxtaposition between a “corporate ladder” and the “bars” and “brothels” that narrator was dancing in earlier in the poem show the difference between the narrator’s current life and her potential life. All that is holding her back is the objectification of Asian women and if overcomes this stereotype, she will be able to create a better life for herself. A life that is not solely valued for her sexuality, but instead valued for her intelligence and personality. Despite all the obstacles in her way, the narrator continues to try to climb the corporate ladder, pounding her head against the ceiling, attempting to break it, therefore breaking the stereotype of over sexualized Asian women.

As seen in Cathy Park Hong’s “Bad English” and Janice Mirikitani’s “Looking for America”, white society has created the idea that Asian women must be hyper sexualized to have value. Through their own experiences, both authors depict that impact that this harmful perception can have on Asian women in America. While both authors choose to exemplify the same stereotype, they differ from one another in their choice of how to respond to these hurtful beliefs. While Hong expresses that Asian women must conform to these stereotypes in order to be seen as valuable amongst their peers, Mirikitani believes that Asian women must break through these perceptions in order to create a life based on more than just the value of their sexuality.