Sunday, September 30, 2012

On Cat Calls, Intersectionality and Being an AA Woman


Living as an Asian American woman in New York City, being attacked by racism is a daily situation. Being called “Chinadoll”, “cute Chinese girl” and the like is an everyday reminder of my extremely vulnerable position as an Asian American female in American society- constantly exoticised, sexualized and demeaned, all at once and with the expectation that we as AA females are just supposed to quietly take it. It is never just a “compliment” about your supposed attractiveness- it is attractiveness perpetually linked to the fetishism of the Orient, an Asian woman to fit in your box of assumptions and ideas of the exotic.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

On Ni Hao and Being Chinese in America

Let me begin by saying that growing up Chinese American in the San Francisco Bay Area is really an amazing experience. The population of San Francisco is inundated with Chinese and Chinese Americans, especially in little niches and ethic enclaves like Chinatown and the Sunset District- many of these Chinese being Cantonese-speaking, much like myself.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

On PSY and the American Consumption of the Asian Male

At 150 Million views on YouTube, South Korean hip-hop artist PSY's song and music video for "Gangnam Style" has gone beyond viral. On statistics and hype alone, chances are you've heard of it as well.