A Collection of Poetry About the Fetishization of Asian Women and Culture: Be Yourself, Stronger Than I Seem
In this collection we are allowed to see behind the lens of the challenges of being a young Asian American woman in the present time. In Be Yourselfwe hear the heart of a young Asian American woman who remembers back to per school and the mean things that her Caucasian counter parts said to her, all things that make her look at herself as if she is as ugly as they say she is. But in the present, she is bombarded with articles, research and new reports that Asian women are being fetishized by other women. Trying to change their physical appearance to look like them, dressing like them, gluing their eyes to reflect their eyes. It then makes her realize that she is beautiful and the “trend” that is Asian American women and their culture is an insult that they just don’t understand and never will. In Stronger Than I Seem we address the stereotypes of Asian American women and the idea that none of it is true. She speaks of the strength and pride that she has in being who the strong people in her life raised her to be. This collection makes us look at ourselves and the things that we see online or hear in person and dismiss not realizing that it is unacceptable behavior that must be changed. She owns her heritage. She owns her strength. She owns exactly who she is.
***Performance is written for an Asian woman.
Fetishization of Asian Women and Culture
Be Yourself
I live in America but by roots are deep in my Chinese culture.
I am a proud Asian American- proud to just be me.
Me.
Just to be me.
But things have changed.
Glasses have been adjusted a bit
Balance is slightly off
Just slightly.
Because…
When others view you differently
Though you may not see yourself in that way
It affects you
How they see you.
Changes their disposition to wanting to be like you.
Like me.
I read
I see
Research says
And people are talking about
A fetish.
An obsession.
About me- us.
Reading a newspaper article that says, “The New Fetishization of Asian Women”
Fetishization?
Of Asian Women?
So, I read and I looked and I read and I flipped pages
Clicked and double clicked
Browsed and perused
Well I’ll be damned women are gluing their eyes to make them seem smaller
After being bullied about my eyes from my Caucasian counterparts
From the age of four sitting in a circle on the cartoon blanket in pre-k
Sipping my milk
Eating my cinnamon crackers
Lucy said, “Why are your eyes always closed?”
Nancy said, “Can you see me?”Kate said, “Can you fix that one day? It’s kind of ugly”