I found the following in a comment on this blog. My own thoughts are in italics.
Anyone read the article "The New Trophy Wives: Asian Women" in Marie Claire magazine? (Google it). The article, much like this topic, touches on this "Yellow Fever" as if it's some new trend, but neither of these articles dare to go in-depth of the real influential reasons why Asian women are more likely hook up with white males than white women to Asian males.
Probably the most influential reason: Western cultural imperialism. Western media has penetrated all corners of the world, and I say "imperialism" because that is exactly what the West has done. For instance, what is "beauty?" A prime example of Western imperialism is witnessed through world beauty pageants. If you ignore the issue of skin tone, almost all of the contestants possess the typical Euro-centric facial characteristics: large/round eyes, narrow nostrils, high nose bridge, straight/wavy hair, oval-shaped faces, etc. In short, they're all cookie-cutter versions of Barbie.
Before you doubt this, take a good hard look and you'll see that many of us have been psychologically conditioned to agree that the Euro-centric look IS "beautiful." Brown eyes and black hair is viewed as "boring," which is why you see a lot of Asians dye their hair blonde or brown, even wear colored contact lenses, because it makes them FEEL different simply because they LOOK different. In actuality, you still look Asian trying to be white (but we still love ya, sista)!
Still not convinced? Then why do you think a lot of the Asian drama actors have round eyes, narrow noses (or had cosmetic surgery to appear "less" Asian)? Any Naruto fans out there? Do you honestly believe Naruto would be such a cross-international hit if Naruto didn't possess blue eyes and blond hair? Remember the 2008 movie, "21," (based on a true story) about 6 MIT students forming a Black Jack team to rake in millions from Las Vegas? The real-life MIT students were mostly Asian, but as usual, Hollywood thought it would be more profitable to replace the lead actor and most of the cast with white actors (http://www.chasingthefrog.com/.... This just goes to prove that Western media (and perhaps most non-Asian Westerners) are simply NOT ready to embrace or ACCEPT Asians as equals no matter how "true" the story is. It's funny how there are many successful movies with talking cars, robots, and animals. Yet many Westerners are not ready to relate with another human being of a different skin color. This is the reason Hollywood cast a White male in the lead roles of The Last Airbender and Dragon Ball.
Asians have been a part of American history for centuries, but we're still not accepted in mainstream media. Asian woman, if seen, are usually portrayed in the context of sexual desire. Asian males are still uni-dimensional martial artists, geeks, or fobs. When we Asians watch a show like Friends, do any of us say, "Hey, that was a funny WHITE show?" No. But try pitching a Friends-like sitcom with an all-Asian cast and you can be sure that it will never air (or be successful) because most Americans simply can't wrap their heads around such an idea or feel that they can relate simply because the characters don't look like them. This is why I research every show before investing time into it. I'd rather watch an all-White cast than have them shoehorn in a stereotypical Asian guy.
Now before you start with, "Then what about Jabawokeez or the Far-East Movement!?!" as PROUD and EXCITED as I am to see them break into mainstream media, the racial barriers are still pretty obvious. Am I the only one who questions if Jabawokeez would be just as widely accepted if they weren't "faceless?" If Las Vegas tourists saw a billboard showing a group of Asian faces and feel compelled to line up and watch "a bunch of Asians dancing?"
They say "the eyes are the windows to the soul," so then why are the Far-East Movement always wearing sunglasses in all of their videos and promos? Before you tell me it's their "signature," I am more inclined to believe that their manager, producer, or their PR's probably convinced them it was a good idea. Probably because with the glasses off, they would be "too Asian" for TV. I've watched FM's Rocketeer video many times. Good song, but notice that they'll do close up head-shots on Ryan Tedder, but for the rest of the FM crew, it's all half body shots or farther. Don't get me started on the skateboarder (lead actor) who is racially ambiguous. Asian skateboarders don't exist or something? pffft.
Ladies, think about all of your favorite TV shows that you watch, movie stars who you fantasize about, people on the cover of your favorite magazines, hot sexy models on billboards plastered all around your city. Any of them involve Asian males by any chance? Of course not.
Think about it. If one grows up in an environment where all forms of media glamorizes and glorifies a particular race, don't you think that would lead some, if not many, to be more inclined to be attracted to that race? As Asians, we're hardly viewed in any positive light, which is just as bad as not being seen at all, and that is the psychological war that faces us today! Part of me is resentful against older Asians for immigrating over to the West without understanding these concepts. To drop your own child in a society where they're at the bottom of the totem pole, then raise them to be the opposite of what's deemed desirable, it's a bad combination. Then the younger generation is left to deal with a mess they never asked for. We could run away back to Asia, but Western influence now reaches everywhere.
This kind of psychological brainwashing is dangerous because it's so subtle, most of us fall into this brain-washing and don't even notice it. We have claim that we have our preferences, but yet we can't put our finger on why, and simply assume that it's just "happens" to be like that.
Secondly, it's the taboo issue of moving up in class. Some argue that women have the internal survival instincts to choose the "best" mate in order to preserve or move up the social ladder. If that's the case, then in the Western world, where white males have the highest salary compared to all other races (plus their cross-generation inheritances), it's no secret why Asian women easily gravitate towards a while males who can provide more "security." I never buy into the "natural preference" excuse because the amount of instinct most modern humans have is negligible. Unless Asians are programmed by nature to hate their own typical features, it's social conditioning. I don't see many White people chopping their eyes and noses up to look Asian.
For most Asians, like the Vietnamese, our families are recent immigrants from poorer countries and have struggled blood, sweat, and tears to provide a better life for their children. In the US, our families didn't have the luxury of having wealth handed down from generation to generation. This also includes the luxury of Western recreations like: skiing, scuba diving, mountain biking, para-sailing, etc. If you hear an Asian girl say that they like "experiencing new things," this is usually what they are referring to.
Let's talk about size. Sure, Asian guys are generally smaller, but that has to do a lot with the Eastern dietary habits of previous generations. And since we're on the topic of physical looks, let's be real about why a lot of Asian women appeal to white men. It's because most Asian women fit the ideals definition of what a woman should look like: petite, thin, and elegantly slender. Thanks to good genes and or great metabolism, a lot of Asian also women maintain their youthful slender figures well through their 30's compared to white women (and white men know this). Don't believe me? Just stroll through Facebook and do a quick scan of all your Asian classmates and non-Asians in their 30's and you tell me who appear to be in better shape? I've noticed the obsession with tall men and petite women is really influencing Asia. There used to be lots of shorter actors/characters in the dramas I saw as a kid. Now? You pretty much have to be taller than average to be a leading man in Asia. Also, all the women are skinny as twigs which has always been the case. Korea is the worst with the tall guy/short girl gender roles.
As for girls accusing Asian males being "feminine," that's a derivative of homophobia, and in the Western culture that is predominately based on Judeo-Christian beliefs, people are very quick to judge what roles men and women should play. In many Eastern cultures though, Asians are usually not as homophobic or spend much time defining what is masculine and feminine. Nor do they get so upset to the point that they need to kill someone for being "too feminine." There are many masculine Asian males out there, but for one reason or another, it's only the feminine ones that stand out more because it's a bigger issue here in Western society.
Some girls say Asian guys are too "shy" and "don't ask girls out." That's bullshit. Maybe some aren't as arrogant or cocky in how they approach women, but that's just called respect. But you know what, Asian males would be just as cocky and arrogant in approaching you ladies too if we didn't have so many negative stereotypes associated to us and then reinforced through Western media twice over. Who's more confident? The loud, obnoxious boy hitting on every girl at the bar, or the quiet guy in the corner with his arms crossed? Most people would choose the former, and that's what damns us all, ethnicity not withstanding.
Before you reply with anger, let me say that this does NOT apply to ALL Asian women, ok? Unlike the author of this long post, I'm not afraid to offend anyone. There were quite a few Asian girls who threw small penis jokes at my Asian pals. So do I think most Asian women buy into the West's negative portrayal of Asian men? Yes I do, for the same reason every ethnic group buys into the school system, ageism, heightism, and whatever else is popular. People like to claim they're influenced by nature and personal choices, but all I see are mindless drones. Show them what beauty is on TV, and that will be 'natural' beauty in their minds. Didn't you know? Televisions grow on trees, so what's promoted by the media is just nature at work.
Anyone read the article "The New Trophy Wives: Asian Women" in Marie Claire magazine? (Google it). The article, much like this topic, touches on this "Yellow Fever" as if it's some new trend, but neither of these articles dare to go in-depth of the real influential reasons why Asian women are more likely hook up with white males than white women to Asian males.
Probably the most influential reason: Western cultural imperialism. Western media has penetrated all corners of the world, and I say "imperialism" because that is exactly what the West has done. For instance, what is "beauty?" A prime example of Western imperialism is witnessed through world beauty pageants. If you ignore the issue of skin tone, almost all of the contestants possess the typical Euro-centric facial characteristics: large/round eyes, narrow nostrils, high nose bridge, straight/wavy hair, oval-shaped faces, etc. In short, they're all cookie-cutter versions of Barbie.
Before you doubt this, take a good hard look and you'll see that many of us have been psychologically conditioned to agree that the Euro-centric look IS "beautiful." Brown eyes and black hair is viewed as "boring," which is why you see a lot of Asians dye their hair blonde or brown, even wear colored contact lenses, because it makes them FEEL different simply because they LOOK different. In actuality, you still look Asian trying to be white (but we still love ya, sista)!
Still not convinced? Then why do you think a lot of the Asian drama actors have round eyes, narrow noses (or had cosmetic surgery to appear "less" Asian)? Any Naruto fans out there? Do you honestly believe Naruto would be such a cross-international hit if Naruto didn't possess blue eyes and blond hair? Remember the 2008 movie, "21," (based on a true story) about 6 MIT students forming a Black Jack team to rake in millions from Las Vegas? The real-life MIT students were mostly Asian, but as usual, Hollywood thought it would be more profitable to replace the lead actor and most of the cast with white actors (http://www.chasingthefrog.com/.... This just goes to prove that Western media (and perhaps most non-Asian Westerners) are simply NOT ready to embrace or ACCEPT Asians as equals no matter how "true" the story is. It's funny how there are many successful movies with talking cars, robots, and animals. Yet many Westerners are not ready to relate with another human being of a different skin color. This is the reason Hollywood cast a White male in the lead roles of The Last Airbender and Dragon Ball.
Asians have been a part of American history for centuries, but we're still not accepted in mainstream media. Asian woman, if seen, are usually portrayed in the context of sexual desire. Asian males are still uni-dimensional martial artists, geeks, or fobs. When we Asians watch a show like Friends, do any of us say, "Hey, that was a funny WHITE show?" No. But try pitching a Friends-like sitcom with an all-Asian cast and you can be sure that it will never air (or be successful) because most Americans simply can't wrap their heads around such an idea or feel that they can relate simply because the characters don't look like them. This is why I research every show before investing time into it. I'd rather watch an all-White cast than have them shoehorn in a stereotypical Asian guy.
Now before you start with, "Then what about Jabawokeez or the Far-East Movement!?!" as PROUD and EXCITED as I am to see them break into mainstream media, the racial barriers are still pretty obvious. Am I the only one who questions if Jabawokeez would be just as widely accepted if they weren't "faceless?" If Las Vegas tourists saw a billboard showing a group of Asian faces and feel compelled to line up and watch "a bunch of Asians dancing?"
They say "the eyes are the windows to the soul," so then why are the Far-East Movement always wearing sunglasses in all of their videos and promos? Before you tell me it's their "signature," I am more inclined to believe that their manager, producer, or their PR's probably convinced them it was a good idea. Probably because with the glasses off, they would be "too Asian" for TV. I've watched FM's Rocketeer video many times. Good song, but notice that they'll do close up head-shots on Ryan Tedder, but for the rest of the FM crew, it's all half body shots or farther. Don't get me started on the skateboarder (lead actor) who is racially ambiguous. Asian skateboarders don't exist or something? pffft.
Ladies, think about all of your favorite TV shows that you watch, movie stars who you fantasize about, people on the cover of your favorite magazines, hot sexy models on billboards plastered all around your city. Any of them involve Asian males by any chance? Of course not.
Think about it. If one grows up in an environment where all forms of media glamorizes and glorifies a particular race, don't you think that would lead some, if not many, to be more inclined to be attracted to that race? As Asians, we're hardly viewed in any positive light, which is just as bad as not being seen at all, and that is the psychological war that faces us today! Part of me is resentful against older Asians for immigrating over to the West without understanding these concepts. To drop your own child in a society where they're at the bottom of the totem pole, then raise them to be the opposite of what's deemed desirable, it's a bad combination. Then the younger generation is left to deal with a mess they never asked for. We could run away back to Asia, but Western influence now reaches everywhere.
This kind of psychological brainwashing is dangerous because it's so subtle, most of us fall into this brain-washing and don't even notice it. We have claim that we have our preferences, but yet we can't put our finger on why, and simply assume that it's just "happens" to be like that.
Secondly, it's the taboo issue of moving up in class. Some argue that women have the internal survival instincts to choose the "best" mate in order to preserve or move up the social ladder. If that's the case, then in the Western world, where white males have the highest salary compared to all other races (plus their cross-generation inheritances), it's no secret why Asian women easily gravitate towards a while males who can provide more "security." I never buy into the "natural preference" excuse because the amount of instinct most modern humans have is negligible. Unless Asians are programmed by nature to hate their own typical features, it's social conditioning. I don't see many White people chopping their eyes and noses up to look Asian.
For most Asians, like the Vietnamese, our families are recent immigrants from poorer countries and have struggled blood, sweat, and tears to provide a better life for their children. In the US, our families didn't have the luxury of having wealth handed down from generation to generation. This also includes the luxury of Western recreations like: skiing, scuba diving, mountain biking, para-sailing, etc. If you hear an Asian girl say that they like "experiencing new things," this is usually what they are referring to.
Let's talk about size. Sure, Asian guys are generally smaller, but that has to do a lot with the Eastern dietary habits of previous generations. And since we're on the topic of physical looks, let's be real about why a lot of Asian women appeal to white men. It's because most Asian women fit the ideals definition of what a woman should look like: petite, thin, and elegantly slender. Thanks to good genes and or great metabolism, a lot of Asian also women maintain their youthful slender figures well through their 30's compared to white women (and white men know this). Don't believe me? Just stroll through Facebook and do a quick scan of all your Asian classmates and non-Asians in their 30's and you tell me who appear to be in better shape? I've noticed the obsession with tall men and petite women is really influencing Asia. There used to be lots of shorter actors/characters in the dramas I saw as a kid. Now? You pretty much have to be taller than average to be a leading man in Asia. Also, all the women are skinny as twigs which has always been the case. Korea is the worst with the tall guy/short girl gender roles.
As for girls accusing Asian males being "feminine," that's a derivative of homophobia, and in the Western culture that is predominately based on Judeo-Christian beliefs, people are very quick to judge what roles men and women should play. In many Eastern cultures though, Asians are usually not as homophobic or spend much time defining what is masculine and feminine. Nor do they get so upset to the point that they need to kill someone for being "too feminine." There are many masculine Asian males out there, but for one reason or another, it's only the feminine ones that stand out more because it's a bigger issue here in Western society.
Some girls say Asian guys are too "shy" and "don't ask girls out." That's bullshit. Maybe some aren't as arrogant or cocky in how they approach women, but that's just called respect. But you know what, Asian males would be just as cocky and arrogant in approaching you ladies too if we didn't have so many negative stereotypes associated to us and then reinforced through Western media twice over. Who's more confident? The loud, obnoxious boy hitting on every girl at the bar, or the quiet guy in the corner with his arms crossed? Most people would choose the former, and that's what damns us all, ethnicity not withstanding.
Before you reply with anger, let me say that this does NOT apply to ALL Asian women, ok? Unlike the author of this long post, I'm not afraid to offend anyone. There were quite a few Asian girls who threw small penis jokes at my Asian pals. So do I think most Asian women buy into the West's negative portrayal of Asian men? Yes I do, for the same reason every ethnic group buys into the school system, ageism, heightism, and whatever else is popular. People like to claim they're influenced by nature and personal choices, but all I see are mindless drones. Show them what beauty is on TV, and that will be 'natural' beauty in their minds. Didn't you know? Televisions grow on trees, so what's promoted by the media is just nature at work.
