The Media
Stereotypes and assumptions of Asian women have been around since at least the late 1800s. The United States had laws in place that banned Asian women from entering the country because they were seen as temptations for white men and people thought they were carrying sexual diseases (Page Act of 1875).
These stereotypes are deeply ingrained in the media (even in movies and shows as recent as the 2000’s). A certain image on Asian girls have been established. This has caused and is still causing many Asians to become insecure about themselves. Fortunately, the popularization of K-pop groups like BTS that have a huge impact on our world today have been speaking out about racism and anti-Asian hate crimes they’ve faced throughout their lives.
Many people have this misconception that Asians are “perfect.”
This perfect image includes: being skinny/thin--fatphobia and the social acceptance of thin body types (fatphobia is a big thing in asian culture and is seen quite often in forms of descrimination and exclusion)- the ‘ideal body’ according to the Asian standard is to have a very slim body and fit into the smallest clothes (goes along the idea of being ‘cute’ and ‘small’).
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For example, in Hong Kong, size 00 exists, and places like Korea the sizing conversion is very different from the US and Canada - size 8 US is considered an XL in Korea (8 US in North America is considered relatively normal/average, but in Korea it is considered very large).
Labeled as the "Model Minority" - always striving for perfection to create the idea of a perfect image/reputation.
What exactly is fatphobia?
"Fatphobia is the fear and hatred of fat bodies. “That encompasses a whole bunch of things, namely weight bias and weight stigma, such as the idea we see people of higher body weight as lazy, and unintelligent, or disgusting,” says Mary Himmelstein, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Kent State University who studies how weight stigma affects people’s health. Fatphobia “perpetuates those negative stereotypes, and that can lead to discrimination against people with higher body weight,” she says.
Author Virgie Tovar puts it even more plainly. “Fatphobia is a form of bigotry and a form of discrimination that says that people of higher weight are inferior physically, intellectually, morally and health-wise,” says Tovar, who is the host of the podcast The Rebel Eaters Club, which is all about “breaking up with diet culture.” “It’s also the attitudes and behaviors that cluster around that system of beliefs,” she says."
Stephanie Dolgoff Deputy. “Implicit Weight Bias Is a Major Problem in Our Society - and It's Getting Worse.” Good Housekeeping, 1 Nov. 2021, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a35422452/fat-phobia/.
Read the full article here:
What exactly is 'Model Minority'?
"The myth of the model minority is based in stereotypes. It perpetuates a narrative in which Asian American children are whiz kids or musical geniuses. Within the myth of the model minority, Tiger Moms force children to work harder and be better than everyone else, while nerdy, effeminate dads hold prestigious—but not leadership—positions in STEM industries like medicine and accounting.
This myth characterizes Asian Americans as a polite, law-abiding group who have achieved a higher level of success than the general population through some combination of innate talent and pull-yourselves-up-by-your-bootstraps immigrant striving."
LadyB. “What Is the Model Minority Myth?” Learning for Justice, https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth.
Read more on model minority here:
Expectations on how Asian women should be
(ex. on social media)
There’s this image of Asians being "soft," "quiet," "skinny," "pretty," etc.
Not as bold as other influencers.
ABGs (Asian Baby Girls)
"ABG is a stereotype that applies to Asian-American girls, or more broadly, Asian girls who have grown up in Western countries. The standard ABG has dyed her hair some color of balayage, usually blonde, sports false eyelashes on the daily, and likes to wear bodycon clothing. She drinks bubble tea like her life depends on it [and] goes to raves as often as she can."
Brian Zhu, et al. “The Rise of the ABG.” The F-Word Magazine, 10 Oct. 2020,
While this type of transformation does bring confidence to some girls, it can negatively impact the lives of other girls. A lot of people find ABGs "hot" and it has been socially accepted by the media. This can cause people to feel pressured to look and act a certain way. It can also have people feeling pressured to go out of their comfort zone just to be "accepted" by others.
Life is tough, and things don’t always work out well, but we should be brave and go on with our lives.
SUGA of BTS
