It was July 2002 when I stepped out of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, and into the streets of Saigon, revisiting my homeland and my past. The heavy humid air bore on me and my skin began forming beads of sweat. Here it was, the Vietnam that I had so missed when I first came to America in 1992 — the noisy crowded streets, the musty air, and the people who spoke my native … [Read more...] about Of Shame and Pride: Confronting My Vietnamese Identity
identity
Understanding the Asian Fetish Through the Colonial Logic of Pornography (NSFW)
In response to "Consuming Asianness," Mr. David Regenold asked a very thoughtful follow-up question that I haven't, until now, had a chance to address. He wanted to know, "Exactly where is this ["domestic" and "submissive" stereotype of Asian women] coming from? White Guys? Or is it a reflection of historical Asian domestic expectations?" I'd like to answer this question by … [Read more...] about Understanding the Asian Fetish Through the Colonial Logic of Pornography (NSFW)
Some Profanity Follows
For the five people who’ve read “Consuming Whiteness,” you may have noticed an odd caveat at the beginning of the article. It ominously reads, “The following post contains mild profanity. Read and enjoy!” In its companion piece, “Consuming Asianness,” the word “mild” was dropped altogether and the warning became, “Some profanity follows. Read and enjoy!” Have I been getting so … [Read more...] about Some Profanity Follows
Consuming Asianness: Mr. AsianFetish and the (Obnoxious) White Peril; or, a More Serious Companion Piece
Note: Some profanity follows. Read and enjoy! I recently wrote the article entitled "Consuming Whiteness: Food and (Inter)Racial Politics at Your Local University" about the racial and sexual dynamics involved when speaking about/with metaphors of food. It ended with me imagining myself in the position of an Asian woman rejecting, in somewhat colorful terms, the forced … [Read more...] about Consuming Asianness: Mr. AsianFetish and the (Obnoxious) White Peril; or, a More Serious Companion Piece
A Tran style Thanksgiving with Australian James West
Ah, the miracles of YouTube. Via Gizmodo comes a modern day story of mistaken identity and new constructions of the family unit: James West, an Australian bloke, had been mistakenly CC’ed emails intended for an American James West from the Tran family in Florida for three years. This year, the Aussie decided to look into those emails and--despite the fact that he'd never met … [Read more...] about A Tran style Thanksgiving with Australian James West