Racial prejudice has parallel meaning but similar which, mainly means hatred towards a particular group. Pyke and Johnson’s (2003) quote, “You should be able to cook, you are Vietnamese, you are a girl,” is thought-provoking. It is because; I witness Asian women being left out of discussions about issues affecting women of color. Although specific Asian communities enjoy perks that other racial minorities do not, the existing structures of privilege and power have a detrimental and harmful influence on the lives of Asian women in distinct ways. Asian women’s bodies are exoticized and highly sexualized, while some Asian societies’ perceived submissiveness is fetishized and erotized (Pyke & Johnson, 2003). The fetishization lowers Asian women to an erroneous and harmful stereotype, resulting in shocking, violent crime rates. These frightening rates of violence plainly illustrate the need to recognize and address the underlying racial prejudice.
This week’s reading highlights the minority community culture and the concept of responsibility between genders. It relates to me as a minority Asian family; for both parents living in the United States, our parents chose a different path, and the main reason was to prepare all of us for our future. Most of the time, we were alone at home with my brother because our parents used to work late, and we were taught to share duties regardless of gender. It did not matter our gender because we could cook and wash utensils in turns, which allowed us enough time to study and finish our assignments. Therefore, the issue of demonization of someone from a given culture with the assumption that a specific duty is meant for this gender is a thought that has been passed with time. Therefore, not knowing how to cook does not make anyone less Asian than someone else. It is just a misconception.
Reference
Pyke, K. D., & Johnson, D. L. (2003). Asian American Women and Racialized Femininities: “Doing” Gender across Cultural Worlds.Gender and Society, 17(1), 33–53. Web.